Buffalo Bills Positional Needs Heading Into Draft
By Dennis Moody
Buffalo Bills Positional Needs Heading Into The Draft
The Buffalo Bills have many positional needs heading into the 2016 Draft. There are a number of positions that could be considered their most important area of need and it will be very interesting to see how General Manager Doug Whaley and the rest of the front office goes about filling those needs. Let’s analyze the roster position by position.
Offensive “Skill” Positions
Quarterback – Buffalo has their incumbent starter in Tyrod Taylor who had one of the best statistical seasons for a Bills quarterback in a while last year. Tyrod only has one year left on his contract but the Bills can always apply the franchise tag if they can’t agree to a deal with him this year. Their backup, former first-round pick E.J. Manuel, is in the last year of his contract and this will likely be his last year with the team. The Bills have already gone on the record as saying they will be looking for another quarterback in the draft. Look for them to draft one in any round except the 1st.
Running Back – It looks like LeSean McCoy is going to avoid any penalty from the NFL so if Karlos Williams can stay healthy this year the Bills will have one of the best 1-2 punches in the league at running back. Third-string running back Mike Gillislee played well while Williams and McCoy were injured last year but it wouldn’t be shocking to see Buffalo draft a running back in the 4th round of later even though it’s not a major need for the team.
Wide Receiver – Sammy Watkins has the WR1 solidified but after that, it’s Robert Woods and a plethora of other players competing for the WR2 role. Woods is definitely the favorite but he has not solidified himself in that role in the past despite a few opportunities. The Bills would prefer to have a better WR2 option and they will strongly consider drafting a wide receiver in any round if they believe that he can come in and have a chance to be their starting WR2.
Tight End – Charles Clay will be the Bills primary tight end on most plays and especially on passing downs where the tight end is a receiver. The team recently signed blocking tight end Jim Dray and they also have a few other tight ends on the roster as well. Those players are Chris Gragg, Nick O’Leary, Jacob Maxwell, and Blake Annen. The only way the Bills draft a tight end is if they believe they can find a better blocking tight end than Jim Dray.
Fullback – The Bills have way too much money invested in Jerome Felton at this position. They will not be adding any fullbacks during the draft.
Kicker – The Bills have Dan Carpenter and Jordan Gay on the roster set to compete for next year. The only way they draft a kicker is if Florida State kicker Robert Aguayo falls to them late in the draft. He has both a big leg and was very accurate in college. If the Bills draft Aguayo, they could save a roster spot by not having to carry two kickers. It’s something to think about but the Bills have many other needs as well.
What about the offensive line? What areas of need do the Bills have on that unit? Read on to find out.
Next: What About The Offensive Line?