The 2010 NFL Draft has come to a close, and the Buffalo Bills made picks at the nine selections with which they entered draft weekend. Therefore, the Bills have nine brand new football players, and more are certain to follow as undrafted free agents.
For now, we'd like to briefly recap the weekend that was, gather all final haphazard thoughts from the community at large today, and then we'll get into really breaking this thing down pick-by-pick tomorrow morning. After the jump, you'll find a listing of all nine Bills rookies and their likely new roles heading into the 2010 regular season.
Round 1, Pick 9: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson. One of the draft's elite playmakers, the electric Spiller enters a crowded Bills backfield, where he'll compete for carries with Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch. Don't worry about Spiller not getting touches as a rookie, though; he'll be the preferred new play thing of head coach Chan Gailey, who will line him up in the backfield, in the slot and perhaps even under center from time to time. He'll also be a major factor in the return game, where he is also dominant.
Round 2, Pick 41: Torell Troup, NT, Central Florida. Wide-bodied, two-gap nose tackle that will spell Kyle Williams at the point of Buffalo's new 3-4 defensive alignment. Troup will get most of his playing time on run downs, where he is really the best option to play the zero-technique for Buffalo. He'll be a part-timer to start, but has enough potential and stamina to eventually become an every-down nose tackle for Buffalo.
Round 3, Pick 72: Alex Carrington, DE, Central Arkansas. Small-school sleeper that will need to assimilate to a huge leap in level of competition, but has the athletic chops to eventually emerge as a tremendous starter as a five-technique defensive end in the 3-4. Sudden athlete with good top-end speed, and is violent at the point of attack. Needs to play more consistently. Will start as a part-timer in an end rotation that already features Marcus Stroud and Dwan Edwards, but could earn more and more playing time as the season wears on.
Round 4, Pick 107: Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut. Came out of nowhere and really only blossomed during the latter portions of his senior season. A project player with tremendous measurables and upside. He cut his teeth playing special teams at UConn, so he may be able to help there as well. He'll compete for offensive snaps alongside other Bills project receivers, including James Hardy, Steve Johnson and Chad Jackson.
Round 5, Pick 140: Ed Wang, OT, Virginia Tech. Long-term project at left tackle, where he joins two other in-progress long-term projects in Demetrius Bell and Jamon Meredith. Wang can also play the right side, and could even slide inside to guard. Has excellent physical tools, but was incredibly inconsistent at Virginia Tech. He lacks a killer instinct and needs a ton of technique work. Don't expect much from him as a rookie, but keep him in the back of your mind long-term.
Round 6, Pick 178: Arthur Moats, OLB, James Madison. Sleeper prospect that went a full two rounds later than many expected him to go. Good athlete, solid intangibles and underrated upside as an edge rusher, but there will be a transition period as he adjusts from lower-level collegiate defensive end to NFL inside linebacker - not outside linebacker, as most predicted he's play. Goes hard every play, and will help the team out on special teams while adding athletic depth at ILB behind Andra Davis, Paul Posluszny and Kawika Mitchell.
Round 6, Pick 192: Danny Batten, OLB, South Dakota State. Add Batten to the list of small-school defenders snapped up by Buffalo. Once again, Batten's an undersized lower-level collegiate defensive end that will make the transition to NFL outside linebacker. Relentless motor and a very fast first step, but even still, is not a top-notch, explosive athlete. Good depth player that probably won't see much playing time defensively as a rookie, but will be a staple in Bruce DeHaven's special teams units. Has some upside.
Round 7, Pick 209: Levi Brown, QB, Troy. Smart, deliberate, productive small-school spread quarterback with NFL measurables and a good enough arm. Makes smart decisions with the football. Will need to learn to take the snap and drop back from under center, and far more importantly, will need to study up in the film room to get used to NFL defensive looks. A long-term project with intriguing athleticism, and a guy that Gailey has been intrigued with for a long time. Enters a wide-open, four-man race at quarterback, where literally anything can happen.
Round 7, Pick 216: Kyle Calloway, OT, Iowa. Tough, smart blocker with limited athleticism and upside. Is not athletically capable of playing left tackle, but adds competition and depth to the right side; Gailey, however, informed the public post-draft that Buffalo plans to use him inside at guard, where his lack of athleticism won't be as frequently exposed. Purely a depth player for now, Calloway gets Buffalo started adding depth to the interior offensive line, but more reinforcements are needed.