With the 50th Pick, Buffalo Bills Select?
- Bills Fanatics BF
- Apr 24, 2015
- 8 min read
Let’s take a look at what some of the top Buffalo Bills fan writers are saying about what the Bills might do with their No. 50 pick in the 2015 NFL draft:
ROUND 2, PICK 50: BYRON JONES, CB, CONNECTICUT
Buffalo Football Report (Scout.com) - Ryan Talbot, Editor-In-Chief
Minus Mark Sanchez, the New York Jets selected a defensive player with their first pick in every draft under Rex Ryan. If Byron Jones is on the board at pick 50, that trend will certainly continue. Yes, the Bills already have Stephon Gilmore, Corey Graham, Leodis McKelvin and Nickell Robey as their top four cornerbacks, but Jones is a terrific fit for Ryan’s defense. The cornerback is very athletic and according to Adam Caplan, teams are looking at Jones as a press cornerback.
Why would Ryan want a cornerback this high? Ask him what the biggest problem was with the 2014 Jets and he’d tell you cornerback injuries.
“Cornerback’s a position that’s hard to replace,” said then Jets defensive backs coach Tim McDonald. Now with the Bills, McDonald and the defensive staff will keep this in mind during the draft.
The cornerback is one of Buffalo’s nine announced pre-draft visits. The team has selected a pre-draft visitor with their first pick going back all the way to 2010. Jones has received quite a bit of hype lately, so there’s a decent chance he’s off the board at pick 50.
Link to full mock draft: Buffalo Bills NFL Football Front Page
ROUND 2, PICK 50: MAXX WILLIAMS, TE, MINNESOTA
Buffalowdown Editor- Dennis Amo
Coming out of Minnesota, he set the single season school record for receiving yards and touchdowns with 569 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. He started 10 of 11 games last year, missed one with a calf injury. He is a top performer in multiple categories from the combine having a 4.78 40 yard dash, 34.5 vertical jump, 117.0 broad jump, and a 4.37 sec 20 yard shuttle.
Maxx Williams is being projected in the 2nd and 3rd rounds for most mock drafts. I have seen him as high as a late 1st round as well. It is very likely that he is available when the Buffalo Bills come on the clock at 50th. He is being compared to Jeremy Shockey. He seems to also have a lot of confidence, which might be a turn off to some teams.
The Buffalo Bills have two tight ends that have shown that they can produce. Charles Clay needs no introduction as a hybrid tight end. Marquise Grey is the other guy, that is very similar in style to Charles Clay. Even with the versatility of both of these guys, the Buffalo Bills may need to look at another tight end for depth purposes. Maxx Williams could move the Buffalo Bills into a duel tight end team and have a similar look to the Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez look that the New England Patriots had a couple of years ago.
Link to Buffalowdown.com
ROUND 2, PICK 50: BENARDICK McKINNEY, LB, MISSISSIPPI STATE
Hashtag COO and Host - Paul Wanecski, Lead Writer
With the size, power and pure freakish ability, Rex Ryan and Doug Whaley will not be able to contain themselves if McKinney is still on the board when the 50th selection comes. With Nigel Bradham on the final year of his contact and the need to resign Marcell Dareus, Stephon Gilmore and Cordy Glenn all bigger priorities, the Bills will look to get younger in the linebacker group to offset the possible loss of Bradham. They will go no further than Mississippi State’s 2013 and 2014 leading tackler who started every game in those years. He could play inside or outside linebacker in the NFL.
Showed great knowledge of college system, directing traffic and making line adjustments. Played in SEC against competitive high-powered offenses. He will be able to keep up with most NFL tight ends, a definite need in the AFC East. He is an artist in wrap-up tackles, avoids over-pursuing defenders on the edge and is very assignment aware when having to hold the cutback lane. His length allows him to gain separation from offensive linemen and still power through gaps in the run game. He will use his legs and powerful hands to take on linemen down the stripe and still power through a running back in the hole. He is a finisher.
As displayed in his 3-cone drill and short shuttle time, he has only average agility and lacks the ability to dip and dive through the offensive line. He does not show great reaction and has excelled because of anticipation and knowledge of assignments. Scouts are referring to him not have “great feet”, which is drawn to his lack of lateral movement in the pass game. He has shown solid awareness in the run game but struggles to make adjustments while engaged with a lineman. He has been criticized for allowing too much space in the passing game when in zone coverage.
Fun Fact
Interesting to note, McKinney was his high school team’s quarterback and punter and he did wear number 50 in college.
Link to: HashtagSports.net
ROUND 2, PICK 50: LA’EL COLLINS, OT, LSU
Bills Fanatics Writer- Alex Rugile
For most of the 2014 season, the Buffalo Bills’ biggest weakness was their offensive line. While there were some bright spots in rookie Seantrel Henderson, Cordy Glenn, and center Eric Wood, the one thing that was always affecting the ability to maintain a successful running game was the offensive line’s inability to create any type of holes for the running backs to run through. Time and time again, CJ Spiller, Fred Jackson, Anthony “Boobie” Dixon, and Bryce Brown had difficulty running the ball up the middle and between the hash marks, forcing the tandem of running backs to bump the run to the outside, where they would make too many move to try and juke defenders, sometimes causing a loss of yards.
La'el Collins would provide an immediate upgrade to a continuously struggling offensive line in 2014. Collins was named 2nd team All-America by the A.P. in 2014. He also won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top offensive lineman in the SEC (which some college football experts say is the toughest conference in college football). As a senior, Collins was voted team captain and received the Charles McClendon Award which is awarded to the most outstanding player on the team. Some NFL scouts have compared Collins to Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, one of the better offensive linemen in the NFL today.
Collins is a mean and intimidating player who’s not afraid to engage a defender and push him around; something Rex Ryan would love to have in Buffalo, as he’s trying to “build a bully” in the AFC East and challenge the Patriots. While his footwork needs improving, he’s a coachable player with a great attitude and an approach that should translate well at the NFL level. His footwork should improve under the tutelage of Greg Roman, turning him into a better athlete and a better blocker against the blitz and in the running game.
Here’s what a source told NFL.com: “BOTTOM LINE- Brawling right tackle or guard prospect in the NFL who has had a level of success in hyper-competitive SEC West. Lacks athleticism to be a consistent left tackle, despite his snaps there in college. Collins plays with a mean streak that is evident in every game, and could come in and start right away in a power-running game as a guard.”
Based on that analysis, La'el Collins appears to be the perfect fit for this new look Buffalo Bills offense, who has a coach committed to running a “ground and pound” attack. Add in second year man Cyrus Kouandjio who gets a clean slate with the new coaching regime and a chance to really impress during training camp and in preseason, and this offensive line looks leaps and bounds better than it was last season. Most experts have Collins as a first round pick, but if he’s available at 50, the Bills would be foolish to pass up on a player who would fit into the offensive scheme perfectly.
Link to: Bills Fanatics FB Group
ROUND 2, PICK 50: CLIVE WALFORD, TE, MIAMI
Bills Mafia - Rob Quinn, Editor-In-Chief
Clive Walford would’ve been drafted last year, but he opted to stay for another year with the Hurricanes in order to refine his game. It turned out to be a great decision, as Walford has looked like a totally different player. After catching 77 passes for 1,077 yards and seven scores in his first three seasons, he’s emerged as freshman QB Brad Kaaya’s most reliable target, leading the team with 40 receptions for 627 yards and seven scores in 2014.
Walford is a complete tight end; he can split the seam, he can block, he can win in contested catch situations and he’s athletic. He knows how to control his body and track the ball, while displaying strong, reliable hands. Walford’s experience lining up attached to the offensive line as well as split out wide makes him an attractive candidate for Greg Roman’s multiple offense that asks a lot out of the tight end.
Link to : BillsMafia.com
ROUND 2, PICK 50: ERECK FLOWERS, OT, MIAMI
Bills Fanatics Writer - Veronica R. Chiesi Brown
Doug Whaley said the Bills obviously don’t have a franchise quarterback. Some would argue that means the Bills are still looking for one but Whaley went on to say the Bills want to surround the quarterback with weapons. “We want him to be able to just make right decisions and be able to put the ball in the hands of the playmakers”, Whaley told reporters. How do you do that? Protecting and blocking.
The Bills have a history of having a weak offensive line. I would argue any quarterback or running back could be successful if the blocking was good. Good blocking gives the quarterback time and makes holes for the running back.
So then who should the Bills draft? Given they have to wait until the 50th pick of the second round even the offensive line choices may be slim pickings. With that being said I think they go for a player that has the basics but just may need good coaching. The Bills have revamped the entire coaching core to produce results so it would stand to reason they would put their faith in the coaches to mold these young players. My pick? Ereck Flowers, Offensive Tackle from Miami. Why? He was evaluated as needing work on pass protection but is considered strong as a run blocker. Sounds perfect for “Ground and Pound”.
Link to: Bills Fanatics FB Group
ROUND 2, PICK 50: A.J. CANN, OG, SOUTH CAROLINA
Outside Pitch Sports Network's Endzonescore.com - Jeremy Pike
With the offseason that the Bills have had, they have set themselves up very nicely to take best player available with the 50th pick in the draft. The biggest hole on the team is at quarterback and it is unlikely that they will be able to address that need sufficiently at 50. The next biggest hole is on the offensive line and the players there fit the value at 50. While the Bills did begin to address their offensive line with the addition of Richie Incognito and the scheme change, acquiring more talent will help bolster their line and Cann fits the 'Bill' here nicely.
Standing at 6'3” and 313 pounds, A.J. Cann knocked out 30 reps on the bench press at his Pro Day after doing 26 reps at the Combine. His combination of size, strength and speed means he can block the guy standing in front of him at the snap or pull across the formation to lead running back LeSean McCoy into open space. That versatility will help him in offensive coordinator Greg Roman's offense. He should be able to come in and start immediately to help solidify the beleaguered line.
The Bills have committed to surrounding the quarterback with as much talent as possible and addressing the offensive line appears to be the biggest final piece of that puzzle.
Link to: Endzonescore.com
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