For me, it’s simple. The Buffalo Bills are a Super Bowl-caliber team, right now. This is a team that won 14 games a season ago and I know, some of those wins didn’t look good. I watched them all, not just the wins but the losses too and I could climb up on my optimistic soapbox, but I’ll refrain….for now.
I decided to run through one more mock draft, not to say we here at BuffaLowDown won’t put together another shortly before the draft but for me, this is my final draft and what I believe could happen in the 2023 NFL Draft; however, a trade up or back could drastically change how the draft plays out for the Bills.
I previously wrote an article about the possibility of the Bills trading back and who they could target in such a move. While I believe a trade back is more likely than a trade up, for the purposes of this mock, I chose to keep the current picks as is, with no trades involved.
The Bills have added a few new additions since my last mock and we’ve received news that Damar Hamlin has received full clearance to pursue his desire to make a comeback, so what does this mean for the safety room? Do the Bills still draft another safety to go with a relatively crowded defensive backfield already?
What about the linebacking corps, do the Bills need to address this position early in the draft or pursue more weapons and protection for Josh Allen?
Buffalo Bills select offensive tackle Darnell Wright
Wright is a 6’5″, 333-pound mountain of a man. While the scouting report on him indicates some difficulties with such things as knee bend in his two-point stance or ability to finish as a run blocker, there is a lot to like about what he brings to the table, and most of the cons against him can be developed and improved.
Next Gen Stats scored him with an athleticism rating of 86 overall, placing him second among offensive tackles that participated in the 2023 NFL Combine. He possesses the athleticism and length needed to play either tackle position.
I personally have faith in Spencer Brown to rebound from his sophomore year in the NFL; however, you can never have too many solid offensive linemen and the Bills would be smart to have a back plan that includes Darnell Wright. If Brown works out and wins the right tackle spot, then Wright could be your possible swing tackle and provides solid depth, should the team need.
Selecting Wright would also give the Bills options in the interior of the line as well. Whether Brown or Wright was to win the job, perhaps the other impress enough and outplays someone currently manning one of the guard positions. In this day and age of the NFL, you have to be able to protect your quarterback. Get some more big bodies to keep Josh Allen clean.
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.
The Buffalo Bills select interior defensive lineman, Jaquelin Roy
Jaquelin Roy provides the Bills with some depth, as well as a possible starting defensive tackle starting with the 2024 season. As of now, the Bills have exactly zero interior defensive linemen under contract following the 2023 season. The Bills need to add some talent to this room, as they cannot go into the off-season following this coming year, with no options.
PFF has him projected as a third-round talent and with the 130th pick, we’re looking about late third to early fourth, the perfect spot for the Bills to grab this potential future starter.
He has some limitations, such as being consistent with anchoring, which can sometimes result in losing ground to powerful blockers but like most things, can be developed in this area to be better.
He’s also only a one-year starter at LSU but was productive in that one year, producing 38 tackles, with 25 stops. He also added 26 quarterback pressures, including 19 hurries and two sacks.
Roy could be part of a defensive line rotation, which we all know the Bills love to do. He could be a limited part of that rotation while learning the nuances of the position from Jordan Phillips and DaQuan Jones.
The Buffalo Bills select safety Jammie Robinson
The Bills just got fantastic news regarding Damar Hamlin being cleared to return to the game he loves and begin his comeback. The team also resigned Jordan Poyer, brought in Taylor Rapp on a free-agent deal, as well as Zayne Anderson weeks ago. This is in addition to Micah Hyde and Jared Mayden, out of Alabama a year ago.
All that talent is already in the room, so why would they draft another safety to add to a crowded defensive backfield? It’s easy, it’s likely Hyde and Poyer aren’t on this team after 2023. It’s also a possibility that Rapp ends up signing a new free-agent deal during the 2024 off-season.
Plus, we have no idea what will happen with Hamlin. While the story is amazing and inspiring, he has a massive mental hurdle to get back on the field and play at the same level he was before collapsing on the field. The Bills, as I’ve mentioned a few times in this mock, need a backup plan and Robinson can be part of that plan.
Robinson plays with a high motor and brings versatility and toughness. He can play in the slot if needed and is solid in run support, though needs to improve the angles and pursuit. He has the potential to develop into a good starter in the NFL.
This is one of my favorite picks of this draft. I love Elijah Higgins, as he brings that size at the wide receiver position the Bills simply do not possess. He’s 6’3″ and weighs 235 pounds, bringing a physical aspect I think the Bills need and with a decent 40-time of 4.54, he could be a huge addition and potential steal.
Per the Next Gen Stats athleticism score, he was rated a 76 overall, 14th best among all the receivers at the combine. If you can draft that athleticism and physicality with the 205th pick of the draft, I’ll take that all day, every day.
The biggest knock on Higgins is his route running leaves something to be desired; however, this is a skill that can be developed with time and with the right staff or players around him and there isn’t a better route runner in the league to learn from than Stefan Diggs.
Higgins played a large number of snaps in the slot a season ago, as well as 100 snaps on the outside. Some scouts consider him a legitimate candidate to move to tight end. He has the size and could put on a few more pounds to his frame, along with his 4.5, 40-time, he could become a headache for defenses.