Buffalo Bills 2023 NFL mock draft adds weapon, protection for Josh Allen

The Buffalo Bills select edge defender, Derick Hall

When the draft season started, the very first mock draft put out by Mel Kiper, had Derick Hall going to the Bills with the 27th overall pick of the draft.  Here is a portion of what Kiper had to say:

"And even though Buffalo has used first- or second-round picks on Greg Rousseau, Boogie Basham and AJ Epenesa in the past three drafts, its depth on the edge has to get better. That’s why I see Hall, who had 15.5 sacks over the past two seasons, as a stellar fit on Day 1. He could turn into a steal here."

Now imagine how much of a steal it could be if the Bills got Hall with the 59th pick, rather than the 27th.  I like Hall in this spot, and I know a lot of Bills fans won’t be happy and don’t want to hear this but like it or not, the Bills don’t have many defensive linemen under contract after the 2023 season.

Hall has good size as an edge defender, standing at 6’3″ and weighing 254 pounds but is extremely athletic, scoring an athleticism score of 84 overall, per Next Gen Stats, the second-best score among the combine edge defenders.  This includes a 40-time of 4.55 at the combine.

The Buffalo Bills select center, Luke Wypler

My goal of protecting Josh Allen continues with the second offensive lineman selected here with the 91st pick of the draft.  The team still has starting center, Mitch Morris; however, with the concussion history, the team needs to have a backup plan, as well as a long-term plan and Wypler provides just that.

Wypler is another player in my mock draft that brings athleticism, scoring an 82 overall per Next Gen Stats.  He is 6’3″ and weighs 303 pounds, considered somewhat undersized at the position and could struggle with the more powerful interior defensive lineman; however, there is nothing to say he can’t develop his strength and learn to utilize leverages to better handle bull rushes.

His ability to anchor has been targeted as a weakness by some scouts but again, this is something that can be developed over time but his quickness and intelligence, will go a long way in the NFL.

In his two years as the starting center for Ohio State, PFF graded him at 79.6 and 82.4, respectively.  Wypler has the potential to be a solid center in this league; however, most see him strictly as a center, being too small to move to guard, which limits his versatility.