With the NFL Draft three weeks away, the Buffalo Bills will have their first two picks already made in the first two days. When the team is ready to make the rest of their five picks, there's a chance that there will still be some diamonds in the rough when they start again in the fourth round at pick 126, where the Bills will begin their Day 3 selection process.
The team still has many holes to fill, and Day 3 is typically when teams can find quality depth pieces to round out the rest of their rosters.
Day 3 prospects worth taking a chance on
Round 4 - Pick #126
QB Drew Allar - Penn State
With the hiring of Joe Brady as the Bills' new head coach, the team turns to a young, offensive-minded guy with a great reputation for building strong relationships with players and developing NFL-ready quarterbacks.
Josh Allen won't be going anywhere soon as the team's starter. But this year may finally be the year to draft a late-round quarterback who could be an understudy to the superstar signal-caller. Who could be a better prospect to go with here than Penn State's Drew Allar?
Allar has Allen's frame at 6-foot-5, 235 lbs, and, coincidentally, ran the same time as Allen in the forty-yard dash, a 4.75-second run. He also has a cannon for an arm, and when his knee becomes healthy again, he can change the game by himself with his legs.
If the Bills go in a different direction at pick 91, and no other team takes him in the third round, look for the Bills to wake us all up on day four by selecting Allar with pick #126.
-or-
DT Dontay Corleone - Cincinnati
The 6-foot, 340-pound Corleone is a mountain of a player with quick, nimble feet, able to stop the run and pressure the quarterback.
Corleone is also an honest man of loyalty, as he could have entered the transfer portal when Luke Fickell departed for the Wisconsin head-coaching job, but chose to stay and play out the rest of his career at Cincinnati. That loyalty will translate very well in Buffalo, given the 3-4 scheme and the Bills fans' loyalty to their team.
While the Bills should be one of the favorites to land him, they also will be competing with other 3-4 teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who need a strong nose tackle, the Carolina Panthers who are starting to build a scary attack which is needed by a nose tackle, and of course, the Denver Broncos who are coached by none other than Sean Payton whose 3-4 defense is the one the Bills mimick now.
-or-
DT Demonte Capehart - Clemson
Capehart is another of the older draft prospects who plays a grown-man position as a defensive tackle. At 6 foot 5, 315 pounds, Capehart has the ideal size of a 4-3 defensive tackle, but would probably have to be either a left or right defensive end in Buffalo's 3-4 scheme.
He is naturally a great football player who will be productive in any NFL defensive scheme, and with the right coaching staff, he can build on his strengths and work on areas for improvement.
Round 5 - Pick #165
OT Diego Pounds - Ole Miss
The Bills may decide to bolster their offensive line depth by going with Pounds here. He is a massive 6-foot-6, 340-pound space eater at any tackle position. He is also very athletic and can hold his own weight against lighter, faster defensive linemen.
In the NFL, he will probably be a left tackle, as Dion Dawkins hasn't signed a restructure deal yet and is over 30. That is, if they don't draft Kayden Proctor in the first round at 26.
Round 5 - Pick #168
LB Red Murdock - Buffalo
The Bills need more linebacker depth to add to their core already on the roster. What better way than to go for the local kid at a smaller school in Red Murdock?
While the Bills, in hindsight, missed out on drafting former UB Bull Khalil Mack in 2014, the Bills could make up for it this year by selecting Murdock.
Murdock is a big linebacker at 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, with a great motor and quick acceleration in the second level. He ran a modest 4.67 at UB's pro day, but most likely will have better speed on gameday.
He can also be effective dropping back into coverage and picking the ball off while also bullrushing to create sacks.
While it still stings to this day to have missed out on Mack, it's water under the bridge. Now they must make up for it by drafting Murdock with this selection.
Round 6 - Pick #182
EDGE Jaishawn Barham - Michigan
Since Brady coached at Penn State years ago and had to play against Ohio State and Michigan, Brandon Beane will probably select the native Wolverine edge rusher with this pick.
At 6-foot 3, 243 pounds, Barham played sort of a hybrid 4-2-5 EDGE Rusher and a 3-3-5 outside linebacker, and was effective in both. He recorded 32 total tackles, one forced fumble, four sacks, and four passes deflected.
In the NFL, particularly with the Bills, he will have to be an outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme. While they could try to bulk him up to 260 pounds to try him as an edge, it's easier to keep him at linebacker at his current size.
Round 7 - Pick #220
G Ar'Maj Reed-Adams - Texas A&M
The Bills already have an in-house competition at left guard, but it doesn't hurt to add a late-round depth piece here, especially one of Adams' caliber.
Adams is a mauler who embodies the toughness of an SEC-type lineman, going up against some of college football's best defenses, such as Georgia's and Oklahoma's. He also fits Brady's tough saying of "Put the Ball Down", which means play to the whistle at 110% every snap you take.
Right now, he would be a camp body, but he has a great chance to make the practice squad on opening day. If someone goes down, he would be the first one to be called up to the active roster.