Buffalo Bills Mock Draft: A subtle trade lands tremendous value

Buffalo Bills, 2023 NFL Draft (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
Buffalo Bills, 2023 NFL Draft (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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Buffalo Bills, Ivan Pace Jr.
Buffalo Bills, Ivan Pace Jr. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

LB. Cincinnati. Pick Analysis. Ivan Pace Jr.. 4. player. 830. Scouting Report

After the Bills saw Tremaine Edmunds leave via free agency, the likely replacement for his starting position could end up being Tyrel Dodson, whom the team re-signed during the initial portion of that free agent period.

With Dodson as the likely replacement, the Bills could afford to give him some competition. A perfect guy for that job would be Cincinnati linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., who comes into this draft class as an ultra-productive linebacker who finished last season with 63 tackles, 10 sacks and a pair of interceptions.

Pace has great sideline-to-sideline speed and the motor to get in on just about every tackle. He plays until the whistle blows, looking to finish plays. He’s great at stopping the run, too, and would fit well up within the Bills’ front. Playing the middle linebacker role within the Bearcats’ defense, he’d be an ideal fit translating over to Buffalo’s unit.

Some scouting reports describe Pace as a “heat-seeking missile,” which is quite the description of a college prospect coming into his professional debut. This guy plays fast, he plays hard, and he would be a phenomenal value here in the fourth round.