Buffalo Bills 7-Round mock draft with a trade up in the first round
By Theo Bachman
![Roger Goodell, Buffalo Bills, 2021 NFL Draft (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Roger Goodell, Buffalo Bills, 2021 NFL Draft (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/40a21e207e7db5304ff3dd3cf03ab73f7de980a3b1ca4345150270c9b1fd8013.jpg)
Buffalo Bills Round 2 (Pick 57): Leo Chenal, LB (Wisconsin)
A corner is a significant need for the Bills here, but with Martin Emerson and Marcus Jones sitting as the Top 2 corner prospects available on my big board at this pick, I decided the value wasn’t there. After the Bills’ playoff loss to the Chiefs, I wrote about how there would be questions at linebacker as Brandon Beane will be faced with whether or not to extend Tremaine Edmunds.
Leo Chenal falling this far is a blessing as he is the best run-stuffing linebackers in the class and one of the best run defenders we’ve ever seen at the position. His three-down ability is in question, but Chenal has an identity that will make him easy to deploy on early downs. The hope is that his run-stuffing ability would put the opponent into second and third and longs where the Bills could then deploy nickel and dime coverages.
In addition, to run-stuffing, Chenal’s downhill ability showed up in the passing game, too, and he registered eight sacks this past season. So come playoff time, I could see Chenal deployed as a spy against some of the athletic AFC QBs.