The Senior Bowl takes place on Saturday at 1 PM ET. The practices have been going on all this week, with NFL coaches and scouts in attendance, as well as the media. This is an opportunity for many college athletes to make another lasting impression on NFL teams and hopefully move up draft boards and putting themselves in a better position to get drafted.
I wrote the other day about some of the players from past Senior Bowls and this week there have been several players that have shined and improved their stock. Some of these players are likely getting a little extra attention from the Bills, particularly the wide receivers, safeties, and defensive linemen. Fortunately, there have been some standouts in those positions too.
I picked out five of these players, three of them wide receivers. You could make a case that this is the most important area of need but a bigger case can be made for either safety or defensive line. We've talked about the number of pending free agents the Bills have and most of those, 14 to be exact, are on the defensive side. Eight of those 14 players are along the defensive line. We also don't know what the future holds for Jordan Poyer. The free agency period will be very interesting for the Bills.
Roman Wilson - Wide Receiver - Michigan
Roman Wilson put on an excellent performance this week during the Senior Bowl practices. NFLDraftbuzz.com currently has him projected to go in the third round, while others have him later but with his performance this week and depending on how things go in the game on Saturday, he could play his way into the second but definitely in the thrid. Wilson has the kind of speed that Buffalo needs with his 4.37 time in the 40.
His senior year with Michigan ended in a National Championship and on a run-heavy team, he put up 48 receptions and 789 yards but added a terrific 12 touchdowns. When an outstanding QB rating of 140.9 when targeted. The downside is Wilson played two-thirds of his snaps in the slot but does have some experience outside too, so maybe he could make a full-time move to outside but then again, maybe the Bills could move Khalil Shakir to the outside and Wilson can take over the slot. Either way, I would be thrilled if the Bills picked up Wilson on draft weekend.
Darius Robinson - Edge - Missouri
Darius Robinson is a 6'5" and 286 pounds edge defender and had an excellent week as well. It will be fun to watch him this weekend in the Senior Bowl. The Bills will be looking to add talent and youth along the defensive line. Would they spend a top pick on another edge defender? Fans probably hoping that's not the case, but Buffalo needs defensive linemen and Robinson is projected as a fourth-round selection, per NFLDraftBuzz.com.
Robinson recorded 8.5 sacks this season with Missouri while adding a solid 43 total tackles. He also added 36 total pressures, including 22 QB hurries and six QB hits. He's also a fifth-year senior, so he's logged a ton of snaps, giving him a lot of football experience, which is good for what you hope is a quicker learning curve at the NFL level.
Michael Hall Jr. - Defensive Tackle - Ohio State
Michael Hall Jr. is another undersized defensive tackle, similar to what the Bills already have in Ed Oliver, but you can't deny the talent from Hall. He's got exceptional penetrating skills and had big-time impressive performances throughout the week during the Senior Bowl practices. Would the Bills be willing to line up two undersized defensive tackles next to each other, not likely but Hall is projected as a third-rounder and Buffalo needs interior help.
Hall could provide solid depth along the defensive line where we saw Oliver play far more snaps this season than we've ever seen him in years past. Did he wear down in the playoffs due to the extended playing time? Perhaps, and if so, having someone similar in Hall could be terrific depth and provide Buffalo will a rotational piece, without losing much.
Adisa Isaac - Edge - Penn State
Adisa Isaac is a personal favorite of mine. He has a recorded 40-time of 4.6 and brings solid size at 6'4" and 250 pounds. He has the speed and athleticism to cover yet chase down ball carriers and get after the quarterbacks. He was also projected as a second-rounder and I suspect that the Bills' first three picks in the draft will be wide receiver, defensive lineman, and safety, and not particularly in that order. I could see the defensive lineman being either an interior or edge though.
He's also got the production to go with the measurables, recording nine sacks but he also added 31 total pressures, which included 18 QB hurries and four QB hits. Not only was he productive rushing the passer, but quarterbacks had a paltry QB rating of 47.9 when targeting Isaac.
Javon Baker - Wide Receiver - UCT
Javon Baker has the potential to be special. With solid size at 6'1" and about 210 pounds and great speed with a clocked 40-time of 4.48. We'll see what he does at the combine and if he can improve on that speed, which would likely move him up even higher on team's draft boards. Currently, NFLDraftBuzz.com has him projected in the sixth round. Something tells me after the pre-draft process is done, Baker is going to shoot up draft boards.
As a senior in 2023, Baker had 52 receptions, and 1,139 yards for a ridiculous 21.9 yards per catch average. He added seven touchdowns and his quarterback had a QB rating of 117.9 when Isaac was targeted. He played in 38 total games throughout his collegiate career, totaling an incredible 1,628 snaps. Last season, he played nearly 73% of his snaps as one of the boundary receivers, which is what the Bills need. Keep an eye on this kid this weekend during the Senior Bowl, the combine, and of course on draft day. Let's hope Buffalo makes him a Bill sometime during draft weekend.