Dr. Who

I don't see any chance Odunze drops within trade range. Thomas might, Worthy will probably be there. He's really a twig, though a fast one.

Spends a lot of time talking about the enigma of Coleman, and then an intriguing bit about McConkey at the end.

For sure, it would have to be a situation where we traded back from #28.

Yes, that is my sense of it, but most of the folks whose opinion I trust appear to disagree with me.

Are you ruling Mitchell out of consideration at #28 because of lack of speed? I still think he is going to be good. And personally, I would take McConkey in the second, and it wouldn't shock me if someone takes him late first. (I am biased, because I am an UGA fan, but I think McConkey plays beyond his measurables. I also think he is more capable of playing on the outside than many are crediting.)

I do think there are a few elite WRs it would be worth moving up for, but the cost would be prohibitive. If Nabers slipped to 20, which won't happen, I would try to get him. It would be foolish for a GM to look at a prior situation that did not work out and turn it into an iron law against ever moving up for WR, for instance. However, I didn't say move up for WR. I said in effect, don't use a deep draft at WR as a reason to wait until the 3rd round to take one. Again, you are cherry-picking. The best chance of drafting an elite WR is to take one early, and then take a shot in the mid-rounds. You don't say, oh, here are examples of later round gems, we can wait. By that logic, teams should wait till the sixth round to take a QB, because Tom Brady was available. Further, there are not many exceptional Edge players that are likely to be there at #28. I doubt there will be a DT that merits the selection. It's great that Shakir was coming on. Cook and Kincaid are weapons. We have no exceptional boundary receivers. We don't have an X with reliable hands that can stretch the field. We lack explosive speed. Diggs is aging and was ineffective the second half of last year. Maybe, give Josh Allen, your once-in-a-lifetime generational talent at QB, some elite, young WR talent to work with, instead of always asking him to elevate middle round picks and mediocre free agents.

If you find that universe, go out and buy a lottery ticket.

I'd like to see Brady find creative ways to get them both on the field, if that were to play out. I'd be shocked if it did. I'm an UGA fan. Also like both Polk and Rice. So, I mostly just said, I like those fellas, I'm taking them. No consequences when it's make-believe.

I don't hate Knox, but he's overpriced for what he brings. This would be better. Won't happen, of course.

A significant portion of the fan base thinks jumping through tables and being splattered with condiments is a joyous rite of passage.

Decided to concentrate on WR, DT, S, but they just handed me a fella at 28, so I took him. 28. Brock Bowers TE Georgia 60. Ja'Lynn Polk WR Washington 124. Jordan Jefferson DT LSU 128. Tykee Smith S Georgia 131. Javon Solomon EDGE Troy 158. Brenden Rice WR USC 161. Malik Mustapha S Wake Forest 180. Fabien Lovett DT Florida State 197. Marshawn Kneeland EDGE Western Michigan 201. Anim Dankwah OT Howard 205. Kendall Milton RB Georgia

That show me stuff, what does it really mean? Of course, anyone can say after the fact, I'll believe it, because, frankly, there's nothing to believe, just acknowledge. I'm right there with you. We need to add smartly, and then there is the caprice of the gods, but it's not ridiculous optimism to be bullish on the Bills.

Because it's a deep draft at WR, you conclude we should take DTs in the first two rounds? That is complete crazy talk. First, you should prioritize the premium positions at the top of the draft. QB, WR, LT, CB. DT is not one of those. You can find big, serviceable DTs in the middle of the draft. You can find quick slot receivers there, too. A boundary receiver with size and speed is much harder to find. The best receivers are going in the top 40, and that's allowing for tier 1, tier 2, and probably a few of tier 3. Sure, I take Sweat in the 2nd if he is there. I might even trade up a bit to grab him if I've already secured WR in the first. And if you are taking D that early, safety is very important in McD's system, though I think free agency and an early day 3 pick can address the need. The best thing to help Josh Allen is giving him quality WRs. A truly potent offense that scares the other team is what we should be, not a solid offense with Josh Allen elevating day 2 and 3 Wrs. That will also help our D by putting the other team more often in catch-up mode, which simplifies the options.

I agree with a fair amount of this, and I certainly can empathize with the feeling. I still think @GunnerBill and @BADOLBILZ are correct that the relative lack of elite playmakers vs. a team like the Chiefs is the more abiding deficiency. If you add an exceptional WR and someone on D that can do what we hoped Von Miller would contribute, the margin for error gets much bigger.

I don't think it is easy. Nothing meaningful in life is easy. They could miss, sure, but this is a deep draft for WR. If they take at least two, one early, there's a reasonable chance they upgrade the WR room in a way that moves the needle. They are replacing a bunch of aging DL that for the most part is mediocre at best. Getting younger is easy; draft some. The hard part is getting good players that fit your system, but I think it's not a very high bar to match what they are replacing. Safety is a harder nut to crack, because Poyer and Hyde are exceptional, though grizzled vets. There's a surplus of good FA safeties this year, and it's a position that often cannot command high numbers. I think we will sign someone there, might keep Poyer one more year, and draft a rookie with promise. I have confidence in the coaches when it comes to safety. In short, the case for probable is not outlandish, and it does not require replacing Beane or McD.

I think he is an elite, 3 down back. I hope we bring in a big, young bruiser for goal line situations.

I agree, but according to a lot of bitter souls on this board, it's Einstein vs. a hopeless Neanderthal. We're good enough to beat them. Injury luck is beyond calculation. What we can do is get Josh a better WR room. They have to draft well, and get younger on DL and at S. None of that is impossible, or even improbable.

I expect WR early, and its a deep draft at the position. The order you have outlined is rational, and I don't think it is outlandish for Beane and McDermott to make rational selections. Regardless of past preferences, I suspect they realize just as well as most of this board that improving the WR room is key to maximizing the chances of post-season success. (Though I can certainly see them going D in the first if the board falls a certain way.)

Mahomes and the Chiefs have been getting the Brady treatment for some time now. We were still in a position to knock them out with a depleted roster on D this year. Josh does need more WR talent that he can count on. That is the priority, but it is certainly not fated to be a failure.

He may never live up to expectations, but just as bad weather conditions can level the playing field, an inadequate QB can end up limiting the potential of an elite talent.

In practical terms, this is correct. And I'll add to Beane and McDermott's failures in terms of elite players and playoff performance that I agree with @BADOLBILZ that despite his great talent and entertaining play, this is an off-season where Josh Allen needs to rededicate himself to a more focused approach to next season. This discussion about an elite, highly anticipated WR is only an intellectual game, because there is no way for it to actually happen. And the main real point behind it is to emphasize that if Beane prioritizes WR weapons and hits on one or more, the rookies and free agents that have to fill in at other positions will be in a better position to succeed, because building an offense that terrorizes the opponent will greatly benefit the Bills' defense. All of this is nearly so obvious as to be tautological, but it gets said because it has yet to happen.

No doubt, that is a factor in determining how well he plays. Ron Jaworski used to always say "QB is a dependent position," but so is WR. All I was trying to assert is that the hypothetical of MHJ for the Bills is MHJ with Allen throwing to him; it's that combination that I would bet on.

Human life and choices are inherently filled with uncertitude. "Can't miss" is still a matter of probability. There's no eliminating that factor. I personally think MHJ is very likely to succeed, and with Josh Allen at QB, I would be willing to wager a lot on a good result. All that said, there's no path to acquiring him that is even remotely plausible.

He hasn't exactly had a competent QB in Atlanta, not to mention the offensive prowess of Arthur Smith is somewhat questionable.

There's no doubt the evaluative process is immensely more sophisticated. I do think you are correct that putting in significant chips on WR and concentrating on giving Josh Allen the best weapons possible is the right strategy. Folks like to say, in effect, that Allen is a force multiplier. Some take from that the view that having decent weapons is enough, because Allen will maximize what they have to offer. Well, a big reason Josh Allen does not have a ring yet is that you are multiplying too many substandard weapons for pretty much the entirety of his career. I like the emergence of Shakir, Cook, and Kincaid. That is promising, but I'm not sure how much Diggs will rebound, and the deficit at WR is the main reason the fan base is correctly reactive, rather than confident about the post-season. Your prescription should result in other teams being afraid of us. Why should it always be "let's worry about containing Mahomes and Kelce" or stopping Tyreek Hill and the potency of other teams' offense? We ought to be a juggernaut offense that terrifies the opponent. Then our D becomes much more effective, because the other team must continually match our success. All that said, it's so unlikely that MHJ or Nabers will become available, it is largely an academic exercise as to what combination of picks might entice a team picking in the top 5 to trade down to #28. The most prudent, possible action is to draft the best WR early, allowing for a trade up to secure someone if necessary, and then in a deep draft at the position, picking several others, so that you have a greater chance of hitting difference makers. Here, I'll throw out another possibility, which may get universally flamed. If Bowers begins to fall to the middle of the first, I treat him as a mismatch WR, and go get him. (And of course, in the unlikely event that one of the top two WRs is a possibility, I agree it is worth the risk.)