More photos » by David Kohl - AP

Cincinnati Bengals rookie DE Michael Johnson (Georgia Tech) is a great example of a player around which draft and scouting philosophies clash. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

Browse more photos »

It's Thursday, which means it's time once again to bust out our 2010 NFL Draft notebooks.  We've been talking a lot about prospects recently, and while that type of discussion is perpetually fascinating (to me, at least), I've received dozens of e-mails asking me to take a different approach to this series, at least for one week.

The gist of those e-mails - talk more philosophy than another stock watch.  It wasn't worded in exactly that fashion in every e-mail, obviously, but when someone asks me why I might rate Eric Norwood higher than Carlos Dunlap coming out, the philosophy behind the ranking is essentially what's being asked about.

The article you find after the jump is entirely my opinion, and only very tangentially Bills related (we'll have Bills stuff for you today, I promise).  I'm certainly no professional, clearly, nor do I consider my personal scouting and draft philosophies the best - or the only - way to go about things.  I've got five rules to scouting and to drafting.  They're after the jump - and, of course, you're free to completely trash those rules in the comments section.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » AP

Browse more photos »

This is a new weekly feature here at Buffalo Rumblings, so we hope you like it.  We have assembled a small staff of "scouts" - and by "scouts," we really mean Saturday bums looking to get a little production out of their college football-watching lethargy - to monitor the college ranks for legitimate NFL prospects.  In this fashion, we hope to provide year-round scouting, in by far its lamest definition, and NFL Draft discussions for all you couch scouts out there.

Each week - and yeah, we're going to limit this to once per week, considering the topic of this blog - we'll highlight three prospects whose stock is up, and three more whose stock is plummeting.  You'll find our Week 1 thoughts after the jump, and you're more than welcome to share your own observations as well.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by John Dunn - AP

6 months ago: New York Jets first-round draft pick Mark Sanchez celebrates after tossing out the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Florida Marlins and the New York Mets on Monday, April 27, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/John Dunn)

Browse more photos »

Over the past few days, we have gone over the Buffalo Bills' 2009 NFL Draft class pretty much ad nauseam - and given our favorite franchise a B+ for their efforts.  Before we start digging deeper into the Bills' roster with our semi-annual 'State of the Roster' series, I thought it would be prudent to discuss three other draft classes relevant to Buffalo: those of our division rivals, the Dolphins, Patriots and Jets.

MIAMI DOLPHINS: B
The Dolphins brought in a total of nine rookies, including three first-day prospects.  The only surprise, to me, was that of their nine selections, none of them came on the defensive line - particularly at nose tackle, where NT Jason Ferguson is rapidly approaching the close of his career.  For now, it appears that Paul Soliai will continue to spell him at nose tackle - and considering the fact that this draft class was weak in the NT area, I guess it shouldn't be that much of a surprise.  Outside of their top pick (see 'Worst pick' below), the Dolphins had a stellar draft, netting anywhere from three to five instant contributors.

Best pick: CB/FS Sean Smith, Utah
Where they got him - No. 61 overall - and what they could get out of him made this pick one of the better value selections on the first day of the draft.  Smith is one of the more unique talents to emerge in this draft class, standing over 6'3" and possessing the ability to play either corner or safety.  He's got good ball skills, and in Miami's defense, he has a chance to establish himself as a playmaker from the safety position right out of the gate.

Worst pick: CB Vontae Davis, Illinois
You can imagine my curiosity when the Dolphins, with the No. 25 overall pick, took a player that, in my opinion, was one of the most overrated in the draft.  He's obviously got a lot of talent - but so does his brother Vernon.  For a kid with his attitude and character risk, Miami probably isn't the best destination for him to grow as a player.  He'll probably start next year and he's got some potential, but Tony Sparano has a battle on his hands to get Davis to where he needs to be as a teammate and a cornerback.  I'd have taken Darius Butler; now he's in New England.  Risky move, though it does have the potential to pay off in a big way.

Sleeper pick: WR Brian Hartline, Ohio State
Miami desperately needed help at WR, and they added two tall dudes with potential in the third and fourth rounds; Hartline was the fourth-rounder.  He only had 21 catches in his last year at Ohio State and he's very raw.  But he's tall (6'2"), long, and most importantly, he can help the Dolphins out in the red zone on jump ball situations - something the offense didn't have prior to last weekend.  He's not going to be a fantasy monster or anything, but he's going to help Chad Pennington and the Dolphins' offense out in the red area.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: A-
I loved hated New England's draft.  Not just because of the players, either - they got some good ones, as they do every year.  I just can't help but be impressed with irate at the way this team can move up and down the draft board at will, collecting future picks along the way.  There are two reasons this team is competitive every year: Tom Brady (or, in last year's scenario, a weak schedule) and their steadfast approach to finding cheap, talented players in the draft, having them for a few years, and then trading them for more picks (see: Hobbs, Ellis).  Stupid Patriots.

Best pick: CB Darius Butler, Connecticut
I thought he was the best corner in the draft.  Naturally, I was happy when the Dolphins passed on him at 25, and pulling my hair out when the Pats took him with their third pick at No. 41.  The Pats signed Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden during free agency and have a promising talent in Terrence Wheatley, but Butler is their best cornerback - right now.

Worst pick: OT Sebastian Vollmer, Houston
This pick was weird.  I thought New England's offensive line was terrible last season, particularly at tackle.  So naturally, it didn't surprise me to see the Pats take a tackle - it just surprised me which player they chose.  Clearly, the Pats had Vollmer rated higher than UConn product William Beatty (who went two picks later to the Giants), but I don't see how Vollmer helps them this year.  Tom Brady better be ready to throw the ball quickly... and, yeah, I'm gonna stop giving advice to Tom Brady now.

Sleeper pick: LB Tyrone McKenzie, South Florida
I was a big fan of McKenzie's entering draft weekend - he's an outstanding athlete with a good deal of potential.  He'll work on the inside in New England - and the fact that he doesn't need to play right away is scary.  Down the line, McKenzie could team with 2008 first-round pick Jerod Mayo to give the Pats one of the more devastating 3-4 ILB combos in the NFL.  Sigh...

NEW YORK JETS: C+
This one should go quickly, as the Jets only had three picks (and one mega-trade, if you're keeping score).

Best pick: QB Mark Sanchez, USC
Unlike most Armchair Scouts this year, I was actually a fan of both Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez - in particular Sanchez, who is now the toast of New York after becoming the Jets' new "Franchez" quarterback.  (Yuck.)  If Sanchez can have the same type of success that rookie quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco had last season, we're in trouble.  But it's not going to be as easy for Sanchez as it was for last year's dynamic duo because those two had nearly triple the amount of playing experience as Sanchez does.  There will be growing pains.

Worst pick: RB Shonn Greene, Iowa
After making one mega-trade to move up 12 spots in the first round, the Jets moved up to the top spot on day two to take... a third running back?  The Jets had one of the better RB tandems in the league last year, featuring Thomas Jones and Leon Washington.  Yes, both have contract issues they're trying to get addressed - but chances are good that both will play despite those issues.  Greene just seemed like a luxury pick, particularly when the Jets have zero depth at the receiver position.

Sleeper pick: OG Matt Slauson, Nebraska
Slauson gets the nod by default as the Jets only picked three players... so he kind of had to be listed here.  That doesn't mean I don't like the pick, though - Nebraska linemen are generally gritty players, and he's got experience on both sides of the line.  He'll be a solid swing reserve for the Jets.

We feel quite confident that some of you have already taken a poke around the Interwebs looking for as much as you can on the Buffalo Bills' eight 2009 NFL Draft picks.  For those of you that have not, however, we'll do a bit of the dirty work for you.

We found a few videos on seven of Buffalo's eight drafted rookies for your perusal this morning.  (Poor Ellis Lankster - no one wants to give him any YouTube love.)  For the other seven prospects, here's the best we can find - and for more videos, particularly on the more prominent prospects, check out our FanShots section, where you can view previously uploaded videos as well as upload any more you find.

DE Aaron Maybin

Continue reading this post »

New Buffalo Bills FS Jairus Byrd (photo courtesy Scout.com)

The Buffalo Bills, during the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, made a surprising - and in the immediate aftermath, highly controversial - decision when they selected Oregon DB Jairus Byrd with the No. 42 overall pick. Despite the fact that the selection of Byrd came from left field for the Bills' fan base, Byrd filled a team need for a play-making defensive back with legitimately excellent ball skills. Like the pick or not, Byrd - based on his college production and Buffalo's need to create more turnovers defensively - has an excellent shot at becoming an important contributor to the 2009 Buffalo Bills.

Just who is Jairus Byrd, though? What does he bring to the table as a player? How does he fit in with the Bills? Rumblings investigates in the first of a series of posts profiling the Bills' eight draft picks this year.

NFL Bloodlines
Jairus Byrd's father, Gill Byrd, was a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback that played for the San Diego Chargers from 1983 through 1992; his two Pro Bowl appearances came in his final two seasons. Byrd's career was an illustrious one; he intercepted 42 passes and scored two touchdowns during his decade-long career. The 5'11", 195-pound cornerback is considered one of the better defensive backs in the history of the Chargers franchise.

Byrd began his coaching career with the St. Louis Rams in 2003 as a volunteer defensive assistant. That season, current Bears head coach Lovie Smith was in his final season as the Rams' defensive coordinator - and a young coach named Perry Fewell was the secondary coach there. Smith would leave to coach Chicago the next season, and Fewell would join Smith in the windy city in 2005. Fewell spent two seasons working closely with Byrd in St. Louis - and thus was exposed to Jairus while he was still in high school. (On an ironic note, Byrd joined Chicago the same year Fewell joined Dick Jauron's staff as defensive coordinator in Buffalo.)

Now that Fewell is Buffalo's defensive coordinator, the link between this franchise and Jairus Byrd is (loosely) established. But Byrd didn't get drafted because of this link - he got drafted because of his distinguished playing career at Oregon.

Jairus Byrd at Oregon
Before going to Oregon, Byrd was a multi-positional football star at Clayton High School near St. Louis, Missouri. He was a quarterback in high school - and a fine one at that - but he also played RB, WR, DB, and kicked and punted as well. Byrd led Clayton to a Class 4A state title as a senior - a season in which he scored 26 touchdowns from various positions. Yet at just 5'10", Byrd didn't get serious interest - at any position - from Big 12 schools despite his being a local product.

So Byrd went to Oregon, where he sat out the 2005 season as a redshirt. He started the 2006 season on the bench, but thanks to an injury was pressed into a starting CB role for the Ducks' final eleven games. Those were productive games for Byrd; he finished the season with five interceptions and was named the Pac-10 Co-Freshman Player of the Year. He became a full-time starter in 2007 and promptly produced his best season as a collegian, establishing himself as a defensive playmaker (seven interceptions), a big-game performer (two INT, four pass breakups, seven tackles in the Sun Bowl), and a solid threat as a punt returner. In his final season at Oregon in 2008, Byrd was again stellar, capping his illustrious career (as a junior) with five more interceptions and several game-changing plays, including an 87-yard punt return for a score in a comeback victory over Purdue. His college production, as outlined below, speaks for itself.

With little more to accomplish as a college cornerback, Byrd left Oregon as a junior for greener pastures in the NFL.  His road through the grueling pre-draft process, however, wasn't as smooth as it could have been.  Head on in past the jump for Byrd's pre-draft results, a scouting report, comments from Buffalo's coaching staff, and an intriguing look into Byrd's personality courtesy of Chicago's Daily Herald.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

6 months ago: Russ Brandon, center, Buffalo Bills chief operating officer/general manager, stands with the team's first-round NFL draft picks, Aaron Maybin, left, and Eric Wood at the Ralph Wilson Stadium complex in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, April 26, 2009. Maybin, 11th-overall pick, is a defensive end from Penn State and Wood is a center from Louisville. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

Browse more photos »

The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Buffalo Rumblings community - at least to the point that this is published - has given the Buffalo Bills' efforts over the weekend an overwhelming 78% approval rating (while 9% of voters disapprove and 12% are undecided).

I have long believed that handing out grades after a draft is an exercise in futility, because ultimately, we have no idea how each pick is going to pan out.  Ellis Lankster may end up being the best draft pick out of this class; we just don't know yet.  But we do a reasonable amount of research, and far more prudently, we can grade the picks on a philosophical level - so grades aren't completely irrelevant.  Here's how we grade the Buffalo Bills' 2009 NFL Draft efforts - factoring in player, philosophy and using those to form an ultimate grade.

1-11: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
Entering draft weekend - and throughout the entire pre-draft process, really - I worried that the Bills would pass on a speed rusher for a more well-rounded, every-down defensive end.  That's the type of athlete they've targeted in the past, and I didn't expect it to change.  I'm happy to report I was wrong.  On paper, Buffalo has its most explosive pass rusher since Bryce Paup.

What makes this pick better is the fact that they took the right player.  No DE displayed a quicker first step in college or at the Combine than Maybin.  I had him rated as the top DE on the board the moment he declared for the draft, and the Bills clearly followed suit, if only at the most critical juncture.  I think he's the best pass rusher in the draft.  The Bills, too, think he's the best pass rusher in the draft, and his upside is tremendous.  There is risk here, and he won't play every down, but this is still a perfect fit.  Philosophy grade: A; Player grade: A-

1-28: Eric Wood, OG, Louisville
Considering the fact that Buffalo went into the draft with only three set starters on the offensive line, this pick made a ton of sense both philosophically and player-wise.  Wood was Buffalo's top-rated interior lineman, and he was close to the top on my board as well.  He was one of four or five guys that I viewed as immediate starters at this level, and it was plainly obvious that the Bills needed one of those.  They may have had to reach a touch to get him, but blame the Cleveland Browns for that - they took California C Alex Mack at No. 21 overall.  Buffalo couldn't wait on Wood once that happened, so they're not docked as many points overall.  Philosophy grade: A-; Player grade: B+

2-42: Jairus Byrd, FS, Oregon
My eyebrows raised a bit on this one, as I'm certain yours did as well.  It was pretty apparent, however, that the Bills were going to add a DB early on in the draft process, and it was nice to see them target a safety prospect with ball skills.  Byrd's ball-hawking tendencies alone make him a smart investment, but like Maybin, he's probably not an immediate starter.  I like the fact that they targeted a playmaker here; I do believe there were some better safety prospects available, but I'm not complaining about the Byrd selection in the least.  Philosophy grade: B; Player grade: B-

2-51: Andy Levitre, OG, Oregon State
Remember when I said that I thought four to five interior linemen in this draft class could start right away?  Levitre was one of them.  He was also the third-rated interior line prospect on Buffalo's board (behind Wood and Seahawks C Max Unger), and at this point in the draft, he was another supremely intelligent investment.  Don't be concerned with the college tackle's position switch - Levitre was born to play guard.  He's a Wood clone.  With this pick and the subsequent shift of Brad Butler to RT, Buffalo had quickly re-assembled its offensive line after the trade of OT Jason Peters a week prior to the draft.  Philosophy grade: A; Player grade: B

4-121: Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss
I'll say it now, folks - Shawn Nelson is the steal of the 2009 Draft.  Name any other pick by any other team that you think is a steal, and I'll tell you why Nelson is a better pick.  At one point in time, Nelson was considered a fringe first-round pick.  A day before the draft, most experts would have told you he'd be a second-round pick; third at the worst.  This kid is tall, super fast and athletic, and outside of Bengals TE Chase Coffman has the best set of hands on any receiving prospect in this draft class.  Buffalo actually considered trading up on day two for this guy.  His athleticism, ability to stretch the field, and run-after-catch abilities are going to be an excellent help for QB Trent Edwards - who got a lot of help in this year's draft, by the way.  Philosophy grade: A-; Player grade: A-

5-147: Nic Harris, OLB, Oklahoma
I have no issues with Buffalo taking a productive, athletic collegian and asking him to make a position switch.  Harris will be able to handle it.  We've crossed the threshold from instant impact to depth here, though; Harris will make the team and contribute as a special teams player (where he actually has a good deal of potential), but he's not an answer to the team's question at starting SAM linebacker.  Philosophy grade: B; Player grade: C+

6-183: Cary Harris, DB, USC
You knew that Buffalo would take a pure corner at some point, and Harris was actually one of the late-round sleepers I'd circled because of his physicality and zone-based skill set.  He has the potential to start in this league, folks.  He'll never be a spectacular player or a Pro Bowl performer, nor will he make many big plays, but he's smart, tough, defends the run well, and will hold his own.  He can also play some safety if need be, and of course, he'll play special teams.  Philosophy grade: B-; Player grade: C+

7-220: Ellis Lankster, DB, West Virginia
Was I surprised that the Bills ended the draft by taking two defensive backs?  Not really.  Lankster is a fringe prospect, but he has a bit of playmaking potential and, like Harris, has a zone-based skill set.  I'll defer to the Bills on this one - they've drafted relatively well in the late rounds over the past three years.  It would have been nice if they'd had a player at a different position graded out as highly as another DB, however.  Philosophy grade: C+; Player grade: D

Total (weighted) philosophical grade: B+
Total (weighted) player grade: B
Overall 2009 Buffalo Bills Draft Grade: B+

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Buffalo Bills DE Aaron Maybin, the team's first first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Browse more photos »

The 2009 NFL Draft is officially in the books!

Entering the weekend, the Buffalo Bills had three areas that needed immediate attention: their woeful pass rush; their porous offensive line; and a defensive playmaker.  The Bills addressed those needs on day one, and coupled with one tremendous value selection on day two, the Bills made out like bandits this draft weekend - whether you're a fan of their late-round picks or not.

Without further ado, here are your eight newest Buffalo Bills...

1-11: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State (Coverage)
We asked for a speed rusher and the Bills obliged.  Maybin, by a country mile, is Buffalo's most athletic pass rushing threat since the days of Bryce Paup.  He is undoubtedly a gamble, and won't be an every-down player right out of the gate.  But with quarterbacks Tom Brady, Chad Pennington and now Mark Sanchez in the division, the Bills needed a guy to put heat on those signal-callers.  This is a smart risk for the Bills to take - and Maybin's potential is elite.

1-28: Eric Wood, OG, Louisville (Coverage)
They tried to move up for TE Brandon Pettigrew but weren't prepared to pay out the nose to do it.  Instead, they stay put and take a smart, athletic, tough-nosed kid who steps in and immediately fills the right guard position vacated by Brad Butler, who will move to right tackle.

2-42: Jairus Byrd, FS, Oregon (Coverage)
Buffalo went into the draft keenly aware that they needed a playmaker defensively, and particularly at the safety position.  This is a risky pick in that they're asking Byrd to make a position switch, but he enters Buffalo as the best DB on the team in terms of pure ball skills.  Ko Simpson, beware: you are officially on the roster bubble.

2-51: Andy Levitre, OG, Oregon State (Coverage)
Buffalo traded third- and fourth-round picks to move back into the second round and draft another instant starter in the versatile Levitre.  He is a Wood clone - tough, smart, and durable.  He has the inside track at starting immediately at left guard; the Bills will move Brad Butler to right tackle and flip Langston Walker to left tackle to replace the departed Jason Peters.  And just like that, Buffalo's in-flux offensive line is once again settled - and perhaps better.

4-121: Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss (Coverage)
This was by leaps and bounds Buffalo's best selection, if you're asking me.  Nelson is one of the finer athletes available at any position in this draft class, and he's also got an incredibly soft pair of hands.  He's an immediate upgrade at the tight end position and complements Derek Fine and Derek Schouman perfectly.  Even better - unlike some of his "receiving TE" counterparts, he's got upside as a blocker.  Buffalo now has themselves a legitimate tight end threat for the first time since Jay Riemersma ran routes at The Ralph, though whether or not he'll contribute as a rookie is another question.

5-147: Nic Harris, OLB, Oklahoma (Coverage)
He played safety in college, but the Bills will move the 230-pound athlete to outside linebacker.  This is where Buffalo's draft class crossed the realm from "contributor" to "depth", but Harris was very productive at a high-quality program.  He's worth a shot, and he'll compete directly with Keith Ellison for a future roster spot.

6-183: Cary Harris, CB, USC (Coverage)
Zone-based, physical cornerback that provides depth and special teams potential.  May have a tough time making the roster considering Buffalo's envious depth in the defensive backfield, particularly at cornerback.

7-220: Ellis Lankster, CB, West Virginia (Coverage)
... Zone-based, physical cornerback that provides depth and special teams potential.  May have a tough time making the roster considering Buffalo's envious depth in the defensive backfield, particularly at cornerback.

That's it, folks.  Draft weekend at Buffalo Rumblings has officially concluded.  Thanks for dropping by this weekend; I know that personally, I had a blast hanging with y'all.  Cheers!

New Buffalo Bills CB Ellis Lankster (photo source)

With their final pick in the 2009 NFL Draft - No. 220 overall - the Buffalo Bills have selected West Virginia CB Ellis Lankster.

As we mentioned when the Bills selected USC CB Cary Harris in the sixth round, the Bills have several players approaching free agent status in their defensive secondary.  Of their eight picks this year, three have been defensive backs, and the underrated Lankster is the latest to join the fray.

Lankster, a 5'10", 190-pound specimen, is another CB prospect that is considered a "best fit" for a zone scheme.  He is instinctive and plays well coming forward, but lacks the fluid hips and straight-line speed to match up with receivers in man coverage.  He has solid ball skills, but as a seventh round prospect at a position loaded with depth, Lankster is going to have a rough go of it trying to carve a spot out for himself on this roster.

That concludes the Bills' action for the 2009 NFL Draft.  Thanks for choosing Buffalo Rumblings for your Bills draft needs this year!