Round 5 – Pick 22 (167th Overall)
As a surprise move to many, the Bills selected college star quarterback Jake Fromm out of Georgia with their fifth round pick. With breakout star Josh Allen already on the roster and Matt Barkley serving as the backup, there wasn’t much reason for the Bills to take Fromm. Instantly the narrative shifted to the idea that Fromm would battle it out with Barkley for the backup role.
Once it was apparent that Barkley had solidified himself as the backup, the Bills used him in the best way that they could. This was as an emergency quarterback due to the pandemic keeping Fromm from all members of the quarterback room for the duration of the season. That way if there was a breakout within the quarterback position room, Fromm would be allowed to play within safety protocols as he would not have been considered a high-risk close contact individual.
Regardless of what the plans were for Fromm when Brandon Beane selected him, he contributed close to nothing to this 2020 Buffalo Bills team. As for the future, there is a chance Beane drafted him to be the replacement to Barkley as he is a free agent this offseason. This would allow the Bills to let Barkley walk in free agency with a backup quarterback to Allen already on the roster.
However, after passing up on Davis last round in this hypothetical re-draft it would be wise to add younger depth to the wide receiver room. That is why the Bills will be selecting Donovan Peoples-Jones from the University of Michigan as the 167th overall pick in the 2020 NFL re-draft.
DPJ is a similar receiver to Davis in the sense that he is a strong and physical receiver with loads of athleticism to match. Additionally, DPJ is a solid contributor as a returner in the kick and punt game which would leverage Brandon Beane’s ability to let Andre Roberts and/or Isaiah McKenzie walk in free agency in attempts to save cap space.
Original Pick: Jake Fromm
Re-Draft Pick: Donovan Peoples-Jones