2014 Buffalo Bills Mock Draft – Round 3

August 30, 2012; East Hartford, CT, USA; Connecticut Huskies linebacker Yawin Smallwood (33) sacks Massachusetts Minuteman quarterback Mike Wegzyn (11) during the first quarter at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ivins-US Presswire

In the first round of the mock draft, BuffaLowDown fans selected wide receiver, Mike Evans. Evans brings the height that Buffalo needs and will certainly help them in the red zone. In the second round fans decided to continue to build up the offense with offensive guard, Cyril Richardson from Baylor. Richardson is a perfect pick for Buffalo in the second round. Buffalo struggled at guard and Richardson will help the offensive line. He brings power and nastiness to the line. He is great at opening up holes for running backs and is also a good pass blocker. So far Bills fans are looking to help the struggling offense and have picked up to great weapons.

With the first two rounds completed, it’s time to move to the third round. With the 73rd pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select…

A.J. McCarron – QB – Alabama

Height: 6’3” Weight: 214
Year: Senior

There has been some talk about Buffalo going with a quarterback in this draft. They most certainly won’t waste their first two picks on a quarterback, unless something crazy happens. However, McCarron should be available in the third round and might be very nice fit in Buffalo. Like Alabama, Buffalo leans heavily on the rushing attack, so McCarron wouldn’t need to do anything crazy like Drew Brees or Tom Brady right away, plus he would be their number two quarterback for now. This guy can play though, he had 2,676 yards and 26 touchdowns. He was also ranked in the top 15 in both passing efficiency and completion percentage. He played against some of the best talent in the SEC, but Manuel is the guy at least for one more year. Though it never hurts to have a insurance policy considering the track record of the Buffalo Bills quarterbacks since Jim Kelly.

Arthur Lynch – TE – Georgia

Height: 6’5” Weight: 254
Year: Senior

Buffalo certainly missed out on the top-tier tight ends in this mock draft, however, Lynch reminds me better version of Scott Chandler. Lynch has a large frame and is ability to shield defenders when trying to catch balls. He is a reliable blocker and rarely drops the ball. He is better at blocker than Chandler is but he is the same type of player in the open field. He doesn’t have the breakaway speed but he can get open.

Bryan Stork – C/OG – Florida State

Height: 6’4” Weight: 300
Year: Senior

Yes another Florida State prospect. Stork is listed as a center and is the 3rd best center in the draft, however, he can also play guard. In this mock draft Buffalo already picked one guard but if they want to add more protection they may look for Stork. He is a very solid pass protector and run blocker. He has great strength and gets under the defender to control him. If Buffalo would select him they would have to move him to guard and I am sure he would do just fine at guard after a few practices.

JaWuan James – OT – Tennessee

Height: 6’6” Weight: 318
Year: Senior

As you can see James is a large man and would be a nice addition to Buffalo’s offensive line. James was very efficient in stopping some of the best SEC pass rushers and is surprisingly quick. He does a great job at getting to the second level to help ball carriers gain some extra yards as well. However, what truly hurts him is his height. He hasn’t done well when he goes against smaller pass rushers. They are able to get underneath him and use his size against him, but with some coaching he could fix that and be a very good right tackle in the NFL.

Morgan Moses – OT – Virginia

Height: 6’6” Weight: 325
Year: Senior

Like James, Moses is a large man as well. Moses would be a good pick up for the right tackle position. He is very good at moving defenders where he wants because he uses his size and hands to keep defenders away from him. He isn’t the most polished offensive tackle in the draft and there may be better options if the offensive tackle run doesn’t occur, but Moses shouldn’t be overlooked. He has the ability to be a great tackle at the next level with a little coaching. The biggest issue may be trying to keep him around a healthy weight that he can be good at. Last season Moses had to lose weight after he rocketed up to over 350 pounds.

Yawin Smallwood – ILB – Connecticut

Height: 6’4” Weight: 236
Year: Junior

I got the opportunity to watch Smallwood throughout the season a few times on TV and this guy can play ball. He ranked 22nd in the nation with 118 tackles through his junior year. He has been a force at Connecticut for three seasons now and shows he can play at the next level. He is able to meet defenders in the hole and is a factor in pass coverage with eight pass breakups this season. Smallwood would play next to Alonso, and he would be a nice addition to help Buffalo’s rushing defense problems. He has great size but he isn’t as polished as many would like right now.

Denzel Perryman – ILB – Miami

Height: 6’0” Weight: 240
Year: Junior

Perryman is a shorter linebacker but he can play and he plays hard. Perryman is a beast against the run and can she blockers to get to the ball. He started all 12 games this season and led the Hurricanes in tackles. In addition, he finished six games with 10+ tackles. Perryman is coming out early and is projected to be selected in the third round but it wouldn’t surprise me if he falls to the fourth (but he is still a third rounder for now). He is a good linebacker but he isn’t polished just yet and will need some good coaching. However, something I do love about this guy is his toughness. He is nasty and Buffalo sure could use some intensity on their defense.

Jeremiah Attaochu – OLB – Georgia Tech

Height: 6’3” Weight: 242
Year: Senior

Attaochu is the athletic type of player, meaning he may not be the best football player but he is naturally gifted. He has long arms and great speed to beat blockers and chase down the ball. He could be a DE or OLB at the next level but Buffalo would most likely use him as OLB. The biggest downfall to this guy is his anger. This guy has a temper that can cause him trouble on the field. Yes, I am all for getting a crazy player who loves to get after it but sometimes he can’t control himself. At the next level he will have to correct this or he will have some fines coming in the mail.

Jordan Zumwalt – OLB – UCLA

Height: 6’3” Weight: 236
Year: Senior

Zumwalt comes from a good class of UCLA linebackers. He is a strong player and has great speed, however, he isn’t the best linebacker coming from UCLA. If Buffalo is looking for an OLB this guy would be a great pick in the third round. He was overshadowed by many of his fellow linebackers but he can play. There were times this year were he was all over the field and teams had a hard time stopping him but there were times were he was shutout as well. He needs to be more consistent at the next level or he won’t last long.

Victor Hampton – CB – South Carolina

Height: 5’10” Weight: 190
Year: Junior

Hampton is a smaller cornerback which makes me nervous already, however, he makes up for his size with his play. He has quick acceleration to break on balls, and great feet to stay with wide receivers. Reads the quarterback very well and is a very physical tackler. Some downsides are he doesn’t have the best technique and relies more on athleticism. Hampton is vulnerable if he is matched up with a tall receiver and as Bills fans we have see our shorter cornerbacks get burned a time or two.

Keith McGill – CB – Utah

Height: 6’2” Weight: 205
Year: Senior

The first thing that will stick out at you is the size. McGill is 6’2” and can cover tall wide receivers. He is a cornerback who still needs some work but he has a lot of experience in man coverage. With his size and his arm length he is able to play press coverage on a wide receiver and cause some issues right off the snap. I have read some reports that compare him to Brandon Browner, which is a good thing but I still think he needs some work to get to that level. He only played 12 games at cornerback so his understanding of the game is limited but I like that he has size and is very well rounded.

Terrence Brooks – FS – Florida State

Height: 5’11” Weight: 200
Year: Senior

It is no surprise I list another free safety. I truly believe Buffalo won’t be able to re-sign Byrd unless they franchise tag him again. Brooks is shorter than most would like but he has amazing speed to close on the ball. He has long arms and can break up passes easily, however, he has a case of butterfingers when it comes to intercepting the ball. Brooks would need some coaching to be a true starter but at this point he is the best on the board.