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It’s time once again for the NFL draft, and with our 4 man analyst team already having predicted how the first round will go, we turn our attention to the draft roster building predictions of the local heroes, the Buffalo Bills. GM Brandon Beane is faced with the difficult task of replenishing the team after suffering significant losses due to salary cap constraints. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that despite having 10 picks in the draft, 8 of them are day 3 picks in rounds 4-7. An expected compensatory third rounder was inexplicably lowered to the fourth round also. Here are the Rayonsports team’s predictions:

Round 1, pick # 28

Connor Pohlman – Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas – the Bills decide that speed is the most important quality they need in their new receiver and pick the player who set the new 40 yard standard at the combine.

Bobby Salami III – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas – Bills fill their glaring need for wide receiver help with a clutch performer known for big plays in big moments.

Scott Prelewicz – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU – probably the best WR prospect after the “big 3” (Harrison Jr., Odunze and Nabers), he is a favorite of the team’s fan base and would be a great weapon for Josh Allen.

Ray Prelewicz – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas – see above.

Round 2, pick # 60

Connor Pohlman – Tyler Nubin, Safety, Minnesota – the best safety available in a weak class, but Nubin is a future starter, and a potential impact player where the Bills need depth.

Bobby Salami III – Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington – BS III has the Bills doubling up on their receiver additions by taking the Huskies’ second best pass catcher, behind top prospect Rome Odunze.

Scott Prelewicz – Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina – like BS III, Scott likes the option of doubling up on receiver help with this high ceiling player.

Ray Prelewicz – Tyler Nubin, Safety, Minnesota – see above.

Round 4A, pick # 128

Connor Pohlman – Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame – the Bills fill a glaring need for a bigger, short yardage power back.

Bobby Salami III – T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas – Bills’ run stuffers on the current roster are aging veterans, so an infusion of youth (and massive size) is a good option.

Scott Prelewicz – Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Safety, Texas Tech – durable safety who led his team in interceptions the last 3 seasons.

Ray Prelewicz – Gabriel Murphy, Edge, UCLA – a polished, versatile and athletic pass rusher who analysts have wildly different ratings about.

Round 4B, pick # 133

Connor Pohlman – Jalyx Hunt, Edge, Houston Baptist – a diamond-in-the-rough pass rusher from a small school is the pick here. GM Brandon Beane does like his dark horse unknown players.

Bobby Salami III – Malik Mustapha, Safety, Wake Forest – safety is a position of need for the Bills and a mid-round player with experience against ACC competition is a solid choice.

Scott Prelewicz – Mohamed Kamara, Edge, Colorado State – another pass rush prospect with a high ceiling that is a solid pick in round 4.

Ray Prelewicz – Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU – an undersized interior defensive lineman who will be a bit of a project but should be an adequate depth piece.

Round 5A, pick 144

Connor Pohlman – Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State – a huge receiver built more like a tight end, he is a big target in the red zone and on 50/50 balls who should help Allen.

Bobby Salami III – Jonah Elliss, Edge, Utah – a high motor edge rusher with a big upside who will need some development at the next level.

Scott Prelewicz – Jarvis Brownlee Jr., CB, Louisville – a bit of an undersized cornerback, he will likely transition to a strictly slot corner at the next level. Good player to develop behind Taron Johnson.

Ray Prelewicz – Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State – see above.

Round 5B, pick 160

Connor Pohlman – Kalen King, CB, Penn State – another CB prospect. He lacks big time speed but has excellent instincts and excels in both man and zone coverage.

Bobby Salami III – Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville – another power back option for Beane to consider. He has moved up draft boards recently.

Scott Prelewicz – Christian Jones, OT, Texas – very experienced offensive lineman who has desirable measurables. GM Beane likes to dabble in late round offensive line prospects.

Ray Prelewicz – Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville – see above.

Round 5C, pick # 163

Connor Pohlman – James Williams, Safety, Miami (Fl) – a high end prospect who has dropped into the later rounds, mostly because he’s built like a linebacker.

Bobby Salami III – M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh – led the Panthers in interceptions, and is a similar prospect to former Bill Dane Jackson.

Scott Prelewicz – Will Shipley, RB, Clemson – not the power back type most analysts see the Bills going after, but an intriguing option as a receiving threat out of the backfield. Could even be an option as a slot receiver.

Ray Prelewicz – Josh Newton, CB, TCU – a tough competitor who lacks speed but makes up for it with football intelligence.

Round 6A, pick 200

Connor Pohlman – Hunter Nourzad, IOL, Penn State – a versatile offensive lineman who can play all spots, he would be considered firstly as a candidate to play center, where the Bills can use some depth.

Bobby Salami III – Caeden Wallace, OT, Penn State – as a fifth year senior he is an experienced player who played almost exclusively at right tackle for the Nittany Lions.

Scott Prelewicz – Justin Eboigbe, DT, Alabama – strong interior defensive lineman with a high motor who is technically sound and has a good chance to thrive at the next level.

Ray Prelewicz – Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa – another of GM Beane’s favorites – a late round small school prospect with lots of upside.

Round 6B, pick 204

Connor Pohlman – M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh – see above.

Bobby Salami III – Erick All, TE, Iowa – tight end is not a position of need for Buffalo but with a late round pick a tight end from Iowa is a really good gamble.

Scott Prelewicz – James Williams, Safety, Miami (Fl) – see above.

Ray Prelewicz – Kitan Oladapo, Safety, Oregon State – his strength is position versatility, which the Bills covet. He can play safety or any of the cornerback spots.

Round 7, pick 248

Connor Pohlman – Fabien Lovett, DT, Florida State – a strong run stuffer with the ability to fight off one on one blocks. Another high motor prospect.

Bobby Salami III – Gabriel Murphy, Edge, UCLA – see above.

Scott Prelewicz – Ryan Flournoy, WR, Southeast Missouri State – a late blooming prospect who shined at the Senior Bowl and the combine who is an interesting player from a small school.

Ray Prelewicz – Dylan McMahon, IOL, North Carolina State -a college center who is somewhat on the small side, he had great numbers at the combine, and could be an NFL caliber player if he bulks up.

The NFL’s annual college player draft is right around the corner, and once again our team of crack analysts at Rayonsports.com, Connor Pohlman, Robert Salami III, Scott Prelewicz and Ray Prelewicz are here to predict the entire 32 pick first round, scheduled for Thursday, April 25th. No trades are allowed, other than the ones already consummated. Here are the Rayonsports team’s choices:

1. Chicago Bears – from Carolina (Connor Pohlman) – Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Washington Commanders (Robert Salami III) – Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
3. New England Patriots (Scott Prelewicz) – JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
4. Arizona Cardinals (Ray Prelewicz) – Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
5. Los Angeles Chargers (CP) – Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
6. New York Giants (RS III) – Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
7. Tennessee Titans (SP) – Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
8. Atlanta Falcons (RP) – Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama
9. Chicago Bears (CP) -Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
10. New York Jets (RS III) – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
11. Minnesota Vikings (SP) – Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
12. Denver Broncos (RP) – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
13. Las Vegas Raiders (CP) – JC Latham, OT, Alabama
14. New Orleans Saints (RS III) – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
15. Indianapolis Colts (SP) – Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
16. Seattle Seahawks (RP) – Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State
17. Jacksonville Jaguars (CP) – Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
18. Cincinnati Bengals (RS III) – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
19. Los Angeles Rams (SP) – Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (RP) – Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
21. Miami Dolphins (CP) – Byron Murphy, DT, Texas
22. Philadelphia Eagles (RS III) – Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
23. Minnesota Vikings – from Cleve via Houston (SP) – Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
24. Dallas Cowboys (RP) – Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
25. Green Bay Packers (CP) – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RS III) – Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State
27. Arizona Cardinals – from Houston (SP) – Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
28. Buffalo Bills (RP) – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
29. Detroit Lions (CP) – Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
30. Baltimore Ravens (RS III) – Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
31. San Francisco 49ers (SP) – Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
32. Kansas City Chiefs (RP) – Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

Alabama is the leading school for first rounders in our mock draft with 4, followed by Washington, Texas and LSU with 3 each. There are 3 “Juniors” in the draft, and I don’t mean underclassmen.

Coming soon, our expert panel drops their predictions on a seven round mock draft for the local club, the Buffalo Bills.

Part 4 of our annual Bills’ season review is always my favorite. It’s where I get to play pretend general manager, and give my thoughts on how the team can improve going into the following season. I’ll take into account that Brandon Beane can’t afford any high-priced free agents and will have to work some salary cap magic again, but try to best fill the team’s needs using both free agency and the draft. The positions listed are where I think they need help.

Let’s get on with this yearly exercise:

Running Back

James Cook is established as the Bills’ top back, and they would be wise to re-sign Ty Johnson to back him up, but there is still a need for another runner, preferably a bigger, hard-running short yardage back. The running back market has been undervalued recently, but even so, the prize runner in this year’s class is Derrick Henry. He is not in Buffalo’s price range, and there aren’t any bigger backs in the free agent bargain bin, so the draft, probably in the later rounds, is where the team will have to find the type they want. Braelon Allen of Wisconsin is a mid-round prospect who fits the bill. at 6’2 and 235 lbs. he has the size, and his draft profile describes him as a “violent” runner. He played safety in high school so he isn’t afraid of contact for sure. Another power back slated to be drafted late day 2 or early day 3 is Ohio State’s Miyan Williams. He’s tough to bring down, but his draft profile also claims he has “subtle shiftiness”.

Wide Receiver

This is the biggest offensive area of need for GM Beane to address this offseason. He brought in a couple of bargain FAs last year in Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty, but they’ll need to upgrade from them going into next season. There are some big name free agents hitting the market – Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, Tyler Boyd – I don’t see any of them signing here. A couple of lower cost possibilities are Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Darnell Mooney, but in my opinion they would be better off trying to re-sign one of their own, Gabe Davis. He has been inconsistent but at least he’s a known commodity that Josh Allen has familiarity and has had success with. The Bills pick 28th in the first round of the college draft and most observers see them using that pick, and probably another on day 2, on adding to the receiver corps. Two intriguing names fall into that range on various “mock drafts”. Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU is a big wideout at 6’4 and 205 lbs. who is a mismatch for smaller cornerbacks. He has tremendous speed, a great catch radius and is a big play threat on long throws. The other name is Oregon’s Troy Franklin. He has good size at 6’2 and may be the fastest player in this draft. He excels on double moves and is definitely a deep threat, who also possesses great hands. Looking at day 2 of the draft, where the Bills have pick 60 and a compensatory pick that figures to be 99 or 100, there are some other receivers who project to be solid pros. Texas’ Xavier Worthy is a natural playmaker who also has elite speed, and a knack for setting up defenders, and can play both outside and in the slot. Johnny Wilson from Florida State is an interesting player. He is massive for a wideout at 6’7 and 240 lbs., which is basically tight end size. Of course that gives him a wide wingspan and great catch radius who high-points the ball exceptionally well. His long strides make him a deep threat also, with running back yards after the catch ability. There are other names to watch in this range, including Jalen McMillan of Washington, Louisville’s Jamari Thrash, Malachi Corley of Western Kentucky, Michigan’s Roman Wilson and Luke McCaffrey from Rice, who has great NFL bloodlines.

Defensive Tackle

With Ed Oliver being the only interior defensive lineman signed for 2024, Buffalo will have to add players at that spot. Again, one of their own – DaQuan Jones – should be a top priority to get re-signed. After big-ticket players like Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins, the free agent pickings are slim. With glaring needs at other positions it’s unlikely the Bills would use a high draft choice on the D-line, but if a prospect like Texas nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat fell to them in the second round, they would have to consider it. At 6’4 and 346 lbs. he is a massive space eater who would immediately upgrade the run defense. They will more than likely target later round players like Tyler Davis of Clemson, Jordan Jefferson from LSU and North Carolina’s Myles Murphy.

Safety

With both Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer starting to age out (Hyde is also a free agent) and Taylor Rapp hitting free agency, safety is another hot spot for Buffalo. Like running back, the safety position was undervalued in last year’s free agency period. If that happens again, Beane should look at 3 top players on the market. They are Antoine Winfield Jr., whose father played for the Bills, Jeremy Chinn of the Panthers and New England’s Kyle Dugger. All 3 figure to be coveted but if their asking price is within the Bills’ cap range they should be aggressive. In the draft, the Bills could easily use a high day 2 pick on a safety, maybe even their first rounder if the receiver group dries up. Players worth picking in the second round are USC’s Calen Bullock and Utah’s Cole Bishop. Bullock has good size and leaping ability, and is perfectly capable of covering speedy wide receivers. Like Bullock, Bishop has good size, is athletic and has the ball skills to create turnovers. He’s also a willing tackler in run support.

Cornerback

There aren’t any corners worth paying on the free agent market, so the Bills may look to add depth here in the later rounds of the draft. They’re not totally lacking in talent at CB but Tre White’s injury uncertainty and the fact that Dane Jackson is a free agent means some bodies will need to be added to the training camp roster. In the third day rounds, some possibilities include Cam Hart of Notre Dame, Auburn’s Nehemiah Pritchett, Elijah Jones of Boston College, and an interesting name, Louisville’s Storm Duck.

Special Teams

I lumped this all into a single category since I think the Bills should add competition at punter, placekicker and kickoff/punt returner. There’s always the possibility they bring back former draft choice Matt Araiza to compete for the punting job, now that he is clear of any criminal charges. Any other punter or kicker brought into camp will be an unknown undrafted guy so we won’t bother naming players. As for return specialists, Texas WR Worthy adds punt return ability to his resume, as does Texas A&M’s Ainias Smith. Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy returned 17 punts for an almost 15 yard average, with 2 touchdowns.

Part 3 of our annual Buffalo Bills’ season review deals with the defense. Coach Sean McDermott made a major change here in 2023. Former coordinator Leslie Frazier was eased out, and McDermott took over calling the defense on game days. The regular season results of that move were positive. The Bills maintained a high ranking, but at the same time finished second behind the Ravens in sacks and ranked high in turnovers produced, producing more “splash plays” that McDermott desired. However, in the playoff loss to the Chiefs, the unit was once again gashed, in many ways due to a rash of injuries, especially at linebacker.

Here is a position-by-position look at the defense and special teams:

Defensive Line

Defensive line play was spotty, but mostly adequate, in 2023. On the interior, Ed Oliver signed a new contract and showed that he deserved it with All Pro-caliber play all year. With almost no players signed beyond this season, this is another area that might require an infusion of youth through the draft. A priority should be put on trying to re-sign Oliver’s running mate, DaQuan Jones. He’s a valuable run stuffer whose presence is sorely missed when he’s not on the field. All of the other spare tackles – Tim Settle, Poona Ford, Linval Joseph, Jordan Phillips and practice squad player Eli Ankou – are replaceable. On the outside edges, the team has to live with Von Miller’s contract, so they can only hope he returns to some semblance of his former self in 2024. At his advanced age that might be a big ask. Greg Rousseau is a solid edge rusher who also is good against the run. The club would be wise to try to re-sign A.J. Epenesa, who flashed in a limited role at end. One of Beane’s free agent one year gems, Leonard Floyd, led the team in sacks and might price himself off the Bills’ roster next season. Like his running mate Phillips, Shaq Lawson has probably worn out his welcome, and would only be brought back as a depth piece at a minimum contract. The coaching staff seems to like the future possibilities of Kingsley Jonathan, so he could move into a more prominent role next season.

Linebackers

This group was a MASH unit at season’s end in 2023. They were heavily victimized by Pat Mahomes in their season-ending playoff loss. However, the pairing of Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard bodes well for the 2024 season. Milano is an All Pro and Bernard is trending in that direction after a stellar campaign this year. An unknown to start the year, he took on the “green dot” role of calling the defense and excelled at it. As for backups, having to step into major spots this year will help players like Tyrel Dodson, Baylon Spector and Dorian Williams next year. Old friend A.J. Klein will likely be sent back out on vacation in 2024, and Tyler Matakevich is strictly a special teams player. His role could easily be transitioned to another player like Spector or Williams if the team needs to free up a roster spot for another position.

Defensive Backs

Suddenly, the back end of the Bills’ defense is growing old. Starting cornerback Tre’Davious White will be entering his 8th season next year, and he has become injury-prone. The Bills would be smart not to count on him returning, at least not at the beginning of the year. The safety tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer has served the team well since 2017, but their partnership may be coming to an end as both are well into their 30s. Dane Jackson, like Levi Wallace before him, has been a serviceable corner for years. He is a free agent and like Wallace, may be allowed to walk. With Hyde and Poyer aging out, it would behoove Beane to try to bring Taylor Rapp back again. Even without White, the Bills have 2 adequate starting corners for 2024 in Christian Benford and trade deadline add Rasul Douglas, who is a ballhawk. In reserve there is still Kaiir Elam, who has struggled but still has plenty of potential to revive his career next season. The Bills have an All Pro at slot corner in Taron Johnson, an invaluable member of their defense. Cam Lewis has established himself as a versatile piece. He can play safety or nickel corner, and is a core special teamer. In my opinion the team may be underutilizing Siran Neal. A vet who can play both safety and CB and is a top gunner on special teams, he should see more time on defense, especially when injuries happen. With possible openings at safety next year, can Damar Hamlin make a push to get into the lineup?

Special Teams

The Bills’ special teams were not special in 2023. Deonte Harty’s punt return touchdown that changed the momentum of the division-clinching win over Miami was the highlight.

Lowlights:

• Allowing a game winning punt return TD against the Jets on opening night
• 12 men on the field vs. Denver
• Blocked field goal in wild card game that resulted in the punter getting hurt
• Missed field goal to end the divisional playoff game

Placekicker Tyler Bass had an alarmingly mediocre season in 2023. At the very least, the team has to bring in competition for him next season. No free pass to the roster as he’s had so far in his career. Punter Sam Martin was equally inconsistent, bad to start the year, then hit a very strong stretch late, only to fail in the playoff loss coming off a hamstring injury. Competition for him would be a smart move also. Long snapper Reid Ferguson is a keeper. I can’t recall any bad snaps for him in his career here. Buffalo could look to add some zip to their return game next year. Harty gave them one amazing and very important lift in the season ender, but overall the return game was below par. Maybe the return of Nyheim Hines will help, but a late round flyer on a speedy return guy might be an option.