Draft Strategy

[dailar]

With us picking at three the whole draft is open for us to get top quality from the very outset. As we all do, I tried to think where the Bills would use their picks. At three we should be getting someone to build this team around no matter if that means a run stuffing DT, a shut out corner, a true No1 receiver or a franchise QB. However whatever they do at 3 will dictate what they do with the rest of the draft and how much talent there is deep into the process.

 

With that in mind do you leave the D-line in the first because this class is so deep with quality there that you will be able to pick quality in that position at #34? There are also a number of other factors such as our defensive front. Gailey has said so many times now that we will be playing multiple fronts. In terms of rushing the passer, something we have been appalling at we should be set (barring injuries) in a 3-4 front with Merriman and Moats next year, but how do we shape up in a 4-3? Kelsay will play one end, and I know how you guys feel about him, but who will play the other DE position? Von Miller, whilst being a quality OLB is no DE. Bowers or Quinn should be the only considerations if the Bills go DE with the number 3 pick.

 

Blaine Gabbert does excite me and all the talk after his pro day is that he is franchise QB material. If Gailey is high on him and thinks he is THAT good then he HAS to pick him with the number three pick. I think this is the way Gailey is thinking and I trust his judgment when it comes to QB's. If that's the case you have to look for defensive help for the remainder of the draft.

 

One thing I have noticed where people post multiple drafts they change every player but changing a first pick shouldnt change your whole draft.

Personally I would rather they trade back and get another second too but you cant plan for that so....

 

 

Nasty defence first

1. Fairley DT

2. Ayers DE/OLB

3. Pinkston OT

4. Sheppard ILB

4. Matthews ILB

5. Stanzy QB

 

Franchise QB first

1. Gabbert QB

2. Ayers DE/OLB

3. Austin DT

4. Sheppard ILB

4. Matthews ILB

 

Pass Rushing DE first

1. Bowers DE

2. Mallett QB

3. Pinkston OT

4. Sheppard ILB

4. Matthews ILB

 

 

BTW as you can probably see I think Sheppard and Matthews will be the mainstay of our defense for years to come.

[Thoner7]

I think you need a contingency plan for when Shepperd and Mathews are both gone by the 4th round.

[dailar]

Nah, we'll just put some drug abuse rumours out about them!

[Thoner7]

Well, the way I see it the Bills need DL, OL, LB, QB, TE in no particular order. I don’t think we should let who we selected in last year’s draft, dictate who we select this year, ie we shouldn’t avoid DL just because we took Carrington and Troup last year. We are still not 2 deep at all the DL positions.

 

Round 1 has to be DL in my eyes. (DL includes Quinn although I admit he will play LB for us). I don’t like either of the QBs here, or Von Miller. Fairley and Dareus are the best two players in this draft and I doubt both are gone. If they are Quinn, Jordan, Bowers, and Watt are still available and I like them all better than every other player in the draft.

 

Round 2 I see DL, OL, LB, and maybe even TE having great value here. It really doesn’t matter which direction we go because we need help everywhere – but the guy we land should be a 1st round talent – no exceptions. I still don’t think QB offers us much of an upgrade at this point. We should be taking a 1st round talent at 34, and Dalton/Kaepernack/Ponder/Mallet/etc are not 1st round talents to me.

 

Round 3 I predict some OL, DL, and LB talent as well as maybe QB/TE. The 3rd round is generally where a lot of quality guards and Cs get drafted, and while this isn’t a tackle heavy draft, I do feel there are a lot of mid round RTs out there which is what we need. LB is the same way with multiple middle round prospects. DL is deep throughout the draft and there should be good value there as well. IF a QB they like falls then its an option too, but I don’t see the point in taking a 3rd round developmental QB when our team has so many stinking holes. Would you rather have a backup QB or a starting G or LB? I’ll take the starter.

 

Round 4 who really knows who will be left.. Thankfully for us this is where the Bills actually start to make good selections. If we are lucky a good player at one of those key positions will fall and I bet they do.