The Buffalo Bills are in a critical phase of the Josh Allen era - the first offseason without Sean McDermott. Things are far from perfect, and there's no more room for error. If the Bills intend to fix their issues they have positions to focus on, but they still need the right men. These prospects are ones they shouldn't target if they intend to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive.
4 draft prospects Bills must avoid drafting in NFL Draft
CB Brandon Cisse - South Carolina
Height: 6-0 Weight: 190lbs
Brandon Cisse is a highly capable corner prospect with elite athletic traits and a natural nose for the run game. He's also wrong for the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills' usage of safeties, under Jim Leonhard, requires corners who can play deep without help at times. A player who can track the ball well and make the play on it often, or keep eyes on the QB as they live on an island.
Cisse isn't that player; a safety combo forced to live in a two-high shell to overcome his weaknesses is a detraction from the team, not an addition. Though Brandon Cisse is talented, he isn't the fit.
WR Zachariah Branch - Georgia
Height: 5-10 Weight: 180lbs
The Buffalo Bills have several WRs on their 'get list', but Georgia WR Zachariah Branch isn't amongst them. No shame to the twitchy gadget man, but he simply doesn't fill the build for a player to succeed in Joe Brady's offense.
Branch offers speed and mobility beyond belief - he's a YAC threat who excels on scripted touches and special teams plays. He's also small, with a limited reach. His frame likely confines him to the slot as a pro, which isn't an area the Bills need talent right now.
The Bills do need more receivers - both for the cheap talent in an expensive unit and for on-field value. Unfortunately, the Bills need talent on top of their group. Special teams value and gadget play aren't needed traits when atop the heap. Players without the proper build to compete physically don't fit Joe Brady's offense, or the current iteration of the Bills. Unfortunately, that's Zachariah Branch.
EDGE Gabe Jacas - Illinois
Height: 6-4 Weight: 260lbs
The Buffalo Bills problems with the pass rush were well documented over these past few seasons. With a new 3-4 scheme, the pass rush will be different, and the roles edge rushers play will be more varied. Greg Rousseau could be seen in coverage, and Bradley Chubb's variety of play will see him all over the place. Whatever defenders the Bills draft will be selected with that in mind.
For that reason, the Bills should avoid high-pedigree pass-rusher Gabe Jacas out of Illinois. Despite his history of production, undying motor, and great frame, he's the wrong man for Buffalo.
Jacas is a pure pass-rusher, not a run-stopper or a defender in space. The Bills need at the position is varied, someone who can play multiple roles and a reactive brand of football. A lot of more fluid men are available in this draft, even without Jacas' sack production.
OG Keylan Rutledge - Georgia Tech
Height: 6-4 Weight: 316lbs
Bills fans in the know understand the team's desperate need for help at the guard spot. Bills fans who truly understand see that it cannot simply be anyone. There are many guards who can and will elevate the Buffalo Bills this season. Georgia Tech's Keylan Rutledge isn't the right one. He's strong, well-built, and capable of working the interior.
The issue is, despite his pedigree, he's not the fit. The Bills run game under Joe Brady is mobility, and hard to predict. It runs a wide variety of plays from only a few basic looks. They need guards with the mobility to pull and the handwork to adjust on the fly. Someone who can rock back in pass protection and drop anchor quickly. Rutledge is a great prospect, but not the one for the Bills.