Jawaan Taylor, check. Dalton Risner, check. Cody Ford, Greg Little, and Jonah Williams: check. A day into the NFL Combine, one fact was clear: the Buffalo Bills are showing outsized interest in the offensive tackles from this year’s rookie class. Speaking with reporters during an interview scrum, the prospects shed some light onto their connections with the team.
Both Ford and Bobby Evans, the right and left tackle at Oklahoma, interviewed with the Bills. Their teammates, guards Ben Powers and Dru Samia, are also attending the Combine this year, and we also know that Samia met with the team. Taylor, hailing from Florida, is present along with teammates Fred Johnson and Martez Ivey. He enjoyed his discussion with the team, citing the film breakdown as his favorite part.
Risner, whose name is synonymous with “Process,” mentioned loving Sean McDermott’s culture after interviewing with the team. He also brought up Buffalo’s Harrison Phillips, whom he considers a good friend.
Williams, who earned plenty of accolades for his clean technique at Alabama, noted his connection with former Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. He added that he’d love to play for Buffalo.
Washington offensive tackle Kaleb McGary can also be added to the list to meet with Buffalo.
At the Combine, each player can only take a limited number of formal interviews with teams, and vice versa, so the early returns definitely indicate Buffalo’s interest in this year’s crop of linemen. It’s not always apparent those meetings considered formal and those that took place in a more casual setting. Nevertheless: at this point, it’s probably more difficult to find an offensive tackle the Bills haven’t yet contacted.