Top 5 Big Board

[Trentwannabe]

With just 3 weeks and a day until the NFL draft, what is your realistic big board looking like? The roster outside of rookies is probably set for the most part. What positions do you see as the biggest need or hole?

Biggest Need:
RT
WR
MLB
DT
Future C

Biggest holes:
MLB
WR 3/4
DT
TE2

My Big Board:
OT Darnell Wright
WR Jordan Addison
WR Zay Flowers
WR Josh Downs
DT Bryan Bresee

[soflbillsfan]

I agree with the top need for sure and love the top prospect with Darnell Wright. I know some will say Brown has potential and that the bills shouldnt give up on him yet but I just dont see it. I see RT as the biggest need and hole for today and in the future Darnell Wright fits that bill at 27 if he is still there. While I do see WR as a need I would like to go outside the box on that position. My idea is to trade for Hopkins with a day 3 pick knowing that no other teams have thrown an offer for him yet as teams believe he may be released. Rework his deal in which it is a 2 year deal but the flexibility of moving off of him next offseason. With Davis being a FA next off season and Diggs a year older I would love for Beane to go all in and get to the top 5 to grab Harrison Jr. Have him as our #1 wr with Diggs transitioning to the #2 role. I know it will cost a fortune but it gives the bills a top tier talent at a rookie price allowing the bills to have flexibility while having 2 top tier WRs on the team something the bills havent had since the Eric Moulds/Peerless Price days.

With that said I would ideally say MLB is the second biggest need and hole on the team. Followed by IOL being the 3rd biggest need but isnt a glaring hole. All these signings this offseason at the Guard position only has them in for about a year except for McGovern. With Bates still a question mark to be a starter he is the only other Guard signed beyond the 2023 season, having one that is able to come in and compete to land either a starting position this year or groomed for the future would be a nice option. Mitch Morse is also only signed through the 2024 season and will be 31 this year with 6 concussions he may not be there for a full season or beyond the 2023 season landing a center that can step in right away and be the guy is where I would be good with. 

DT is my final hole and need, I hate the idea of spending the 27th pick on a DT knowing the amount of money and draft picks this team has spent on defense the last few years this shouldnt be a need but unfortunately it is. Whether they keep Oliver or move on from him they need to bring in a long term answer at the DT spot which I can see a day 2 or 3 pick being spent on them. 

RT top need/hole, MLB 2nd need/hole, IOL 3rd need but not hole just yet, WR need but not hole just yet, and DT last need and is a hole

Top 5
Darnell Wright RT
John Michael Schmitz IOL
Jordan Addison WR (this to me is my realistic wr that I like and has nothing to do with need or hole)
Jack Campbell MLB
O'Cyrus Torrence IOL

Ideal draft for me
27 Darnell Wright
59 Jack Campbell
Trade a 5th and 2024 4th that can be a 3rd if on the roster next year for Hopkins and played more than 75% of snaps in 2023 season

[Trentwannabe]

@soflbillsfanOnly reason I would say RT is not the biggest hole is because we won 13 games last year with Brown and sometimes Quess starting at RT. I don't think we win 13 games if Edmunds didn't play for us last year. 

The Bills can survive with what they have at tackle. But I think we all agree it needs to be and should be upgraded. I don't think anyone would be upset at a OL at 27. 

I won't be shocked at all to see DL as the pick again. Looks like the value will be there at 27 and after this season Oliver, Phillips, Jones and Settle are all free agents. 

[soflbillsfan]

While the bills still won 13 games it was still bad oline play and the reason we did so is because how special Allen is. Cover1 does a nice breakdown and of the 77.3% of qb pressures 27.5% of that was due to RT play, that is more than 1/3 of the qb pressures, at 1 of the 5 positions. Saffold was 2nd on this list with 18.3%. Getting a RT that can clean that up along with the new Guards that were brought in can improve the oline drastically. Which can also resolve some of the hits Allen has taken. For me its the biggest hole simply because you have a franchise qb who is starting on his second deal at the age of 26, I want him to be the guy in Buffalo until age 40. Seeing big guys like Cam who did move the ball with his legs and arm to see him struggling to find a job at age 32 because of injuries is what concerns me for Allen. Having an oline that can prevent him from getting hit like he did last year. Quessenbery was the cause of Allen's elbow injury and Brown was responsible for the CB to drill Allen in the Bengals playoff game that we were fortunate enough that Allen didnt injure his arm in that one. 

Im not denying losing Edmunds isnt huge but no LB at pick 27 is worth it Campbell is the closest thing but he is more of a mid 2nd rd pick, if they trade back to collect picks I may be okay with it but he isnt worth the 27th pick.

As for DT yes there is no long term answer at the moment which is why i am all for moving Oliver to pick up a 2nd rd pick to get another DT with that pick along with one later on in the draft but i am tired of def going in the 1st rd. We are in the same spot as last year for Oliver. In Edmunds he took a step forward and worked out great for him as he got paid on another team. This is the same thing with Oliver may have a great season but when you got guys like Jones, Payne, and now simmons getting deals that are massive it is out of bills price range to keep him. So if he has a solid year he gets paid on another team and the bills try to do what they did this year in hopes of getting a 3rd rd comp pick, which is essentially a early 4th rd pick at that point. So if someone comes offering a deal that is a 2nd rd pick its time to accept it and regroup with the 10.7 mil in cap space and the new draft pick. I just cant wrap my head around spending another high pick on defense, specifically Dline when they have spent 4 on the line the last 3 years including bringing in 8 dlineman in fa with significant money in 2020-2022. The amount of investments is insane especially knowing that they still have issues there. So is it Beane whiffing on the players, is it Eric Washington's inability to use them for the strengths, or is it the fact that Frazier/McD rotate them more then they should?

In the last 15 years bills have used the 1st rd pick on Josh Allen, Sammy Watkins, Ej Manuel, Eric Wood and Spiller. Watkins and Diggs counted for 2 extra 1st rd picks but it is still favoring defense in the 1st rd. Think its time to focus on going on offense early on for once as the Beane/Mcdermott regime has only drafted 1 offensive player early on and that was Allen. 

[Trentwannabe]

@soflbillsfanWhile I agree with the premise of most of what you said, I do think we all get too attached to the idea that first round means immediate upgrade. Or that because mock drafts have a guy in the 2nd, means he's a reach in the first. 

Evan Neal had a worst PFF grade than Brown last year and he went 4th overall. I hope the Bills take Darnell Wright but I would not be shocked if he wasn't an improvement this season over Brown. 

Guys go higher then the media thinks all the time. Teams work off different grades and value so I don't think much of it. If they select Campbell at 27 and he's a 5 year starter at minimum in the middle, I think that's absolutely worth pick 27. Especially this year where the consensus seems to be only 10-15 guys have actual first round grades. 

[BillsGuy82]

On 4/6/2023 at 9:25 AM, Trentwannabe said:

@soflbillsfanOnly reason I would say RT is not the biggest hole is because we won 13 games last year with Brown and sometimes Quess starting at RT. I don't think we win 13 games if Edmunds didn't play for us last year. 

The Bills can survive with what they have at tackle. But I think we all agree it needs to be and should be upgraded. I don't think anyone would be upset at a OL at 27. 

I won't be shocked at all to see DL as the pick again. Looks like the value will be there at 27 and after this season Oliver, Phillips, Jones and Settle are all free agents. 

I wouldnt be shocked either but were not really sitting good for a DT at 27 barring some dropping.

I think WR if Quentin Johnston, Jordan Addison or Jaxon Smith-Njiba fall and OT with Broderick Jones, Darnell Wright or Anton Harrison is where the value is will be 

 

[Trentwannabe]

6 hours ago, BillsGuy82 said:

I wouldnt be shocked either but were not really sitting good for a DT at 27 barring some dropping.

I think WR if Quentin Johnston, Jordan Addison or Jaxon Smith-Njiba fall and OT with Broderick Jones, Darnell Wright or Anton Harrison is where the value is will be 

 

I think if JSN falls to the late teens early 20s Beane will try and move up for him. 
 

As for DL I could see Will McDonald or Bryan Bressee as the pick. 

[DER10N92]

On 4/6/2023 at 9:25 AM, Trentwannabe said:

@soflbillsfanOnly reason I would say RT is not the biggest hole is because we won 13 games last year with Brown and sometimes Quess starting at RT. I don't think we win 13 games if Edmunds didn't play for us last year. 

The Bills can survive with what they have at tackle. But I think we all agree it needs to be and should be upgraded. I don't think anyone would be upset at a OL at 27. 

I won't be shocked at all to see DL as the pick again. Looks like the value will be there at 27 and after this season Oliver, Phillips, Jones and Settle are all free agents. 

We did go 3-0 without Edmunds in the lineup last season. MLB is def a need though, we can't just have Milano out there himself. But, having an OL is crucial for a franchise QB in his prime. I'm thinking Darnell Wright or Jordan Addison in the 1st this year. Honestly, I'd take Steve Avila too to play G for us now and kick inside to C when Morse is done in the 2nd if we don't go OL in the 1st.

[Trentwannabe]

23 hours ago, DER10N92 said:

We did go 3-0 without Edmunds in the lineup last season. MLB is def a need though, we can't just have Milano out there himself. But, having an OL is crucial for a franchise QB in his prime. I'm thinking Darnell Wright or Jordan Addison in the 1st this year. Honestly, I'd take Steve Avila too to play G for us now and kick inside to C when Morse is done in the 2nd if we don't go OL in the 1st.

I would say we missed him against Cleveland seeing as Brisset threw for over 300 yards and 3 TDs. But I do get your point. 
 

My worry right now is if Milano misses any time, our LB corps would likely suck. It won’t bother me if we go LB at 27 especially if McDermott plays more aggressive this year.

I will be happy with any Offensive position being taken in round 1 (except QB obviously) 

[Suffering_Bills]

Draft Drew Sanders.

[Trentwannabe]

3 hours ago, Suffering_Bills said:

Draft Drew Sanders.

Not likely

[goldfishwars]

Hi guys - the Bills are OTC in the draft section for 24 hours. It would be great to have your votes and thoughts. 

 

[Trentwannabe]

Really hoping we see 5 QB's go in round 1. 

[Billsfaninptown]

50 minutes ago, Trentwannabe said:

Really hoping we see 5 QB's go in round 1. 

I am hoping a QB falls to our pick and we can trade back with a QB needy team.

[soflbillsfan]

2 hours ago, Trentwannabe said:

Really hoping we see 5 QB's go in round 1. 

I think it will end up being 4 but the potential of someone trading up to 1st rd to get hooker is a possibility. Bills may have the luxury of trading back if their guy doesnt fall to them. From what it sounded like staying at 27 is worst case scenario for Beane. He made a comment the other day that they would likely trade back then up. All smoke and mirrors this time of year though.