NFL Draft Needs: Buffalo Bills

For the fourth time in the past decade the Buffalo Bills entered the season with a new head coach and effectively began the rebuilding process once again. Along with the Detroit Lions, the Bills own the longest playoff drought in the league at 11 seasons and counting. Early in the season, Ralph Wilson issued a public apology to the fans of the franchise and admitted that the rebuilding process will probably take another three to four years. The 92 year old has owned the franchise since its inception in 1959 and has never seen a postseason drought that’s lasted this long. With Toronto knocking down the door to own an NFL franchise and the Bills already playing one regular season home game a year at the Rogers Centre, the future of the franchise in the Queen City looks bleak. 

As grim as things currently look for the Bills, they did make strides this season and found themselves contending in almost every game. The Bills have found budding stars in late round picks like Kyle Williams and Stevie Johnson, but have failed miserably at finding first and second round picks that can be consistent contributors to the team’s success. First rounders like Aaron Maybin and Mike Williams have been monumental busts while Leodis McKelvin and Donte Whitner have been marginal at best.  Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey have their work cut out for them over the next few years but here are the Bills’ biggest needs for 2011.

1.Rush Linebacker: The Bills finished dead last in the league in rushing yards allowed, 27^th in sacks, 28^th in scoring defense, and 24^th in total defense. Buffalo lacked a true pass-rushing outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme and failed to put consistent pressure on the QB throughout the year. Nix and Gailey hope that Shawne Merriman can resurrect his career in Buffalo but his inability to stay on the field over the past three years is serious cause for concern. If the football gods smile upon the city of Buffalo on April 28^th and Da’Quan Bowers somehow falls to the Bills at the third overall pick it will be the biggest no brainer at One Bills Drive since the team picked Bruce Smith first overall in 1985. If the Panthers or Broncos pick Bowers before the Bills, they may take a chance on Texas A&M’s Von Miller at three.

2.Defensive End/Defensive Tackle: The Bills’ draft philosophy hinges on the team’s decision on whether to run a 3-4 or 4-3 defensive front. Bringing in Dave Wannstedt as the Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach could signal a transition back to the 4-3. Either way the team needs a tremendous amount of help in the front seven. If he’s available Bowers is definitely the pick and he could play 3-4 rush linebacker or 4-3 end. The more likely scenario would be Bowers and Nick Fairley going one and two and Buffalo left with the decision of taking Miller or Alabama’s Marcell Dareus. Dareus could play either defensive end in the 3-4 or defensive tackle in the 4-3. With Marcus Stroud getting the axe last week, there is a serious need for size and playmaking ability in the middle of the d-line. If Buffalo waits until the second pick in the second round they could take a shot on UNC’s Marvin Austin or Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn. Austin probably projects better as a 4-3 defensive tackle but Clayborn could play defensive end in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 scheme.

3.Quarterback: Ryan Fitzpatrick had the best statistical year of any Bills quarterback since the arrival of Drew Bledsoe from New England. He kept the team in most games this season and showed an ability to move around the pocket and get rid of the ball quickly. His decision making was questionable however and he did throw some costly interceptions that cost the team a chance at winning games. Fitzpatrick is a good stopgap quarterback but the team needs to find its quarterback of the future. Most mock drafts and draft experts currently have the Bills selecting Cam Newton with the third overall pick. Newton is a uniquely dynamic player that doesn’t come around very often and could be the face of the franchise for the next decade. His off the field issues at Auburn should be a cause for concern however and if the Bills miss on a quarterback this high in the draft it could set the franchise back another few years which the city of Buffalo could not afford. There is value at quarterback in the later rounds of the draft with the likes of Arkansas’s Ryan Mallet, Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick, Florida State’s Christian Ponder or TCU’s Andy Dalton. The team may be better off taking one of these QBs later on or waiting until next year with a much deeper class projected in the 2012 draft.