The Buffalo Bills were a playoff team in 2017, but that does not mean the team doesn’t have holes to fill this coming season. The most recent Mock Draft produced by Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has Buffalo addressing two major needs in the first round – quarterback and linebacker.
The Bills have two picks in the first round, the second acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs from last year’s draft that produced Patrick Mahomes. While the Chiefs were able to corral their signal caller of the future, the Bills reached the postseason with the maligned Tyrod Taylor under center. An upgrade is what the Bills get as Jeremiah has the team taking Louisville’s Lamar Jackson with the 22nd pick overall.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bills packaged some picks to move up for one of the other quarterbacks, but if they sit still, I could see them building an offense around Jackson’s skill set,” Jeremiah writes.
Jackson is one of six quarterbacks who could be chosen in the first round – the most of any quarterback class since 1983. While there are many who think Jackson’s skill set will do well for him on the next level, there are those – including myself – who are worried about his accuracy issues and his quickness to move out of the pocket without allowing time for plays to develop.
Jackson was the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner for Cardinals.
Jeremiah has Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans slotted to the Bills one pick ahead at No. 21. Evans at 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds is another in a long line of Crimson Tide linebackers expected to make an impact on the next level.
“Evans is an explosive, playmaking linebacker capable of covering backs and tight ends,” Jeremiah adds.
The Bills will face the New England Patriots twice this coming season – a team known for having an all-world tight end in Rob Gronkowski and for using running backs as pass catchers out of the backfield.
In terms of the other teams that make up the AFC East, Jeremiah has the Indianapolis Colts grabbing North Carolina State pass rusher Bradley Chubb with the third pick. The Miami Dolphins draft Roquan Smith, a linebacker out of Georgia. The Patriots nab linebacker Harold Landry out of Boston College.