The NFL Combine officially started on Monday, with players testing their abilities starting on Thursday. The Buffalo Bills need to fill many positions and will be there to search for them.
Even though the Bills will not be picking until the second round of the NFL draft, many of the first-round players draw all the looks. However, many small-school players are just as prepared and talented and should warrant evaluation, too.
4 small school players whose teams' GMs should keep an eye on
1. WR Bryce Lance - North Dakota State
Another member of the Lance football family is coming onto the scene. Trey's little brother, Bryce, has an opportunity to become an NFL star, especially at a key position. The wide receiver starred at North Dakota State, a small school that routinely churns out NFL draft talent at the FCS level, including Minnesota Vikings QB Carson Wentz.
Next year, the Bison will finally be an FBS member, so Lance left the program with a bang. At 6 feet 3 inches, 209 pounds, he reeled in 51 catches on 69 attempts for 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns. He is a big, strong man ready to be an NFL receiver on day one.
If the Bills want their last chance to grab a Lance at a key area of need, then they should consider it early in the second round to grab him.
2. EDGE Nadame Tucker - Western Michigan
A transfer from Houston and looking to form into a star at a lower-level school, Tucker arrived at Western Michigan and made the Cougars pay for him, leaving in the first place. His 14 sacks were good for a second-place tie in the FBS with Anthony Smith of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, with Texas Tech's David Bailey ahead of them with 15.
Additionally, Tucker created 61 total quarterback pressures, along with 33 tackles, 37 stops, six tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles. At 6 feet 3 inches, 250 pounds, he should be able to nail the combine and get to those powerful punching bags in a jiffy.
Tucker's three top performances last season came against some of the better teams in the FBS, not just against lesser competition. The schools included Toledo, Miami of Ohio, and Michigan State.
3. DB Emmanuel McNeil-Warren - Toledo
Since most teams that made new coaching hires want to copy the Sean Payton style of aggressive, multiple-front schemes, which includes having a player who excels in both man and zone coverage, there are the Caleb Downs (Ohio State) and the Dillon Thienemans (Oregon) of the world. Still, this player was the best to come out of the Group of 5.
Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a gifted athlete who doesn't get noticed at the MAC level of Division I football. There are draft projections right now that have this young man going with the 25th pick.
If that happens, the 6 feet 2 inch, 202-pound back would be the third Toledo Rocket player to be drafted in the first round, alongside 1993 first-round pick Dan Williams, who went to the Denver Broncos, and cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who was the Eagles' first-round choice in 2024.
4. C/OT Adam Montalvo - SUNY Brockport
There may be Bills' fans who don't follow Division III football and may ask: "Why would they take an undersized lineman from a New York State Public Institution? " If you look at the history of SUNY Brockport to the NFL pipeline, it's actually a pretty impressive resume.
Alums like Mike Jones played for the Bills in 1987 after attending Brockport. The last player from this college to play on an NFL roster was center Josh Warner, who in 2002 was signed by the Chicago Bears and spent the 2002 season with the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe. He then played 10 games for the team in 2003.
This year, swing lineman Adam Montalvo reminds Brockport alums of Warner, sparking pride and a sense of tradition. He may be undersized at 6 feet 4 inches, 285 pounds, but that's solid DIII O-line size. Brockport's offense, with its heavy sets and presnap motion, mirrors modern NFL strategies, making fans feel connected to a competitive, evolving team.
With his flexibility, awareness, and great athletic ability, Montalvo was named to the first-team All-Empire 8, had a 96% player grade in the 2024 season, and showed why he is a player to watch.
He will likely go undrafted, just like Warner, and have a shot at making an NFL roster or possibly earning an NFL contract by playing in either the Canadian Football League or the United Football League.
Either way, Montalvo is an incredible story coming from a DIII school like Brockport, and if he ends up with the Bills, they could have their next Alec Anderson or Spencer Brown swing lineman type player.