Bills 2021 Draft - Overall Assessment

[ColoradoBills]

18 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Best draft of my lifetime.  They had a clear, sane strategy that makes perfect sense in today’s NFL where (i) you’ve got a franchise QB about to take up a big chunk of the cap; (ii) you need depth at premium positions (everyone does); and (iii) you did sober self-scouting to realize you weren’t affecting the passing game enough to beat your biggest obstacle to the Lombardi.  Super impressed with a well-executed PLAN.  This draft was the product of a clear strategic plan and I’ve literally been waiting decades to say that about this team’s draft.

 

A very rational observation.  Thanks Coach.

[GunnerBill]

16 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

That's above his paygrade.

 

Yep. If anyone has authority to fire the other then it is the other way around.

[buffaloboyinATL]

I gave it an A. Beane did what he said he would, he drafted with the future in mind. The good news is, a couple of those future needs, could likely be for this season too.  (Pass rush, kick returner and ST talent at a minimum)

[GunnerBill]

I gave it a B. 

 

Picks I loved: Rousseau, Brown, Anderson

Picks I liked: Stevenson, Hamlin

Picks I have no firm view: Doyle, Wildgoose

Pick I am meh on: Basham

 

[Gen2]

One of the pitfalls of having a good team is there isn't a single player we could have drafted where the fan base would say "NOW we can contend for the Super Bowl". We already have those players in place. We get robbed of picking the over hyped "name player" and are regulated to picking backup strength or potential type of players and it's hard to get excited about those type of picks.

 

It wasn't fancy or glitzy, as a matter of fact it was kind of boring, but I'm comfortable in the fact that Beane and McD have a plan and they're working toward their end goal, and our scouting department has more expertise in recognizing talent in their little toenail than I will ever have. 

[DCbillsfan]

This draft surprised me. Going in, I thought Edge, CB, and either WR/TE/OL with the first 3 picks.  I thought they would trade up a few times and end up with no more than 5 picks.

 

Curious to see what shakes out.  A lot of competition all over the roster.  I'm confident Beane has a plan.  It's usually pretty risky to stash draft picks on the practice squad.

[Victory Formation]

I’m giving it an A. I believe that both Boogie and Rousseau will be pretty good DEs, maybe not elite ones but 8-10 sacks per year kind of guys.

 

Spencer Brown will replace Williams as the starting RT within 2 years and I feel he will be an above average RT and not by a little. Tommy Doyle will likely be OL depth, not fodder, but depth.

Only “knock” I have is I wanted a CB, but McD really has a knack for finding these guys late in the draft. My guess is that between either Hamlin or Wildgoose, one of these guys will step up. I trust McD when it comes to drafting DBs. Looks like we added depth in the secondary and more importantly STs depth but McD finds quality DBs, sometimes even starting ones in the 7th RD or UDFA.

 

Marquez Stevenson will be our 6th WR. I do believe he will beat out Hodgins because a) Beane wants speed and b) He can also play STs. He is a wildcard player, may turn into a decent weapon for Josh down the line. I believe our depth chart will be: Diggs/Sanders/Beasley/Davis/McKenzie/Stevenson.

 

So I see at least 3 high level starters from this draft long term (Rousseau/Boogie/Brown). I do think that Brown will be an impact player right away in goal line and jumbo packages etc. and ultimately the depth we added here with Brown, Doyle and Anderson is an extremely good thing for Josh and our run game.

 

Maybe 1T could be a concern as well. We are getting Star back which is nice and we do have Ed Oliver as well. Worst comes to worst you occasionally plug Oliver in at 1T when Star needs air, he is more than adequate in that sense and although most people see him as a 3T, he can do good at 1T. We must also keep in mind that Rousseau and Boogie are killer 3Ts, so it seems to me that we have a very solid if not formidable rotation between our 3T/1T rotation. Horrible Harry is a wildcard as is Justin Zimmer! I think Vernon Butler will be the odd man out and we can save some imperial credits of the realm there cap wise.

 

 

DE is a very interesting reality for us right now. Once again, I do believe that Rousseau and Boogie will be above average starters in this league and I do think Epenesa can be a lunchbox steady rotational player behind them. Addison will be gone although they may keep Jerry Hughes out of respect for what he brings to this team as a leader and as a veteran. Daryl Johnson will be fighting for his life in camp. I do think he has upside at DE and IIRC he is fairly good on STs. Should be a dogfight in camp and who knows? They may keep an extra end because Rousseau and Boogie will see a lot of time inside.

[One Buffalo]

I gave it an A.

 

McBeane playing the long game... I like it.  No quick fixes, but we don't need quick fixes.  Each of these picks have massive upside and fit well in the long term plan of building for sustained success.  Nice to have the luxury to take big swings.  Not all of them will hit, but some will to varying degrees.  

 

Edited May 1, 2021 by One Buffalo

[Shaw66]

22 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Best draft of my lifetime.  They had a clear, sane strategy that makes perfect sense in today’s NFL where (i) you’ve got a franchise QB about to take up a big chunk of the cap; (ii) you need depth at premium positions (everyone does); and (iii) you did sober self-scouting to realize you weren’t affecting the passing game enough to beat your biggest obstacle to the Lombardi.  Super impressed with a well-executed PLAN.  This draft was the product of a clear strategic plan and I’ve literally been waiting decades to say that about this team’s draft.

Well said.  

 

But you must not be very old.   One year the Bills drafted OJ Simpson.   That was a pretty good draft.   Then there was a year they drafted Bruce Smith.  That was pretty good, too.   Josh Allen and Tremaine Edmunds.  

 

Still, I think this draft is pretty special.  In a different way.   It's a draft of a good team building to be even better.   I like that. 

[SCBills]

If they drafted Elijah Moore at 30, instead of Rousseau, I’d probably give them an A.   
 

I get the Rousseau pick.  I like the potential of it.   If it allows them to cut/trade Addison this offseason, I’ll retroactively bump the draft to an A. 
 

I just feel like Josh deserves one more piece/dimension.   We’re asking him to go to war against Mahomes who has an elite WR1, elite WR group, elite TE and a running game AND/OR someone like Cleveland who have a strong WR group, solid TE play and a monster run game and Baltimore who got Lamar a bunch of weapons to go with their running game and TE’s...

 

And what Josh has (that is proven) is an elite WR1 and strong supporting cast of #2 WR’s in Beasley, Sanders and Davis.  Potential at TE and a work in progress run game.  

All 4 teams look to have solid OL’s.  
 

 

Edited May 1, 2021 by SCBills

[Doc]

I give it a B based on needs filled, not quality of players (that grade will come once they've played a few years).  They didn't get a NT.  I can understand CB if they think Dane Jackson is their CB2.

[MAJBobby]

RAS GALORE 

 

 

[TPS]

I'm looking forward to seeing how this draft plays out in the 2023 season.  Can't give Beane an A, as it's a draft for the future; but I do like that strategy a lot.

Josh Allen is going to keep this team at the top for the next 10 years, and Beane is building a team for the long term, not to simply go for it in 2021.

Edited May 1, 2021 by TPS

[John from Riverside]

30 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Beane to McD:”The roster is good enough to win the SB. Get out coached in the playoffs again and you are gone”

These are some of your posts are so ridiculous McDermott is probably one of the safest coaches in the NFL

[Freddie's Dead]

33 minutes ago, Doc said:

Huh?  They needed a swing OT.  Nsekhe is gone.  I do think they could have traded down and gotten Doyle but that's speculation.
 

I agree on NT but Tonga can be signed as an UDFA.  And after Pitts there were no TEs worth taking.

 

Not anymore, the Bears bagged Tonga at 250.

[MAJBobby]

 

[Ta111]

I give it an A based upon where they were drafting. It’s easy to draft well when you’re drafting 1 or 2, but when you’re at the back end you really have to think it through. They had a plan and stuck with it.

[BobbyC81]

4 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Well said.  

 

But you must not be very old.   One year the Bills drafted OJ Simpson.   That was a pretty good draft.   Then there was a year they drafted Bruce Smith.  That was pretty good, too.   Josh Allen and Tremaine Edmunds.  

 

Still, I think this draft is pretty special.  In a different way.   It's a draft of a good team building to be even better.   I like that. 

The year they drafted Bruce Smith (1985), they also picked Andre Reed and Frank Reich.

[Solomon Grundy]

I wanna see the list of UDFAs 

[BADOLBILZ]

4 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

I gave it a B. 

 

Picks I loved: Rousseau, Brown, Anderson

Picks I liked: Stevenson, Hamlin

Picks I have no firm view: Doyle, Wildgoose

Pick I am meh on: Basham

 

 

A-

 

Yeah I don't have a "firm view" on Doyle either but I like getting an athletic OT there.

 

I liked Wildgoose.

 

Otherwise about the same feeling.

 

Basham is the one I don't "love"..........but as I said,   I felt all along that was the spot that they were most likely to be left without excellent relative value on the board........maybe Beane trades back and they find a better player..........but maybe his hustle and attitude elevates him above his tools.