We've been mainly focusing our draft coverage here at Buffalo Rumblings on the players at the top of the 2011 NFL Draft with our Baker's Dozen series of posts. For this post, we'll take a step back and look a little bit deeper into this April's draft at who two experts are saying the Buffalo Bills will select in the third round.
In separate three-round mock drafts released Wednesday, both Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN have the Bills selecting Von Miller third overall. That should come as no surprise, as Miller has been a name tied to the Bills for months. What is surprising is that both Kiper and McShay settled on Wisconsin TE Lance Kendricks with Buffalo's third pick.
It's hard enough to get Kiper and McShay to agree on first-round picks and predictions. When their third-round pick matches for two teams, it could be a mixture of value and rumblings from sources that allows them both to slot Kendricks at No. 68 overall.
Dan Kadar's sixth-ranked tight end in this April's draft, Kendricks impressed the Mocking the Draft editor at the Senior Bowl as a member of the North team.
"Kendricks didn't necessarily have a great game receiving," said Kadar at the time. "But he showed on multiple occasions he can block. He took it to Miami's Allen Bailey on a few plays, which was impressive."
Kendricks replaced former Badger and current New York Giants TE Travis Beckum at Wisconsin. Beckum was my favorite second-tier tight end in the 2009 NFL Draft, and the scouting reports on the two are incredibly similar. They are both H-back type players who can create mismatches against linebackers in the passing game, but aren't the mauling type of sixth offensive lineman Chan Gailey seems to value in the tight end spot. At Wisconsin, he was asked to be an in-line blocker, but his major contribution was in the passing game. He'll need to add weight to become a more complete NFL tight end, but his future could be bright.
With the tight end position thin, it would be no shock for the Bills to add a tight end later this month at the draft. The Bills haven't had a consistent player at the position since Jay Riemersma.