This draft was very important for the Bills future success. Many Bills fans trust our front office as they seem to have a good grasp of assessing talent and draft knowledge for the first time in a while. Not only will we grade the selections, but we will put the most popular fan grade from our Twitter polls.
Round 1, Pick 9: DT Ed Oliver, Houston
For many Bills fans this was the ideal pick and is one of the biggest steals in this draft. Oliver has been compared to Aaron Donald who is currently the best defensive tackle in the league. Not only will Oliver make an instant impact on defense but he fills a whole that was left from Kyle Williams retiring. Oliver was quoted saying "I got bored at Houston. I wanted more competition." Oliver will get that competition in camp and hopefully compete well. Oliver has the potential to be one of the best three technique defensive ends in the league early in his career. Oliver also fits the culture that the Bills look to have in their locker room.
Grade: A+
Twitter Fan Grade: A
Want to learn more about Oliver? Watch our Draft Player Profile video on him:
Round 2, Pick 6: OL Cody Ford, Oklahoma
This was an amazing pick for the Bills in the second round. Ford was a steal for the Bills in the second round because he was a projected first round prospect and even came up in some trade down conversations among fans. Ford was a part of the Oklahoma offensive line that won the Joe Moore award which goes to the best offensive line unit in college football. Ford is versatile because he can play guard or tackle and he is also a culture fit. He will be an instant starter and is the final piece to the offensive line rebuild.
Grade: A+
Twitter Fan Grade: A
Round 3, Pick 10: RB Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic
Some Bills fans did not like this pick for multiple reasons. Some hated the selection of a running back in general. Others hated taking a running back so early. Others hated Singletary coming from a non-power five school and others hated that he got too many carries in college thinking he already has a lot of mileage. Personally, I love this pick, Singletary was the No.2 running back on my big board. I believe he is going to be a good player for years to come. Singletary's mix of in-game speed and ability to keep balance despite being hit is amazing. Not only does he have potential, the Bills got younger at running back.
Grade: A
Twitter Fan Grade: B
Want to learn more about Singletary? Watch our Draft Player Profile video on him:
Round 3, Pick 32: TE Dawson Knox, Ole Miss
There is one flaw to this pick: lack of production. This past season, Knox only managed to haul in 15 receptions for 284 yards. Did we mention he has zero touchdowns throughout his college career? Thats strange for a third round pick but Bills General Manager Brandon Beane was passionate about this selection and stated multiple times that they believe Ole Miss misused Knox. Knox, a former walk on, is extremely athletic and measured at 6'4", 254 lbs at the combine. Knox's skills can be displayed on tape and you can see flashes of why he was taken in the third. Some people even gave him second round grades and some were baffled he was available in the third (guessing Beane was one of them). I even saw someone compare Knox to Detroit Lions 8th selection, T.J. Hockenson. Knox is a culture fit just like the last two selections.
Grade: B+
Twitter Fan Grade: A
Round 5, Pick 9: LB Vosean Joseph, Florida
At first I wasn't sure what to make of this pick but later it became my favorite pick of the third day. Some experts had Joseph as a second or third round pick, but he fell due to inconsistency. Joseph finished the 2018 season with 93 total tackles, 4.0 sacks and 5 pass deflections. Those three stats explain the way he plays. At the combine, Joseph measured to be 6'1, 230 lbs. That is a great size for a linebacker and his mix of speed and strength is the reason he is all over the field making tackles. Jospeh also had 4.0 sacks which shows he can rush from the outside when needed. Lastly, the 5 pass deflections proves he has the ability to drop into coverage. Joseph's mix of athleticism, high football IQ and being a culture fit makes him a steal for the Bills in the 5th. His immediate impact may not be immense but I can see them using him in passing downs in coverage because of his high football IQ and his athleticism. He can develop behind Lorenzo Alexander and hopefully take that role over in the future.
Grade: A+
Twitter Fan Vote: A
Round 6, Pick 8: S Jaquan Johnson, Miami
Selecting a safety for the second year in a row may have confused Bills fans, but this was a pretty good pick. Johnson was a captain for Miami this past year and he recorded 92 tackles in 11 games. He also managed to grab 8 interceptions in his 4 years at Miami. According to NFL Network, Johnson has the ability to play strong or free safety which makes him versatile and important to the Bills future. Johnson is one of the more experienced defensive backs in this years draft and will have the chance to learn behind Poyer and Hyde for some time which will be good for his future.
Grade: B+
Twitter Fan Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 11: DE Darryl Johnson, North Carolina A&T
Johnson was a pick that most Bills fans probably never heard of before the draft. He played for a small school, North Carolina A&T, and his production wasn't eye opening with only 8.0 sacks. However, Johnson shows a lot of promise on tape. He was a 3-4 OLB, but I have heard that he was able to gain 20 lbs and is now more of a 4-3 DE. He shows a lot of flexibility in his hips and has some good pass rushing skills. I doubt he makes a large impact early in his career but he could be seen as a developmental project and be placed on the practice squad.
Grade: B
Twitter Fan Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 14: TE Tommy Sweeney, Boston College
Sweeney is a head scratcher for some fans and I was one of those fans. It is not a knock to his talent, but rather the pick not being for need. At first, I wondered why the Bills would add another tight end to the mix when we already had four and would most likely keep five. Then, I came around to the idea of a little more competition. The Bills could also use a better blocker at tight end and that is something Sweeney can offer. Still not sure if Sweeney will make the final roster but he definitely could with his talent. Bills could have filled other depth needs here though and that is why I question this pick.
Grade: B
Twitter Fan Grade: B
The Bills also managed to bring in a couple un-drafted free agents that could be key to future success. Here are the players we believe will be key additions to the Bills:
QB Tyree Jackson, Buffalo
Technically he was already in Buffalo, but I didn't want to change the graphic because it looks nice. Anyways, this was a steal for the Bills. Jackson was a projected mid to late round prospect but slipped off the board and into un-drafted free agency. Jackson has similar issues to Allen, but Allen was more polished and had a higher football IQ when he came out last year. Tyree will have a chance to learn from Daboll, Barkley and Anderson just like Allen did. Most of all, he will learn as Allen learns. Jackson has a high ceiling and a lot of untapped potential. If the Bills can manage to tap into that potential, Jackson could be a great backup or even a potential trade option for the Bills down the road. Personally, I think Jackson picked the right place. He is familiar with the area, the front office, the coaches, Allen and the Bills facilities that UB used. Jackson will have a great opportunity and I do not think he will be cut, but rather a long term project quarterback. He should be fun to watch in preseason.
Signing Grade: A
WR David Sills V, West Virginia
Sills has something the Bills need more of in the wide receiver room: size. At 6'4, Sills is now the tallest wide receiver on the roster just ahead of Duke Williams at 6'3. With John Brown (5'10), Cole Beasley (5'8), Robert Foster (6'2) and Zay Jones (6'1) as roster locks, the Bills could use some height in their wide receiver room and Sills now adds value in that regard. Sills was great at fade routes and jump balls in college and I think he could be a sleeper to make the roster if he can be the red zone threat he was in college. Sills was projected to be a mid to late round draft pick but fell into the Bills laps in un-drafted free agency.
Signing Grade: A
WR Nick Easley, Iowa
At 5'11, Easley isn't exactly the height the Bills need, but his mix of speed, route running and YAC ability makes him a potential steal in un-drafted free agency. He could definitely make the final roster because of his ability to create separation which is key in the league today. He is a very similar player to teammate Cole Beasley and Patriots Julian Edelman. It will be interesting to see how he does when it comes time to make cuts.
Signing Grade: A
Comments