dzil's first ever stab at a mock Bills draft. v1.0

Never having attempted a mock draft before, I've decided that it's only fair to present myself for the same criticism that I so freely give. I also want to thank Brian(even if he considers me to be a troll:-)) and the rest of the mods for maintaining this most excellent forum.

As I began to contemplate the Bills best possible draft choices, I was convinced that the proper method would be to combine Best Player Available status with Team Needs. Considering the fact that our team has no shortage of needs, I figured nailing down great player choices should be fairly straight forward. Unfortunately, every other team(with the possible exception of Al Davis) has the same idea. Turns out it's not as easy as it might seem.

By now, most of us are aware of new Head Coach Chan Gailey's proclivity to pound the rock first, along with his past success with getting decent production from mediocre quarterbacks. This knowledge is a big help in determining needs and existing serviceable assets on offense.

At this point, without our yet to be named defensive coordinator on board, we can only assume what the 2010 Bills defensive scheme might be. For the purpose of this mock, I will subscribe to the popular idea that the team will utilize a 3-4 style defense.

I've also decided to be consistent with General Manager Buddy Nix' wishes to build from the draft. The lone substantial exception to this would be the signing of a veteran quarterback. While maybe not absolutely necessary, it would certainly seem advisable.

On to the nitty gritty, after the jump.

First off, I've got a convoluted proposal that sounds crazy, but just might fly. ..

Kyle Williams, Trent Edwards and Roscoe Parrish to Tampa Bay for their round 2 pick and quarterback Byron Leftwich - While one of the only bright spots on the Bills 2009 D line, Kyle Williams likely doesn't transition well into the new 3-4 scheme. With the Bucs apparently reverting back to a 4-3 defense, the addition of Pro-Bowl alternate Williams would be a certain upgrade to their interior line. Trent Edward's 5-1 start in 2008 was also his only season with Alex VanPelt as his full-time quarterbacks coach. Reuniting them in that same capacity in Tampa may make sense to the Bucs. They probably have no use for Roscoe, but who does? Meanwhile, we add Byron Leftwich to the QB training camp battle.

Buffalo's number 2 pick along with Tampa's acquired number 2 pick plus George Wilson to the Giants for their number 1 pick - The Giants desperately need help at Strong Safety and the Bills will certainly return Bryan Scott to his proper Strong Safety position behind Donte Whitner. Thanks to biffalobill's "Draft Pick Value Chart", I know this is a value move for the Giants and it gets the Bills an upgrade BPA in an area of need.

Here we go, on to the Draft:

Round 1 (9) - LT Anthony Davis, Rutgers, 6'6 325. Probably the most well-rounded, NFL-ready LT available at number 9 in the first round. Subsequent alternates if he's gone would be Okung followed by Bulaga.

Round 1 (15, from NYG) - NT Dan Williams, Tennessee, 6'2 329. If not for his Senior Bowl domination, Williams may well have fallen to us in round 2. Regardless, the man will be a franchise NT in the 3-4 system. Well worth the TB/NYG horse trading IMO.

Round 2 (41, to NYG) - If above deal can't be completed, then - NT Cam Thomas, North Carolina, 6'4 331. Maybe a bit of a reach at this draft position, but game-ready 3-4 Nose Tackles are scarce in this years draft. In this case, I will be sending George Wilson to the Giants in exchange for rights to David Carr to be a contestant in the Bills QB Gong Show.

Round 3 (72) - OLB Eric Norwood, South Georgia, 6'1 246. Norwood is probably the best combination of versatility, speed and durability of all this years Linebacker prospects. a four year player who has never missed a single game. He's suited to play either ILB or rush OLB effectively, a useful feature as the Bills attempt to transition existing personnel into the 3-4 scheme.

Round 4 (104) - WR Jacoby Ford, Clemson, 5'9 181. With his legitimate 4.3 speed, Ford will be able to separate from virtually anybody in man coverage. He's an outstanding kick-returner and has passing experience for use in the wildcat.

Round 5 (136) - OT/G Jared Veldheer, Hillsdale, 6'8 315. Athletic freak. Able to dominate opponents at both guard and tackle positions. 4.8 speed makes this guy a truly unique offensive line specimen. He's from a DII school, but after the combine he may well end up a couple rounds higher than here. Would make a great RT for the Bills

Round 6 (166) - OG Marshall Newhouse, TCU, 6'3 326. Played LT in college, projects as NFL G or RT. Very strong player with good hands and a solid anchor. An excellent depth addition and lessens the need to hasten Eric Wood's return.

Round 6 (184) - TE Nate Byham, Pitt, 6'4 268. Outstanding blocking Tight End that can also run and catch the ball. Could also be used to replace flash McIntyre at FB. Plus, Byham's the cousin of fellow Rumbler TheAfghanTwilight!!!

Round 7 (195) - QB Tim Hiller, Western Michigan, 6'5 234. Has size and strength to be an NFL QB. Unlike former Bills busts J.P. Losman and Rob Johnson, this guy actually has intelligence and held a 4.0 GPA all through college. 4 season QB rating average of 144.79. He's a developmental project with great upside potential and character.

Round 7 (201) - RB Deji Karim, Southern Illinois, 5'9 210. Compact, fast, powerful and elusive. Averaged 7.1 YPC, 130.3 YPG, and 30.9 on kick-off returns.

Well, there you have it folks. My apologies for the relatively short descriptions for these guys. Unfortunately, I didn't bookmark all the write-ups and stats that I reviewed whilst putting this together, but I guess that's what Google's for.

Thanks for reading this and feel free to fire away at it!