Possible Round 2 Targets for the Bills
By author
I wake up today with a feeling I have not had in quite some time. As this is the first time in a long time the Bills selected the player that I believe will lead them back to relevancy. Marcell Dareus is a premier defensive line prospect and can play any position on the line regardless of the scheme. He was my number 1 overall player and I am elated to have him in Buffalo. As we all know the draft is not made in Round 1, but it certainly can be lost and I believe Buffalo hit a home run with Dareus, but with rounds two and three tonight this is where the Bills can really start to make this draft class.
Sitting at pick 34 the Bills will have plenty of talent available to them. They should have potential trade partners if they wish to move back and acquire more picks. It’s always nice to have options, and the fate of this pick is in the hands of the Bills personnel more than others usually are.
If the front office believes that any of the three available Quarterbacks (Dalton, Kaepernick, Mallett) are the future QB of the franchise then he should be selected at 34, if not you pass and address other needs.
If the Buffalo medical staff believes that the knee of Da’Quan Bowers is OK then he would be an extreme value. The question is how well does he fit into a 3-4 scheme though, as he is more of a prototype size for a 4-3 Defensive End. Can he be effective as an edge rusher in passing situations? He would have a massive chip on his shoulder for all the teams that passed on him.
Tight end is an area of need and if Kyle Rudolph is on the board then the Bills will have the opportunity to select the top tight end in the draft. A great mixture of size and speed Rudolph will make an immediate impact and cause matchup nightmares for linebackers. He has a great set of hands but his blocking needs to improve.
Should the Bills build on a less than average linebacking group? Akeem Ayers (6-3 255lbs) would help up the middle but he tested poorly at the combine. Martez Wilson (6-4 250lbs) on the other hand tested well at the combining including having the best 40 time of all linebackers. I would personally wait on the LB position and address it in round three as I see better value there for the pick.
The one wildcard that I believe should be considered by Buffalo is Marvin Austin (DT 6-3 309lbs) from North Carolina. Had we taken Von Miller in the first round this was my choice for the second round, but after selecting Dareus there is much less of a need on the defensive line. However, I still think Austin should be considered. He has top ten talent and slipped due to not playing his senior season after NCAA suspension, but had a great week at the East-West game. Selecting Austin would give the Bills a deep rotation of lineman (Kyle Willams, Marcell Dareus, Torell Troup, Dwan Edwards, Alex Carrington). This would allow them to play both 3-4 and shift seamlessly in 4-3 fronts in situations. The pick wouldn’t fit need best but I wouldn’t hate it.