Buffalo Bills: Draft grades for every selection by Buffalo in 2021 NFL Draft
The 2021 NFL Draft is now complete and the Buffalo Bills have eight new players on their roster that weren’t there a week ago. The Bills started the draft with the selection of Gregory Rousseau with their first round pick at 30th overall.
Then on Day 2, the team made the surprising move of selecting Carlos Basham Jr. out of Wake Forest and doubling up at defensive end. However, this wouldn’t be the only time they did that and their next two picks would be offensive tackles, Spencer Brown in the third round and Tommy Doyle in the fifth round.
After the Doyle selection, the Bills made a trade that brought back two more sixth round picks and with four picks over the final two rounds added depth at wide receiver, in the secondary and on the offensive line. This is how I grade each selection for the Buffalo Bills, along with an overall grade for this class.
First Round, 30th Overall: Gregory Rousseau, DE (Miami)
One of the biggest storylines for the Buffalo Bills this offseason is that they needed to improve their pass rush. This was one area they struggled and it was magnified in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
By picking at the end of the first round, there aren’t many polished defensive ends or that sure-fire pass rusher that can come in right away and make an impact. The team elected to go with Gregory Rousseau and one of the first things that stand out is that he physically has everything the Bills could want with great size at 6’7″ and 266 pounds.
However, he is raw and did have limited experience at the University of Miami after suffering an injury that cost him most of the 2018 season, and then he did opt out this past season due to the pandemic.
For the Bills, they will look at that 2019 season and see a season with 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss. This was a selection that originally I didn’t like but considering the other picks they made after Rousseau, this gives the Bills a player that they can develop a little more that gives them a top pass rusher in the future.