#3 Buffalo Bills
What They Need: No surprise, like most teams at the top of the draft, the Bills need a lot, which of course leads to their high draft pick. Buffalo has had a bad offensive line for a while now, but there isn’t a lineman in this year’s crop rated as a top ten prospect, much less in the top three. In my mind, you don’t want to reach for a player when you sit so high in the draft. At pick #3 you have to nab a big-time talent. The Bills need wide receivers, and certainly there are some game changing prospects that will be available here in AJ Green and Julio Jones. Still, receivers have a somewhat limited impact on the game, so I’m not sure one should go this high. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick showed at the very least that he can take care of the ball and keep his team in games. He affords Buffalo the chance to address other areas of need, unless they really want a quarterback. The running back situation is solid with CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson forming a nice duo. The defense has some true bright spots. Defensive tackle Kyle Williams made the Pro Bowl, linebacker Paul Posluszny is an emerging star, and Jairus Byrd is a top talent at safety. With one young star at each level of the defense, that’s what the Bills need to build their identity on.
Who They Might Pick: If the Bills are enamored with Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert, then they should take either one if they’re on the board. But if they aren’t completely infatuated with either, they should go defense. Adding one top defensive player could give the Bills a really promising unit. The Bills ranked last in the league against the run last year, so defensive line is probably the area of greatest need. If Nick Fairley, Marcel Dareus, or perhaps Oregon State nose tackle Stephen Paea is on the board, they would be good picks. Paea might be a reach, but he’s a monster against the run and benched 225 pounds a record 49 times at the combine. The Bills were excellent against the pass last year, ranking third in the NFL, but they could still use a corner like Patrick Peterson. Any team could.
My Advice: Since I told the Panthers to take Fairley and the Broncos to nab Peterson, I think Paea or Dareus should be the Bills pick. Dareus is the more disruptive force against the pass and is the much higher rated prospect, so he's my man. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they look Newton's way with this selection, if only to draw attention to the franchise and build around a transcendent athlete.
#4 Cincinnati Bengals
What They Need: This is the hardest team in the draft to predict. One reason is simply that they’re the Bengals. The other is that Carson Palmer threatens to retire unless he’s traded. Most experts think Palmer will come around and be the Bengals' guy again next year, but I don’t. I’ve read interviews where Palmer has said he believes the NFL is getting too violent and that somebody is going to die on the field. He doesn't love the game anymore, at least not in Cincinnati. I think he’s a smart man, and unless he goes to an ideal spot, he’ll retire. That’s a roundabout way of saying the Bengals may be looking for a passer at the top of the draft. Needs abound however for the Bengals; there’s no shortage of ways they could go with this pick. Terrell Owens is probably out the door, and Chad Ochocinco may follow. The offensive line could use help as well. The Bengals have good young linebackers and a talented corner duo but need help on the defensive line and at safety.
Who They Might Pick: We’ve identified offensive line, wide receiver, defensive line, safety, and potentially quarterback as the main areas of need. If Palmer leaves, or if Cincy believes he will retire, then I would guess they’d take whichever player between Newton and Gabbert they like best. If they don’t love either passer, I think they go either wide receiver or defensive lineman. This is too high a spot to reach for a safety, and in a weak offensive line year they shouldn’t go in that direction either. AJ Green from Georgia is the highest rated receiver in the draft, though Julio Jones (who ran a 4.3 40 with a broken foot) is rising up draft boards. Either one of those players would be a nice addition, but if Palmer’s out the door, it might not make much sense to grab a wideout without a guy to get him the ball. That leaves a defensive line opening, and the Bengals are often enamored with tremendous athletes. That could mean pass rushers Von Miller from Texas A&M, Robert Quinn from North Carolina, or Da’Quan Bowers from Clemson. Fairley and Dareus are possibilities as well if they’re still on the board.
My Advice: In my personal draft universe, Dareus and Fairley are gone. That leaves Bowers as the best available option to bolster the Bengal pass rush. If Palmer is gone I would have no problem drafting a passer here either. But rationally, I think the run on defense should continue, and Bowers should be the pick. It would be astounding though if my advice came to fruition: no offensive players taken in the first four picks.
--from Adam
No comments:
Post a Comment