What exactly will the Buffalo Bills do if they're unable to sign left tackle Cordy Glenn to a long-term contract extension this offseason?
Their roster situation leaves no inspiring replacement candidates among Seantrel Henderson, Jordan Mills, and Cyrus Kouandjio, and the cap crunch that might prevent a Glenn extension could also be a challenge for addressing the weakness in free agency. Would Buffalo then turn to the 2016 NFL Draft, hoping to find another rookie starter at left tackle?
SB Nation's Dan Kadar made that projection in his latest mock draft, and he handed the Bills the left tackle from Michigan State, Jack Conklin. Conklin was the fourth offensive tackle off the board, behind Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss, Ronnie Stanley of Notre Dame, and Taylor Decker of Ohio State.
If the Bills are looking for an immediate starter, they can do much worse than Conklin. The 6'6", 325-pounder was a walk-on at Michigan State, and after redshirting for a year he didn't look back, starting 37 games in the next three seasons, 34 at left tackle. He has plenty of strength, and is a powerful run blocker, driving through the defender to the whistle. He plays with good balance and movement, and is rarely beaten outright by an opponent. If he has a weakness, it's some inconsistency using his hands, where he will do more shoving and has less finesse than an ideal prospect would use.
As a bonus, Conklin would occasionally flex to the right side to play in unbalanced formations, so he has a head start on developing his approach for right tackle, even if Buffalo feels the left side is taken care of. What do you think of the potential Conklin pick, Bills fans?