January Look: Top 15 Bills Draft Prospects

I was halfway through my list and realized I was almost right on par with you Brian. I had cushing rated higher but thats about it.

If Raji is there at 11 I would LOVE that pick.

Center Prospects:

I think you did a great job of listing two guys that don’t get talked about much. The center position is pretty stacked in the draft. Names like Wood, Caldwell, Cecil Newton and even A.Q. Shipley are all good center prospects that the Bills could get later and that means they don’t have to reach to get Mack in the first.

Names I like:
Clay Mathews – The guy has great blood lines and you know that his dad gave him a few tips on tackling and his uncle gave him some tips on how to beat an o-lineman. The Bills could do a lot worse then getting him in the second round.

Deon Butler and Derrick Williams, WRs Penn State – Both of these guys are great playmakers. I know the Bills don’t need a rookie WR, but I like both of these guys. Butler is a Roscoe Parrish size WR who is a better receiver.

I like Pettigrew. I know that he isn’t worth the #11 pick. But if he is there in round 2 I would jump on him.

Brian really covered all the guys that I like, other then these 4.

I like some skilled players like Percy Harvin and Iglesias of OU. I think the smaller, explosive WR’s have great impact at the next level because defenses love to blitz and getting guys in space is key for offenses to beat those blitzes. Look at DeSean Jackson this year. Santonio Holmes before him, Eddie Royal, etc. The Bills desperately need a playmaker on offense at the TE or WR position and I hope they try to nab one in rounds 1-4 for sure.

I like Chase Coffman, Hakeem Nicks WR UNC, Shawn Nelson South Miss as well.

Wood would be my second ranked C now too. Mike Mayock showed some film of him last night demonstrating his hand punch in pass blocking. I was impressed. He looked like a heavyweight boxer. He repeatedly punched (slammed) his man and the other guy just stopped dead to regroup. Not as quick on his feet as Mack but a fine prospect. Caldwell ranks third as you say. If we wait until the 3rd to take a C we may not get a top tier man. Mack, Unger, Wood and mabye Caldwell will be gone.

My guess with OBD is still 1-DE, 2-C, and 3-TE. If Raji is there at 11 (don’t really think so) and Orakpo and Brown are gone, then the scenario changes to DT, DE, C, TE. Curry at 11, no way.

The great unknown for us is where OBD ranks the need for a TE in the draft. Logically it falls to the 3rd round but who knows especially with the noise they have been making trying to get one predraft. I like most everything about Coffman except his speed. He is good at finding the open seam. Nelson, Cook or Casey would also be a big upgrade for us.

I wish we had the luxury of taking someone other than a lineman early (Petteigrew or Harvin). I also like Clay Mathews. He’s going to be great and I hope it is not with the Pats.

Here’s a curve ball. What if we get a LB before the draft and Curry somehow falls to #11?

Another name I want to throw out there is Maualuga. If OBD agrees with a lot of people on this board, Poz can be moved outside to fit him, and the guy is a serious play-maker this team needs.

Also, how about an actual FB in the later rounds. What round do you guys think Tony Fiammetta from Syracuse will fall? It’d be nice to get a FB that can actually open a whole for a change.

I think I like the idea of Coffman in the second more than Pettigrew in the first- you can’t teach a guy to have hands that good, and that leaves the first round open for DE/DT.

I agree with sireric on the Butler and Williams assessment- Butler especially is a guy you could probably get in the 5th round or later. Also, I think if we get Mack or another C in the first, I don’t think getting Shipley or another C prospect either in the seventh or as a rookie free agent would be a bad idea either. Depth is good.

Brian, I like the assessment on Project Mayhem- in my completely non-expert opinion..spot on.

Alex Mack will help improve every phase of this offense and every skill position player will benefit from him at Center for us! I want Alex Mack..

I would hope that we’d do something similar with defensive line players (DT or DE or pass rushing LB) this year. There needs to be some serious competition in camp with some young guys at those positions who can push the “stiffs” like Kelsay and Denney and even Shoebel who have had ZERO players behind them pushing at their starting jobs at all for a couple years. It also removes the need for a Copeland Bryan, because we can potentially find 1-2 good depth guys/ST guys who can potentially contribute more on the field now and down the road.

Great list, Brian. Kudos for putting together a group of players who fit the needs of this team.

Also, I saw Curry’s INT numbers and chuckled b/c he probably got most of those against UNC ;-)

Regardless of whether or not these players will be there, this is my top ten list with the first pick.

1. Alex Mack – He is known to play with a mean streak, to bully the opposition, and to never quit on any blocking assignments. That attitude will mesh well with Marshawn Lynch’s never say die running style and will take our team a significant step closer to establishing a smash mouth offense. Following the Senior Bowl notes it has become more clear than ever that Mack is a rare, rare talent. I find it too hard to pass on a guy who I think will be the best at his position for well over a decade. What I like most about Mack is how well he takes angles on defenders and how he becomes a driving force that shoves defenders back. That’d be a nice change from what we have now, which is essentially the opposite.

2. Brian Orakpo – I can officially start to get excited now. Todd McShay is saying that because he skipped on the Senior Bowl, teams will let him drop out of the top 10. That is great news for us! Orakpo can bench 500+ and squat 600+ which means he can overpower defenders in addition to his quick burst off the line and finesse repertoire. Not only that, he is a known hustle player and was a leader on his defense. Bills character material and a playmaker? I didn’t think the two went together.

3. B.J. Raji – I don’t have to say much, dominating run stuffer, pass rusher, and with his explosive driving abilities is the defensive version of Alex Mack. I still think Kyle Williams will keep getting better but it would be too hard to pass on a guy who can play next to Stroud and then eventually replace him. He won’t make it to #11 though.

4. Aaron Curry – To me, this is the kind of player that it is better if he is not there. His talent is too high that if he’s there you sort of have to take him which can often lead to making the wrong decision at the wrong time. We need so much help at other positions, and there will be great linebackers in the 2nd round, that taking Curry could actually hurt us at DE, C, and TE big time. I think it could be for the best that this nasty linebacker will be gone before #11.

5. Everette Brown – I think he will make a fine Tampon 2 defensive end. In fact, I think all the talk of him as a 3-4 outside linebacker takes away from the fact that he is a freak of a pass rusher down on the line. He had 20.5 tackles for a loss in 2008. Thats impressive. The guy clearly knows how to shed blocks.

No thank you. Please, no more undersized DT’s. I can’t stand them, no matter how talented they are.

1. Brown
2. Orakpo
3. Curry
4. Raji
5. Mack
6. M.Johnson

probably going anywhere from round 3-5……….

bio @

Here

He’s gonna make someone a solid starter soon……..I can only hope its for Buffalo…..

What is it with all the good DE’s skipping out on these post season bowl games? I don’t get it. Injury concerns or no. It is the only line position with so many no shows. The only DE playing worth watching will be Matt Shaughnessey in the East West Shrine Game. I was looking forward to watching the good DE’s.

The Bills need 3 1st round picks so they can grab Raji, Mack, and either Orakpo or Brown. That’s not so hard now, is it?! I have to be honest, I would NOT want to be the ones making this decision if all of these players are available come time to pick.

I love the excitement for the draft, but none of this matters until after free agency. so who do ya got coming to buffalo?

Most of these guys are 4th Round or later
TE- Jared Bronson, (6-4/255), Central Washington NFL Draft Scout reports state that he should run around a 4.67 40 time, they think he is a late round, but have him as the 12th best TE in the draft, fast with good hands. FFToolbox.com among the positives is this- Has great size/speed combination. Is fast for a TE (4.74) of his size. Very athletic player who has big play potential. Will make incredible catches. A good blocker.

DT- Sammie Lee Hill (6-4/328), Stillman (Ala.)
He’s a massive nose tackle prospect who has good athleticism and quickness for his size. Hill has the body control to move laterally as well as hold the point of attack against the run. He’s a developing pass rusher who has the physical attributes to become an every-down lineman. Pretty much every site I check reports the same thing, he takes up space, can move up field, and will be around late in the draft, if the Bills take him it would make up for missing on Red Bryant.

DE Lawrence Sidbury (6-3/265), Richmond

DT Louis Ellis (6-2/312), Shaw (N.C.).

C Cecil Newton (6-4/316), Tennessee State

LB Jason Williams (6-1/236), Western Illinois

Sorry I would report more but I gotta get busy at work, will try to fill in the info later

that the combine will determine so much of these players’ stock. For instance, if Everett Brown just measures in at 6’2" and 242 lbs he will probably fall to the late 1st- early 2nd round. All of that said, I kind of have two lists…. one that is the best players for Buffalo and the other is the best players period.

Buffalo

1a. Everett Brown – watching him he is far and away the best pass rusher of the major DE prospects. He is a spitting image of Dwight Freeney in his style. He has a lightning quick spin move, uses his arms well to keep linemen off of him, and has the all-important ability to accelerate through a shoulder dip to turn the corner. He has all the potential in the world and should really gain strength once in the NFL.

1b. Brian Orakpo – Not quite as quick or fast as Everett Brown, but more powerful. Unfortunately, it seems Orakpo has maxed himself out physically. He was 210 lbs when he arrived at Texas, I don’t see him adding much more or strength at the next level without roids. He’s a step below Brown in my eyes because Brown has the opportunity to get bigger and stronger and MUCH better than he already is, it seems the ceiling is just lower on Orakpo.

3a. Aaron Curry – Will likely be gone, but is in a deadlock with Maualuga in my eyes. Is more complete and a safer pick… but after watching him, his ability to play the run, pass, and blitz equally well is what gives him the edge.

3b. Rey Maualuga – Just a playmaker that doesn’t come along too often. He’s a serial killer playing MLB and at 6’3" 260 lbs (he may check in lighter) he would bring the tough, physical, nasty to our defense that Brian is always talking about. He’s not as good as Curry in coverage, but that doesn’t mean he’s not good in coverage. He makes up for it by making HUGE plays, something that no one on Buffalo’s D does regularly.

5. Bj Raji – A guy that cannot be blocked one-on-one, would improve any defense when he comes into his own in the NFL. The type of player that makes everyone around him better by eating up blockers and disrupting plays.

6. William Moore – Has the chance to be great because he has the size to be excellent in the box, and completes the position with great ball skills. He’s also a great blitzer. Then we would have a true strong safety and Whitner could stay out of the box and make more plays on the ball. He reminds of Brian Dawkins and hits a lot like Adrian Wilson.

7a. Percy Harvin – Mercy Percy. Bills fans would probably have a heart attack if this was our 1st round selection, but that’s only because people haven’t truly seen what Percy Harvin does for an offense, which is pretty much everything. Has great hands and ran a lot of underneath routes. There is not a better player in this draft after the catch. Is a threat to score EVERY time he touches the ball, which means Buffalo would actually have a player to end-around and reverse to. He could become one of the best slot receivers in the game (no offense Josh Reed).

7b. Jeremy Maclin – Could project to an outside or slot position. Another excellent guy after the catch, is just a step below Percy Harvin in every category: ball skills, route running, and carrying the football. There is no TE on this list because there aren’t any worthy of a top 15 grade with Gresham staying in school.

9. Duke Robinson – Road-grater comes to mind when watching him. He helped pave the way for two 1,000 yard backs. The Big 12 defenses aren’t much to write home about, but Robinson has no reason not to be a dominant run-blocker in the NFL… a player Buffalo’s interior line desperately needs.

10. Alex Mack – Another excellent interior lineman. People tend to pigeon-hole him at center but I believe he has the versatility to play guard as well. He seems to be like a bigger less agile version of Nick Mangold.

Top 10 Talents

1. Percy Harvin
2. Everett Brown
3. Andre Smith
4. Rey Maualuga
5. Knowshon Moreno
6. Brian Orakpo
7. Aaron Curry
8. BJ Raji
9. William Moore
10. Jeremy Maclin