I took the consensus from 7 of the top 100 NFL draft boards and averaged the rankings for each of the Bills top 5 picks.
The consensus average results:
Maybin consensus pick was #15, the Bills took him at 11 (mild reach)
Wood consensus #45, the Bills took him at 28 (moderate reach)
Byrd consensus #63, the Bills took him at 42 (moderate reach)
Levitre consensus #64, the Bills took him at 51 (mild reach)
Nelson consensus #51, the Bills took him at 121 (very good value)
Conclusion:
The Bills filled areas of need. This is typical to reach a little because you have to bypass players who may rank higher, but don't fit your specific team needs.
The best value was Nelson by a mile. Overall, I think the Bills get decent marks for finally recognizing that line play is the key foundation of a team. It remains to be seen how the draft will ultimately grade out.
They still don't look like a playoff team on paper, but stranger things have happened.
I wonder how Kelsay/Denney feel about Maybin? I also wonder how Ko "I'm worth millions" Simpson feels about Byrd?
Bye Bye Ko!