Ndumakong Suh, DT, Nebraska.

YES PLEASE!!!!

the more I think about it, the Bills need an interior lineman and OL in this upcoming draft. The line play has been next to atroucious this season.

1. DL
1A. LB
3. LT/RT

I would love for them to take Aurthur Jones, two reason. 1.) Hes a solid player that can fit our 4-3, or 3-4 with a possible front office change. 2.) Its a PR move, drawing even more people from the middle of NY to the Bills. I live in Syracuse, and while there are plenty of Bills fans here, there are just as many Jets/Giants fans.

Clausen’s stock is rising….but the weapons and OL he has IMO is the main reason for his 3rd year success. His OL is massive and beastly and the playmakers on the outisde are electric. Clausen definitely needs another year in school and his mental makeup scares me.

Locker is an interesting top prospect. All the physical gifts in the world, but where is his head at? He too is another guy that needs another year in school.

This is not the year to get a QB. So let’s go win 7-10 games Bills and not be picking in the top 10.

Player’s who’s position is justified:
-Clausen, Suh, McCoy, Berry, Locker, Bulaga

That’s not to say that the other four are bad… I just don’t see them as Top 10 prospects.

Mallett is premature. I’ve seen him twice now and have shared notes, so you all know that I think he’s good. But if he came out, he’s a 20th overall type of guy. Too much left for him to learn.

I see Cody maxing around 15th overall unless he loses weight. Similar situation to Wilfork in 2004- do you spend a high draft choice on a 2 down NT, or wait and get someone in the second round that can do a similar job (Kris Jenkins, Gabe Watson, Ron Brace, etc). Cody’s talent alone won’t crack the top ten either.

McClain is good, but this ranking means we’re grading him even with or ahead of Patrick Willis, who went 10th overall in a weaker draft? I think he’s a first rounder, but I also have Sean Weatherspoon graded ahead of him. And MLB’s tend to slip- Maualuga and Laurinaitis were sure-fire first rounders in almost everyone’s mocks, and look where they went. I don’t see McClain in the top ten.

Arthur Jones is not a top ten prospect. His talent or play doesn’t merit a top ten grade.

Guys who should have made this list:

Taylor Mays. Does anyone really think that a 6-3/235 free safety with his speed, and the tremendous track record he has, is going to fall out of the top ten? Scouts have years of tape to watch on him, where he’s played tremendous. To see his impact, watch the USC-Cal game, and then decide. The guy has bust potential, but he also could be the next Sean Taylor.

Russell Okung. Best OL talent in the country, with no disrespect to Trent Williams or Bulaga, who are both also tremendous. Had a bad game against Von Miller, which leaves some questions in my mind, but not enough to fall from the top ten.

Dez Bryant. He’s a better prospect than Crabtree, with similar size and better speed. He’s proven that he can take hits over the middle (see Georgia game) and can play special teams. The Deion Sanders thing won’t hurt him at all come draft day.

Split on my #10 guy between Trent Williams and Marvin Austin. Williams is another OT playing well. Austin is a better physical talent (reportedly can run a 4.8 as a 300 pound DT) but has somewhat underachieved at this point.

I have pulled Carlos Dunlap from my Top Ten. If you’re making a DE, he’s the final product. He’s just not playing to potential at this point.

Guys who are close to top ten:

Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas. I like him better than most of the draft publications. He’s a smaller Merriman IMO, and is better than Orakpo. I think he’ll surge later in the draft process.

Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State. If he runs well, he’s top ten. As big as Tyson Jackson, plays harder.

I’m a Razorbacks guy and as much as I like Mallett for the Hogs, you’re exactly right about him. He’s very tall, got great arm strength, but is a bit inaccurate. We’ll have to check back in him after a year goes by, maybe two.

As a Gator fan that enjoys SEC football I can attest to the fact that Safety Berry and DT Cody are true game changing dominate college players.

If it was my choice for a DT it would be Cody based on his ability and size, enough of the 300 lb DT’s that get pushed around at the pro level.

Locker and Clausen I fear will both return. I’m almost 100% sure at this point that Clausen will be returning. Then again, I have been wrong before. I still think that this is a very accurate list of the potential draft talent. Mallet has star potential, but definitely needs to mature. However, Bobby Petrino QBs have flashed gaudy numbers before and not amounted to anything in the NFL. I think Cody is the most NFL ready of all these DLs. Suh is a beast, but he plays DT now, and really projects much more as a DE in a 3-4 to me. McCoy is a giant, but I’m wary of any defensive players from the pass-heavy Big 12. I think you can’t go wrong with Rolando McClain either. He is a pure beast on the field, drives through his tackles and is always around the football. Could play any LB position in the NFL in my opinion.

Gents, this might be a little less than usual- my luck has been bad recently. I had a MRSA staph infection over the weekend and missed a bunch of games, but here’s what I saw:

Cincinnati-South Florida
I was not as impressed with Tony Pike as I thought that I’d be, and for one reason- arm strength. His accuracy and decision making are top shelf. I just don’t see Pike as a first rounder with his arm. The ball almost floats out of his hand. And he throws that same floater on almost every route. Kudos to the kid for trying to play with his injury- love the grit. He needs a heck of a pro day to convince anyone that he doesn’t have a pop-gun arm.

Kurupt brought my attention to Jason Pierre-Paul, and it’s a good thing. He’s exactly the tall, angular type a 4-3 team would want manning the edge. Also could play OLB, as South Florida has their DE on the strong side in a two point stance on non-passing downs. But I see him as a DE, which maximizes what he can do best- rush and pursuit. Hits hard. Long arms. Not refined, as he only shows a bull rush and an outside rip trying to take the edge. Has bounced around from college to college, so his knowledge base may be lacking, as he hasn’t benefited from working with a coaching staff over a period of time. Needs to get stronger, especially in the upper body. But he’s got all the physical skills to be a NFL DE, and a first rounder at some point.

George Selvie is playing his way out of the top two rounds. Didn’t show much against Cincinnati, where he was stopped by Jeff Linkenbach, who grades as a priority free agent right now.

South Carolina-Alabama
Mark Ingram is obviously playing well and is a great talent. I think we need to start taking a look at the Tide OL, especially guard Mike Johnson. Johnson doesn’t have the talent to go in the first two rounds, but he’s a solid pick later on who could make a team and end up starting and playing well for a long time.

Cody looks faster that he did last year, but doesn’t look smaller. He played Ted Washington style last year, but he’s really working to pursuit down the line from what I can see. He’s going to be in high demand for any 3-4 team without a NT, and will get drafted higher than his talent level. That said, he’s first round talent for sure. SC couldn’t move him off the line at all.

To me, Rolando McClain is ILB strictly. Not that he can’t play OLB, but that’s not utilizing his talent to it’s fullest, IMO. McClain is much better at making plays in front of him and rushing from the outside. When Alabama keeps him inside, he diagnoses correctly and almost immediately with almost no false steps- all movement is made going to the hole or play. He’s good in pass coverage as well, and is as sure of a tackler as I’ve seen.

Alabama took Eric Norwood out of the game with their running game. Ingram ran an entire drive out of the Wildcat at one point. Great game planning by Saban, as Norwood is a terror. I graded Norwood earlier this year and still stand by it, but he didn’t have much of a change to shine against Alabama. That can be said about a lot of defenders playing Alabama this year.

Ohio State-Wisconsin
This game was a tale of OT’s handling DE-OLB’s.

O’Brien Schofield was completely handled by Brian Bulaga. Schofield clearly was faster and, sort of, brought attention to Bulaga’s foot speed shuffling and kick-sliding. But Bulaga took Schofield out of the game completely. Noting the quickness in his feet- he’s not going to be confused with Anthony Munoz, but I grade his foot speed similar to Jake Long, as in “good, not great.” Bulaga’s positioning an technique were tremendous. Top Ten latent as noted above.

Schofield is strictly a OLB prospect IMO. He can’t anchor and hold the edge against OT’s.

On the other side of the ball, Clayborn was handled by Gabe Carimi when lined up against each other. Carimi plays LT but I see him more as a RT with his feet. But he swallowed up a pretty good DE in Clayborn. Carimi has long arms, a really good punch, and can anchor. If Carimi comes out not, I have him in the second round.

Sorry I don’t have more.

I would really love for the Bills to grab a DT early on in the draft – I don’t watch college football enough to give an opinion. I am a big fan of Kyle Williams, but when I think of a really good DT next to Stroud, it makes me giddy. Also if the Bills don’t pick up a DT to get rid of McCargo then we are sitting on a 3 DT rotation – which in my opinion is why the D wears down in the 2nd half.
Right now DT and LB are the areas I would really like to see the Bills improve on.
I am saving judgement on WR until I see how Hardy does with whatever time he is given.

I don’t like inaccurate QB’s who like to run a lot. They don’t tend to transition to the NFL all that well. I’d hate to draft a QB like him on potential. There’s something about him that just leaves me leery of him…

QB, OT, DT, LB, DE, WR….so many needs as always….

I thought they’re set there?

It’s a shame Mallett is only a Sophomore and is still not polished, because I’d have loved to see him in a Bills uniform, I think the guy has potential to be the face of a franchise if he can build on this year well.

Good thing it’s a decent QB draft coming up!

Ryan Mallett is on this list? Why? Did you get that from a draftnick website or did you actually watch the Arkansas/Florida games where he was flappable and extremely inaccurate? He can definitely drill the football, but a top 10 prospect, right now?

The worst part of Mallett being on the list is that there were at least 3 players on the other sideline of that game that are leaps and bounds better pro prospects in Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, and Joe Haden. Are you a closet Gator-hater? ;) Living in FL, I see a lot of SEC football (and a lot of Big 10, too oddly enough), and Brandon Spikes is a bona fide monster at MLB. He’s unblockable and very complete (he even plays end on passing downs). And you lauded McClain for his size and athleticism, Spikes is an equivocal athlete and he’s even bigger than McClain (wtf mate?). Carlos Dunlap is a monster as well (6’6" 290 lbs) and he doesn’t produce as much as he could because UF plays a 3-3-5 most of the time, but he consistentlt gets pressure and stacks the run. He has Mario Williams type of potential.

Ok, I plugged my Gators (and know I wouldn’t risk my reputation to be a homer and plug players on my team if I couldn’t be intellectually honest about it). So, after watching Rolando McClain plsy MLB, that guy is simply awesome. He makes life miserable for every one on the opposing offense… he plays the underneath routes very well, covers the flats, stops the runs, gets off blocks. If I had to choose between he and Spikes I’d be freaking out. They’ll have to play out the rest of the season for me to decide that, and it may come down to a Bama/Florida SEC Championship game.
 

And I’d like to officially start the debate about Tim Tebow. It’s easy for people to discard consideration for him as a franchise QB because scouts are quick to critique his mechanics and footwork… which is all fair criticism. But, honestly, you don’t draft a guy FOR his mechanics. For all the things Tebow does, why would people doubt that he could refine his footwork and mechanics? I’ve felt the same way most have about him ever since I saw him start throwing passes at UF: I didn’t like his delivery, it doesn’t seem natural and I didn’t think he’d cut it in the NFL. But the bottom line is that he’s accurate. He’s completing 66% of his passes for his career. And Florida doesn’t have an offense full of easy throws, with virtually no checkdowns to skew the stats. He produces, and he produces in the biggest moments of the biggest games. He’s also probably the greatest leader the sport has ever seen. The man refuses to fail, and I can’t dismiss him anymore simply because of the typical mechanics/system hoohah. I’d draft him in a heartbeat and give him time to learn the pro game.

And with that I start the Dan LeFevour Bandwagon.

Little background I’ve started one bandwagon since being on this blog that was last year’s Scott McKillop Bandwagon. It garnered one passenger me.

Now I will admit, I’m doing this because I went to Central Michigan (the school of Lefevour) and he’s the only quarterback I can follow consistently, living in Michigan. But also because every few years a Quarterback comes out of the MAC that makes a difference in 2000 it was Chad Pennington, 2003 Byron Leftwich, 2004 Ben Roethlisberger, 2010 Dan Lefevour.

You want a quarterback with size: he’s 6’3 238
You want a quarterback with experience: he’s a four year starter, from the first game of the season he came in as a freshman when the starting QB was knocked out by a Matt Ryan Led Boston College and Lefevour almost pulled the upset.
You want numbers how about 11,016 yards passing, 88 touchdowns, and a career completion percentage of 66.5 percent.
You want a quarterback who can run he’s only 2nd in NCAA history along with Vince Young to Throw for over 3000 yards in a season and rush for over a thousand. He has 2629 career rushing yards and 41 touchdowns.
Can he catch? Yes 58 yards and a touchdown.
Can he punt? (Moorman’s not going to be around 4 ever) Averaging 33 yards per punt.
He plays for the MAC, how’s the Level of Competition. The MAC as a conference plays up to their competition. Central Michigan is no different with the out of conference schedule. LeFevour has played Boston College, Kentucky, Kansas, Georgia ,(last year when they were #2), Clemson and the Big Ten 5 different times.
Results- Average wins per season 8, 2 Conference Titles, 3 Bowl Apperences 1 Bowl Win.

Intangibles the guy is just a good leader, his first season he took bunch of senior WR who had really done nothing up until that point and took them to and won Central’s first bowl game. He has a mental toughness, in playing bigger schools that have beat up on Central he doesn’t “spiral” he just goes back to work. He’s a constant, they’ve lost running backs, WR, defensive players, offensive linemen and he remains the same.

So that’s my pitch, and for all you Tony Pike fans. Dan LeFevour was Brian Kelly’s first NCAA Division 1 project. The guy knows quarterbacks. Just to be clear I don’t consider Dan LeFevour a 1st round or top 10 QB, but if the Bills took him 3rd-4th round he’d be a heck of a value pick. And if no one else jumps this band wagon it’ll be another, I’ll get though it, i’ll be ok.
Alright let your laughter and ridicule rain down upon me! Or you can jump on this bandwagon, powered by Buffalo wings and beef on wick!

Alright let your laughter and ridicule rain down upon me! Or you can jump on this bandwagon, powered by Buffalo wings and beef on wick!

Why? You make a good case. I admit I have never seen LeFevour play before, but if the Bills don’t like some of the big name QBs and decide to roll with Edwards/trade for a QB/get a FA QB…..I would love to see the Bills take someone with upside but needs a little time.

from Nebraska, but you have overlooked offensive tackle Russell Clung from Oklahoma State, not to mention Taylor Mays from USC. Gerald McCoy is another player I would love for the Bills to get, if not Suh. As bad as the run defense is, this should be high on their list!
A couple of other players I like are Brandon Spikes of Florida and Trent Williams, tackle from Oklahoma. Not sure if they would be in the top-10, though.