Buffalo Bills miss out on the top five quarterbacks in latest SB Nation Mock Draft

With the Senior Bowl complete, it’s time for another mock draft from SB Nation’s Dan Kadar. In making his latest predictions, Kadar notes that this year’s Senior Bowl didn’t result in much upward momentum for any of the first-round prospects and consequently this mock draft looks very similar to previous attempts. With that in mind -- as he did in early January -- Kadar predicts an early run on quarterbacks, forcing the Buffalo Bills to go with a best-players-available approach.

21. Buffalo Bills: Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford

With the quarterbacks all gone, the Bills may look to rebuild their defense in the first round of this year’s draft. Phillips is the type of run-stopping defensive tackle the Bills lack.

22. Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs): Derwin James, S, Florida State

It’s hard to peg a good spot for James high in the first round if a team like the Raiders pass on him. In Buffalo he would play more of a linebacker role that utilizes his athleticism and blitzing.

Grif’s Take:

If Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold go first and second overall in the draft, the Bills chances of landing a Baker Mayfield or a Josh Allen without a trade up into the top fifteen picks is unlikely. If the Bills decide that a trade up for those two isn’t worth the cost, staying put and utilizing both first round picks would be prudent.

As for the prospects themselves, Harrison Phillips is a name Bills fans will see mocked to the team all spring. While I think he’s a good fit for the team philosophically, fans and media members need to pump the brakes on comparing him to Bills stalwart Kyle Williams. Phillips isn’t the twitchy athlete that Williams is, and at 303 pounds there are doubts if he will be able to hold up as a zero or one-technique defensive tackle. Also, while Derwin James may have top-ten athletic talent and can play multiple roles in coverage, safety just isn’t a position of need for the team. Both Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer played at Pro Bowl caliber levels throughout the season. Is a swiss-army knife defender worth the 22nd overall pick in the draft?