On the latest episode of Billieve: A Buffalo Bills Fan Podcast, host John Boccacino does a deep dive into the newest members of the Buffalo Bills, recapping Buffalo’s 2019 NFL Draft class.
For the record, I don’t believe in issuing grades to a draft class this soon. It takes at least two or three years until we know for sure how well a player is panning out, so for the sake of this article and this podcast, we focused on the players Buffalo selected and how they can/will fill the team’s needs in 2019 and beyond.
The Bills entered the draft with ten selections, but after a successful and active free agency, odds were good the Bills were going to package some of their picks to add more quality players to the roster.
We already covered the home run that was No. 9 overall selection Ed Oliver in a previous podcast, so this week’s podcast focused on the seven other members of the class: Oklahoma T Cody Ford (selected No. 38 in the second round), Florida Atlantic RB Devin Singletary (No. 74 in the third round), Ole Miss TE Dawson Knox (No. 96 in the third round), Florida LB Vosean Joseph (No. 147 in the fifth round), Miami DB Jaquan Johnson (No. 181 in the sixth round), North Carolina A&T DE Darryl Johnson (No. 225 in the seventh round), and Boston College TE Tommy Sweeney (No. 228 in the seventh round).
Boccacino really likes the additions of Ford and Singletary, thinking Ford was a first-round talent that Buffalo was able to get in the second round. Ford is a mauler—a complete tackle who should be able to excel in both run blocking and pass protection. This pick makes Buffalo’s overhauled offensive line even better, with Ford rumored to be slotting in at right tackle.
While the selection of Singletary drew some criticisms on social media from Bills fans, the pick makes sense, especially given the age of LeSean McCoy (will be 31 when the season starts) and Frank Gore (36 when the season starts). There is a lot of wear on Singletary’s tires (over 700 carries in college), but he is an explosive runner with patience and excellent field vision. He is an instant upgrade to the running back room.
Knox has immense potential despite his lack of production at Ole Miss, and should prove to be a solid blocker who gives Josh Allen another downfield receiving threat, while the athletic Joseph has the proverbial high motor, and brings speed, explosiveness, and great ability to change direction to Leslie Frazier’s 4-3 defense. A rangy and athletic linebacker, he reminds many experts of Matt Milano, Buffalo’s fifth-round selection in the 2017 Draft.
Check out the latest Billieve Podcast for a full breakdown of Buffalo’s draft class!
What do you think, Bills fans? Who will be the biggest contributors right away from this draft class? Who are you most excited about seeing in a Bills uniform, and who do you think the Bills might have reached for in the draft? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section, and check out our podcast for thoughts on these topics and more on the latest Billieve: A Buffalo Bills Fan Podcast.
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