Ed. Note, by Brian Galliford: Yes, this is another post in the Rumblings Authors Mock series. Raise your hand if you're tired of mock drafts and just want it to be the weekend already! Even so, 'krytime' has got some thoughts to share and a Buffalo Bills mock to present; he gets that opportunity now. Everything from this point forward is his. End Note
Here's my feeble attempt at predicting what will happen from now through the end of the upcoming weekend.
Before I go further, let me re-state a few of my beliefs when it comes to the draft. First, I like to draft big guys in the early rounds, and by that I mean addressing the following positions: DT, DE, T, C, and G, in no particular order. I'm also a proponent of 'best player available'. Most important to my strategy, though, is to stay out of the top half of the first round, and accumulate as many picks as you can in rounds two through four.
As such, I’m a huge fan of trading down. The Bills never seem to do that though, as pointed out over the last five years in Peter King’s MMQB. Not once did they move down to get an extra pick in the last five years. Ridiculous, I say! As far as trading up goes, I think it’s fair to say that two of the three times they did, it backfired. Ugh. I get puke in my mouth every time I think of this.
Thankfully, the Jason Peters ordeal is over, and it gave us two extra picks this year to add talent to the team. It also left us with a gaping hole on the OL, and that has to be addressed. I think Kirk Chambers should be given the first shot at LT, and then I’d like to keep an eye on Demetrius Bell and his development. It’s obviously just the homer in me, but I do tend to overrate both, especially Bell. Langston Walker, in my opinion, should be kept at RT, along with Brad Butler staying at RG.
Is there any chance they can improve the OL before the draft this week? FA is never done; it just slows down. Would an old guy like Mark Trauscher, Chris Naole, or Jon Runyan be decent depth options? Brian Waters from KC is the rumor many of us hope for in a trade, but I doubt it happens. I would just like to get another vet in to guard against the volatility of the draft forcing them to reach for a player for the desperate OL.
Parrish Trade Projection, other wild cards to consider
I will pencil in a trade that I do think and kind of hope happens. Roscoe Parrish may need a ride to the airport on his way out of Buffalo. I think he’ll go for a fourth, and I’d like for the Bills to do that. Many here have argued against this. But with only 53 roster spots and the OL surely to have some inexperience, they may have to shuffle the way they build a roster, and in my opinion, it won’t be one that carries six or seven receivers.
Now, as for my super-huge wish of trading out of eleven and down to the twenties, adding an extra second rounder - I don’t think it’ll happen. I just don’t see a player at that spot who teams would move up for. Like Peter King, I think USC QB Mark Sanchez has a lot to do with the way this draft plays out. If he were to last until eleven, then I think some teams would call the Bills. I could see Washington and Denver making a move, but that would barely net a fifth rounder, assuming it would be the first Denver pick. I want to say Minnesota would be a good fit, but I don’t know if they are content with Sage Rosenfels or not. The Jets? Doubt it. Seattle and/or Cleveland moving back up in the first for him? Doubt that too.
So for this mock draft, I have the Bills picking at the following spots: 11, 28, 42, 75, 110, 118 (I used this middle of the round spot as an average for a Parrish trade), 121, 147, 183 and 220.
Just for the heck of it, a few wild cards to throw out, as I‘ll never rule out anything:
Chris Kelsay trade - I really do think he’d get you more than a seventh. Nothing more than a fifth though. It’s something to consider.
Marshawn Lynch trade - Out of curiosity, what would he fetch?
John McCargo trade - Maybe a fifth?
Ashton Youboty trade - Maybe another fourth?
And for the record, I doubt any of these happen. On to the mock… which appears after the jump.
1-11: Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi. I know it’s been said the Bills prefer Andre Smith, but I don’t think he’ll be there. If he is, he’s my pick. If not, I’m taking the next best LT in this year’s draft. His alleged ability to play G makes him more attractive to me.
1-28: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State. My prediction here is that the Bills trade up into the early twenties to get Pettigrew, using a third-rounder to do so. I hope they don’t. No knock on Pettigrew, but I’d rather take a chance on Michael Johnson. The kid is a freak, and reminds me of Calais Campbell. They say he has some issues with regard to work ethic. I don’t buy it. His dad is a military guy, and all he did last year was produce.
2-42: Max Unger, G/C, Oregon. I would love to see Max Unger fall, and I think he will. That’s who I’m picking here.
3-75: Tyrone McKenzie, LB, South Florida. Tyrone McKenzie is my pick for the third round. I think he has good size, and is a nice fit in a Cover 2. If the Bills were to use this pick in a Pettigrew trade, I’d use the multiple fourth rounders to get up enough to get this guy. It goes against my thinking of trading down, that’s for sure.
4-110: Sammie Lee Hill, DT, Stillman. Sammie Lee Hill gets picked here. It’s good to have an over-sized DT with some athletic ability on your roster. If Chris Baker is here, that’s my pick. He’ll be gone earlier in my opinion.
4-118: Derek Pegues, S, Mississippi State. If Chip Vaughn is here, he’s my pick. If not, maybe the smaller, jack of all trades Derek Pegues will do the trick.
4-121: Phillip Hunt, DE, Houston. I have to pick him here. After all, I interviewed Jim Jeffcoat about him.
5-147: Davon Drew, TE, East Carolina. He’s a blocker, and that’s what I think this team could use. I really like Fine a lot, so I’ve ignored this position throughout the draft, maybe even to a fault. Depending on how things go (for example, with Pettigrew), LB Zack Follett could be a choice here. From what I’ve seen, I like watching the guy play football.
6-183: Ryan Stancheck, OT, West Virginia. Ask me any question about him - I won’t know it.
7-220: Phil Trautwein, OT, Florida. Ask me any question about him - I won’t know it.
I obviously mailed in the last two picks. But they are what they are - flyers on big men who have played a lot of college football in big time conferences. Maybe one of them turns out to be practice squad fodder at best; maybe one turns into a player.
I’m sure I’ll get beat up a little for this mock, and most likely, deservedly so. Have at it...