If there’s one thing that irritates Buffalo fans it’s the Bills’ awful record in the Draft in recent years. To be frank, it’s been awful. Mike Williams, Erik Flowers, John McCargo, J.P. Losman…the list of busts goes on and on.
So naturally, I just freaking love talking about the the Draft. Doesn’t open up any old wounds at all.
In all seriousness, Fansided has a great NFL Draft/college scouting site in the network called NFL Mocks. As an added bonus, that site is headed up by my childhood friend Jesse Bartolis. So when Jesse reached out to me to ask some questions about Buffalo’s recent drafts and current rookie class, I was happy to reply:
1). I know you loathed the Aaron Maybin pick, with the Jets (especially since they passed on Orakpo to make the pick), but in three games with the Jets, Maybin has 2 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. Was it possible the Bills were just using him wrong?
Well, you gotta wonder if that’s the case, since Maybin did precisely nothing during his time in Buffalo and suddenly he’s making plays. And
maybe his current role with the Jets as a situational pass rusher was just what he needed. But let’s not jump to conclusions until he keeps
up production for a whole season. And I’ll defend the (new) Bills’ coaching staff. Maybin didn’t flash even a hint of promise the entire
time he was in a Bills uniform. He had to go.
2). How is the rest of the 2009 draft class looking outside of Maybin?
The Bills’ other first-round pick in 2009 (Eric Wood) is now starting at center. He’s not a star like Nick Mangold or anything, but Wood is
a good, tough player who should anchor the Bills’ line for the next decade. The team’s second round picks (safety Jairus Byrd and guard
Andy Levitre) are also starters with bright futures. Byrd is a ballhawk who has been tackling and supporting the run well in 2011
after really struggling with that last season. Levitre is another rugged blue-collar lineman with enough versatility to play any
position on the line. The Bills suddenly have a big, young, talented offensive line with Wood and Levitre as its leaders. Everyone else
from that class is either on the Jets (Maybin and CB Ellis Lankster) or out of the NFL (TE Shawn Nelson, S Nic Harris, and CB Cary Harris).