The Buffalo Bills could take a number of players at No. 9 overall. Yet the team may want to focus on improving the foundation of the offense first.
It was an exciting moment last year when the Buffalo Bills took a quarterback at No. 7 overall.
Well, not for those who were sour about the team taking Josh Allen.
Anyway, taking a quarterback so high brings hope to an organization. The team takes that player with the expectation he will be on the team for at least a decade and will lead the franchise to greatness.
Taking an offensive lineman so high doesn’t have the same luster, but it is arguably just as important.
A recent Bleacher Report article by Brent Sobleski went through every NFL team to pick out one draft mistake each team must avoid making. For the Bills, the mistake would be to focus on drafting skill players instead of offensive linemen.
I agree with this to a point. The team could still go after a skill player at No. 9, but then take two or three linemen later on.
There is also over a month of free agency before the NFL Draft. That is where the Bills could get some proven linemen over prospects who are at risk of being busts. That is a particular philosophy I am in favor of. Offensive line is such a difficult position to adjust to from college to the NFL, it is better to pay extra money for some proven players to protect the second-year quarterback in Allen.
A few veteran linemen could be added and then the team could grab a few more in the draft, creating a situation where the young guys don’t have to step in right away. They can be treated like quarterbacks and learn from the sidelines for now. That lowers the potential of a player being a bust, as opposed to being thrown on the field right away with no experience.
The Bills have 10 picks so it is hard to say that drafting a few skill players takes the overall focus away from the line. However, I do understand Sobleski’s point that the Bills can’t just draft a bunch of skill players and expect the line to fix itself.