BLD Roundtable: Bills Draft Recap

Jan 1, 2009; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Cordy Glenn (71) blocks against the Michigan State Spartans at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

With the draft  now a week behind us, we’ve had time to analyze the rookie crew Buddy Nix has brought to Buffalo. So I thought I’d have the staff here at BLD give their final thoughts on the draft in this roundtable discussion.

Question 1: What do you think of the Bills taking Stephon Gilmore with the #10 overall pick?

Dominic C.X. Daniels, Staff Writer: Very excited with the pick.  Gilmore was name that I was hoping to hear the commissioner say is the newest Buffalo Bill.  Gilmore and Aaron Williams will be a nice duo for our defense for many years to come. 

James Ginal, Staff Writer: I think the Gilmore pick is the equivalent of getting socks and underwear for Christmas. Nothing flashy but we definitely needed it. Time will tell if he will equal the productivity of other quality first round corners we’ve had like Nate Clements and Antoine Winfield, but it was a position that was definitely a need with two aging players and he’s a good one. I think the only other guy out there that I may have wanted that was available was Michael Floyd, but this solidifies our defense even more.

Dave Abbey, Staff Writer:  I love the Stephon Gilmore pick.  It was the best value at the 10th pick.  You can never have enough cornerbacks in the AFC East.

Danyel Geist, Staff Writer: I believe this was a fantastic pick for the Bills.  They keep stating that they would have taken Gilmore at 10 regardless if Keuchley or Barron were there and I couldn’t agree more.  Not only is he extremely durable, but he’s also the kind of shut down corner the Bills need.  With Gronk and Hernandez in the same division, on the same team, Buffalo needed someone fast enough and big enough to be able to cover them.  In previous years, we have always had trouble covering tight ends.  Gilmore provides the qualities and talent necessary to do that.

Chris Trapasso, Lead Writer: In the days leading up to the draft, I was really warming up to Luke Kuechly, (I wanted Michael Floyd all along) but I realized Stephon Gilmore was a hot commodity too. I’m fine with them drafting a NFL-ready cornerback with size, athletic ability, speed and ball skills. The Patriots are still the team to beat in the AFC East, so the Gilmore pick definitely makes sense.

Brad Andrews, Editor: I probably would have taken Michael Floyd, but it’s hard to argue with Gilmore. The Bills desperately need some better production at corner. After this Draft, the Bills have assembled a very exciting quartet of young CB talent in Gilmore, fourth-rounder Ron Brooks, Aaron Williams, and Justin Rogers. This group will also have a excellent mentor in Terrence McGee.

Question 2: Excluding Gilmore, who is your favorite Bills selection or selections from this draft?

Dominic C.X. Daniels, Staff Writer: Zebrie Sanders.  Excellent value in the fifth round as many considered him a second to third round selection. Has an opportunity to compete for starting role or supply excellent depth as a swing tackle.

James Ginal, Staff Writer: My favorite non-Gilmore pick would have to be Tank Carder. Linebackers have been a poor-at-best unit in Buffalo for a long time now. Carder had a lot of production on a good TCU team. I look at a team like Pittsburgh who has always had a good defense going all the way back to the 70’s and the cornerstone to their success is their LB corps. I think re-building the linebacker position on this team is a must. Carder is a good start. Honorable mention is obviously Cordy Glenn simply due to the fact that most fans wanted him at ten and we got him at 41. Absolute theft right there.

Dave Abbey, Staff Writer: My favorite pick was Nigel Bradham in the 4th round.  A linebacker who leads his defense in tackles for 3 straight years and is described as leader?  He will lead our linebacking crew for years to come.

Danyel Geist, Staff Writer: A lot of people are touting Cordy Glenn as Buffalo’s best pick of the draft.  While I do think he was a steal and an excellent choice, he wasn’t my favorite selection.  The guy that I really loved, the one who had me jumping up and down in excitement, was Florida State’s Nigel Bradham.  First off, I believe this pick holds great value for the fact that he lasted until the fourth round.  Secondly, you only need to look at his highlights to see how physical he is.  The Bills need nastiness on defense and I’m sure that’s part of the reason they chose him.  He has excellent coverage skills and brings versatility to the table as he can play either weak side or strong side.  Great pick here, in my opinion.

Chris Trapasso, Lead Writer: Ron Brooks, hands down. With more teams utilizing four and five-wide sets, skilled nickel and dime cornerbacks are more valuable than ever. According to everything, I’ve read and what I watched of Brooks last fall, he’d have been a starting, lockdown corner on any other team in the country besides LSU.
 

He’s a bit shorter than you’d like, but he’s astonishingly fast, breaks on the ball with incredible quickness and is fluid in his lateral movements. He flashed some play-making ability with the Tigers, as well.

Getting him in the fourth round represented fantastic value.

Brad Andrews, Editor: I’m not sure if he’ll pan out, but Zerbie Sanders in the fifth round is a ridiculous value. Don’t be shocked if he develops into a very good right tackle in a few years.

Question 3: Any pick or picks you are not feeling too great about?

Dominic C.X. Daniels, Staff Writer: I never get excited about drafting a kicker, especially one who never made a kick beyond 50 yards.

James Ginal, Staff Writer: I still have a bad feeling about TJ Graham. He’s not the way I wanted to address the WR position. I know where the Bills were going with this; they wanted a speed burner opposite Stevie J so they can open up midfield for him. But I see a Roscoe clone. While Roscoe was a good player for us, he was constantly hurt. I think the Bills need to scour the waiver wire and try out more wide receivers. I give the Bills a “D” on effort for WR in this draft.

Dave Abbey, Staff Writer: The only pick I really didn’t understand was the John Potter pick in the 7th round.  I understand Nix wants competition in training camp at all positions, but with Lindell signing a new expensive contract, I just don’t see anyone unseating him.  Seems to me as a wasted choice.

Danyel Geist, Staff Writer: I actually can say that I liked all the picks this year to some extent.  Sure fans don’t seem to want to jump on the TJ Graham bandwagon, but I truly understand the pick and think he may just surprise a lot of us.  I think the main reason for their hesitance is due to the fact that many people don’t really know who he is.  I remember being VERY happy when Roscoe Parrish came to play for the Bills.  This guy is very similar.  He’s a real scorcher and can get open more easily than other receivers.  The big difference here is that he’s not as injury prone.  If he can bulk up just a bit, I think the Bills may have found what they were hoping to find in Parrish.

Chris Trapasso, Lead Writer: Mark Asper may be a decent swing offensive lineman that’ll provide good depth, but I don’t see him ever becoming a quality starter.

Brad Andrews, Editor: Not a fan of either of the final two picks. I don’t think Mark Asper is an NFL-caliber athlete. I really don’t get burning a pick on a kicker either. Even if he makes the team, now you’re wasting a roster space on two kickers. But they’ll get a chance to prove themselves in camp.