After drafting Terrel Bernard in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills would use their final draft pick in this year’s draft on another linebacker by selecting former Clemson linebacker Baylon Spector.
Spector was a starting linebacker for Clemson the past two seasons and had 138 total tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles during that stretch. The scouting report on NFL.com describes a player who is an average athlete but has excellent instincts that help him get to the ball carrier and make plays.
Who are the top player comparisons for Buffalo Bills linebacker Baylon Spector?
It is interesting that NFL.com described Spector as an average athlete because he tested very well leading up to the NFL Draft. According to MockDraftable, Spector was in the 78th percentile for the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.6 seconds, 73rd percentile for the vertical jump at 36″ and 79th percentile for broad jump 122″.
The player comparisons on MockDraftable, which take into account the physical measurables as well as the testing, put Spector in a good group of linebackers.
The top player is Roquan Smith, who has been a starting linebacker for the Chicago Bears since he was drafted in the first round in 2018. He has had over 100 total tackles each season and been named to second-team All-Pro each of the past two seasons.
The next player is Jerome Baker, who was also drafted in 2018 and has been a starter every year he has been in the league. He has started 53 games over that stretch with the Miami Dolphins and while he hasn’t had the same success as Smith, he has certainly been productive with over 400 total tackles, 14 passes defended, and 17 sacks.
After those two players was Brian Asamoah, who was actually a third round pick by the Minnesota Vikings out of Oklahoma. These three players all being around 87% in terms of measurables to Spector could give a good indication that he has a chance to develop into a player that could contribute, even potentially start, for the Buffalo Bills in the coming years.