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Bills Draft Picks 2012: Defense Trend Continues

We're going to post this now, before Round 2 of the 2012 NFL Draft - and the Buffalo Bills' likely route of pursuing options at wide receiver and left tackle - has a chance to kill the stat. Now into his third draft as Buffalo's general manager, Buddy Nix has now drafted 11 defenders (out of a possible 19 picks), including six-of-seven picks made in the first three rounds. There's been no question that his emphasis in the draft has been stockpiling his defense with talent.

The fruits of his labor so far are below. Of the 11 defenders Nix has picked so far, every single one of them remains under the age of 25. Nearly all of them have prototypical size, and the emphasis has been on big, strong, athletic prospects. At least two of these picks are expected to be 2011 starters, a minimum of two more (but perhaps as many as five more) could lock down significant roles, and it wouldn't be a surprise if every last one of them made the team this fall.

YR RD # PLAYER POS COLLEGE AGE HT WT
2011 1 3 Marcell Dareus DT Alabama 22 6'3" 331
2012 1 10 Stephon Gilmore CB South Carolina 21 6'0" 190
2011 2 34 Aaron Williams CB Texas 22 6'0" 199
2010 2 41 Torell Troup DT Central Florida 23 6'3" 327
2011 3 68 Kelvin Sheppard LB LSU 24 6'2" 244
2010 3 72 Alex Carrington DT Arkansas State 24 6'5" 301
2011 4 100 Da'Norris Searcy SS North Carolina 23 5'11" 216
2011 6 169 Chris White LB Mississippi State 23 6'3" 238
2010 6 178 Arthur Moats LB James Madison 24 6'2" 250
2010 6 192 Danny Batten DE South Dakota State 24 6'4" 250
2011 7 206 Justin Rogers CB Richmond 24 5'11" 181