Buffalo Bills Draft Prospects: Laken Tomlinson

The Buffalo Bills added to their depleted and unproductive offensive line from last year with the addition of Ritchie Incognito in a move to add a little more presence and bullishness to the offensive line.

More from Bills Draft

They still need some help and even if Evan Mathis does become available via being cut by the Philadelphia Eagles, there will need to be some quick restructuring as far as cap room is concerned as Buffalo will not be the only team vying for his services.

So we look to the DRAFT! The next victim on our prospect list is that of Laken Tomlinson who is an offensive guard out of Duke.

Laken Tomlinson fits the bills as far as a guard is envisioned. He is 6’3″ tall and 323 pounds. He is not the quickest guy on the field, but he doesn’t have to be. He started all of the games for Duke from 2011-2014 after redshirting his first year. With a draft grade of 5.63, I expect to see Tomlinson go in the late 2nd to early third round.

Some strengths and weaknesses for Laken Tomlinson are…

"Intelligent four-year starter who sees and responds quickly to twist games up front. Plays with low pad level. Generates torque through hip snap and lower-body power. Has enough sand in his pants to drop anchor against bull rushers. Brings impressive level of power against like-minded phone-booth warriors. Generates push as an in-line blocker.Lack of range and athleticism is a major concern. Struggles with contact balance and allows defenders to disengage too frequently. Rock-’em, sock-’em movement up to the second level and is inconsistent hitting targets. Inconsistent footwork as a run blocker.– NFL.com"

Tomlinson has been compared to Chris Watt of the San Diego Chargers who was drafted in the 3rd round of last years draft.

The Bottom line on Laken Tomlinson is…

"Tomlinson has treated defenders like a squat rep at times, but getting defenders centered and jacked will be tougher in the NFL. His lack of athleticism is a major concern and will cause problems winning initial engagements as defenders will get into him first. What Tomlinson lacks in second-level ability he makes up for in straight-ahead power and an ability to stalemate power players. His success in the NFL could be predicated on scheme and landing spot.– NFL.com"

Laken Tomlinson would be more of a guy that I could see Buffalo taking with their 3rd round pick, if they don’t address the need with their 2nd round pick.

Next: Buffalo Bills May Not Need To Trade For Evan Mathis

More from BuffaLowDown

Home/Bills Draft