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2021 Draft Picks Overview


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After reading the thread reviewing the production of the 2020 draft class, I was a bit curious what picks the Bills have next off-season in the 2021 draft (currently schedule to be held in Cleveland, who knew?!). Here are the picks we currently have, along with the transactions that resulted in acquiring those picks:

 

Round 1 - Buffalo's Original Pick

Round 2 - Buffalo's Original Pick

Round 3 - Buffalo's Original Pick

Round 4 - Sent to Minnesota (Diggs Trade)

Round 5 - Buffalo's Original Pick

Round 5 - From Oakland (Zay Jones Trade)

Round 6 - Buffalo's Original Pick

Round 7 - Buffalo Original Pick Sent to Cleveland (Teller Trade)

Round 7 - From Carolina (Marshall Newhouse Trade) Conditional trade, not sure the specifics but it shows as processed as of 10/25/2020? Anyone know?

 

As it stands, the Bills have 7 picks (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 5th, 6th, 7th) for the 2021 NFL Draft. They've managed to flip a few back-end players for draft capital, making up for lost picks dealt in other trades and maintain their original top three selections in 2021. Kudos to Bean and company for maneuvering and building the roster the way they have, without mortgaging the future draft picks to do so. 

 

https://www.prosportstransactions.com/football/DraftTrades/Future/Bills.htm

https://www.draftsite.com/nfl/trades/buffalo/3/

 

I'd rather avoid the positional discussion and I'm trying not to insanely guess what players they'll take, but I am a bit curious as to what people think they can DO with these picks? Will they stand pat, and take 7 players? It's my thought, with the current depth of the roster, and the development of some younger talents already in the organization, that Beane could package some of those later picks to move up and get a guy he likes in the 4th. He has done this in the past, on numerous occasions, to move up and get 'his guy'. I wouldn't be surprised to come out of this draft with just 4 or 5 players, instead of 7. 

Edited by EmotionallyUnstable
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First, Stable as I’m not going to call a fellow Bills fan Unstable, I don’t see the packaging if picks.  Why, pre tell?  It’s very simple.  Look at the 2020 draft.  It was unprecedented in the lack of trade up or down, because of Covid madness.  Well, what about 2021?  The cap goes down to as a foregone conclusion $175 mil., unless they cave and go to 8 teams in the playoffs and get more tv revenue (which is nothing compared Toni fans) so we have a $-2.5 mil. Deficit.  I know we will jettison some older guys and we should, but it won’t create enough cap space to bring in anything more than role players younger from free agency.  Funny part is it will be the Wild West as so many teams are so far over the cap, there will be good ones available, and will have to take lower deals.

 

This is a temporary problem as one of these vaccines should be available to the public (first reponders, hospital staff, military, sick first) by mid to late summer so revenue should go up.  The new tv contracts are I believe starting to come due the next year so this shouldn’t last forever god willing.  What this tells me is we and most of the league will hoard draft picks and make the best of them.  Think of all of the 39+ players we have that are average to below average, we will jettison.  We can exchange with cheap talent, get through next year, maybe a player or two at most in free agency, and be set up prepare for Allen’s, Edmunds, maybe Milano’s contract.

 

Not to use my buddy on the boards avatar, but I’d bet dollars to donuts we have 7 picks chosen next year.  Don’t forget the Fish had 11 picks, spent $258.5 mil. in free agency and have another 10 picks next year.  Beane is smart enough he needs a sustainable team for our future competition if not this year.  I don’t worry about the Jets for obvious reasons, and some have forgotten all of those COVID opt out Pats contracts coming due next year.  They will be cap strapped next year again, and their team is talent ridden.  
 

So that is my two cents, and I can and have been wrong before, but that is what I see.  If we can pick up one to two quality players in free agency with the $ we save from losing some current guys, we should be happy.  

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I think they trade down at different spots. Adding more players later will help save cap space. They have enough talent to add later rookies.

 

Beane traded up for Allen and Edmunds, moved up for Ford. And moved a 1 for Diggs. 
That was done with a relatively solid oversll

roster that needed to get “foundational” pieces onto the team.

 

Now that we have guys like Allen, Diggs, Edmunds (he’s struggling this year but I think they believe he’s a cornerstone piece), they can start to move down in drafts in order to get more picks, later on in the draft, that cost less against the cap.

 

More “bang for your buck” so to speak. 

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40 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Wouldn’t be surprised if they traded down out of the first for multiple 2-3 rounders. 

I'd choose that over reaching. Diversification via more picks is another way to handle the risk of not getting full pre-draft assessments on players.

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1 minute ago, Victory Formation said:

Especially on defense... it’s so important.. I don’t even care what position he plays, get me an absolute dog on defense..

 

Yep. Neither Oliver and Edmunds have showed the consistency you expect from a first round pick. They need a guy who doesn't just make some impact plays but who makes them pretty much every game.

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Just now, GunnerBill said:

 

Yep. Neither Oliver and Edmunds have showed the consistency you expect from a first round pick. They need a guy who doesn't just make some impact plays but who makes them pretty much every game.

Edmunds has hope as an OLB.. I just don’t think he has the brains to win chess matches against QBs.. if we had a smart, instinctive MLB, preferably a thumper that can put Edmunds in the right spots, he could do very well.. 

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50 minutes ago, Michael1962 said:

I know the selectors espouse the "Best Person Available" but anyone have thoughts as to what our biggest needs are? TE, line help on both sides, another CB?  Others?

Biggest needs for the Bills: DE, LB, CB, TE

 

Last year I expressed that I wanted the Bills to draft two WR's.

 

This year I hope that they draft two DE's. I don't know what we have with Epenesa just yet, and I don't think Daryl Johnson is more than a back-up player. We need to think about the future at this with Hughes & Addison getting older.

Edited by Mark Vader
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1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

Wouldn’t be surprised if they traded down out of the first for multiple 2-3 rounders. 

Me neither.. that’d be great.

Just now, Mark Vader said:

Biggest needs for the Bills: DE, LB, CB, TE

I actually think Dane and Levi are not bad, not bad at all.. but we need a slot corner in the worst way.. additional depth wouldn’t be bad though on the outside.. hopefully we add at least two corners..

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2 minutes ago, Victory Formation said:

Me neither.. that’d be great.

I actually think Dane and Levi are not bad, not bad at all.. but we need a slot corner in the worst way.. additional depth wouldn’t be bad though on the outside.. hopefully we add at least two corners..

I too am fine with Levi Wallace & Dane Jackson. I listed CB mostly for depth. The Josh Norman experiment has not worked out. Unless E.J. Gaines chooses to come back, that would help settle the situation.

 

I edited my post and stated that I would love to see the Bills draft 2 DE's. We really need help at that position. Another Linebacker would be very good too.

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Just now, Mark Vader said:

Biggest needs for the Bills: DE, LB, CB, TE


Where’s the DE going to play?  Unless they plan on moving on from one of Hughes, Addison or Johnson next year.  They’ve stuck with Johnson for two years.. seems they like him.  
 

DE is a need in ‘22 (IMO)

 

LB - if Milano walks.. but I’m not feeling a 1st Rounder to replace him.  Way too much investment at linebacker to have two recent 1st rounders there.  
 

CB - Maybe, if we don’t resign Levi.   We will still have White, Jackson, Johnson and Gaines.  
 

TE - I could get on board with someone like Freiermuth in the 1st.  
 

 

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Just now, Mark Vader said:

I too am fine with Levi Wallace & Dane Jackson. I listed CB mostly for depth. The Josh Norman experiment has not worked out. Unless E.J. Gaines chooses to come back, that would help settle the situation.

 

I edited my post and stated that I would love to see the Bills draft 2 DE's. We really need help at that position. Another Linebacker would be very good too.

We could really use a hog at DE, no doubt.. maybe even so much that we spend our 1st pick on one..Would like a NT too but with Star coming back we could probably wait till the 3rd or 4th round for one.. but yeah, I think Epenesa is going to be a player, if you spend a first on a RE, that DL may have some juice.. maybe go MLB RD2, bump Edmunds into Milano’s old spot... golden..

3 minutes ago, SCBills said:


Where’s the DE going to play?  Unless they plan on moving on from one of Hughes, Addison or Johnson next year.  They’ve stuck with Johnson for two years.. seems they like him.  
 

DE is a need in ‘22 (IMO)

 

LB - if Milano walks.. but I’m not feeling a 1st Rounder to replace him.  Way too much investment at linebacker to have two recent 1st rounders there.  
 

CB - Maybe, if we don’t resign Levi.   We will still have White, Jackson, Johnson and Gaines.  
 

TE - I could get on board with someone like Freiermuth in the 1st.  
 

 

That whole DL needs one big salary dump...

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1 minute ago, Victory Formation said:

We could really use a hog at DE, no doubt.. maybe even so much that we spend our 1st pick on one..Would like a NT too but with Star coming back we could probably wait till the 3rd or 4th round for one.. but yeah, I think Epenesa is going to be a player, if you spend a first on a RE, that DL may have some juice.. maybe go MLB RD2, bump Edmunds into Milano’s old spot... golden..

That whole DL needs one big salary dump...


I can definitely see them letting any, or all of, Murphy, Butler, Jefferson and Harry go, but I’d be surprised if they parted ways with the DE’s next year.  
 

Hughes and Addison are still pretty good, Epenesa will obviously be back and it seems like they’ve held onto Johnson for a reason.  

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Just now, SCBills said:


I can definitely see them letting any, or all of, Murphy, Butler, Jefferson and Harry go, but I’d be surprised if they parted ways with the DE’s next year.  
 

Hughes and Addison are still pretty good, Epenesa will obviously be back and it seems like they’ve held onto Johnson for a reason.  

Hughes and Addison can stay if they take a 50% pay cut.. Regardless.. if you dump Hughes, Addison, Butler, Jefferson and Morse then all of a sudden our salary situation isn’t in such a sorry state.. Our DL is our highest paid unit and also one of the biggest underperformers... Could maybe add a few mid level free agents with that money (Dalvin Tomlinson, NT)(Jon Feliciano, G)(Daryl Williams, RT)(Levi Wallace, CB) etc... Keep our OL intact.. money leftover for Allen next year..


Spend a high pick on DE & MLB and we’re cooking.. Bump Feliciano to center and draft a guard.. cap situation is well taken care of..

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