The Buffalo Bills went into the 2019 NFL Draft with a specific plan, and they executed that plan quite well throughout the entire draft weekend. Entering the weekend, the Bills had ten selections in the draft. When the dust settled and the draft picks were official, Buffalo added eight new players to their roster. While the team made plenty of solid choices, their second-round pick, Oklahoma offensive lineman Cody Ford, stood out as the best “value” pick of the Bills’ draft. By nearly universal consensus, Ford was thought to be a first-round pick. He was mocked to the Minnesota Vikings in multiple publications, including the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Pro Football Focus, Pro Football Weekly, The Draft Network, and SB Nation. The Daily Norseman had a beautiful breakdown of all of Minnesota’s picks, with Ford being mocked to them in 26% of mock drafts surveyed. In his breakdown of Ford’s traits for NFL.com, Lance Zierlein was high on the offensive lineman. Zierlein graded Ford at 6.04, which is an “instant starter” grade. Ford was ranked 28th among all prospects in this year’s draft. Zierlein said that “Ford offers a rare combination of physical and athletic traits that will have NFL teams dreaming of his upside.” Zierlein called Ford a high risk/high reward prospect at tackle, saying that the better route may be to play him at guard. This confusion about Ford’s positional fit may have caused him to drop a bit lower than expected in the draft. Ford can play both right tackle and either guard position, which gives him the versatility Buffalo covets in its offensive linemen. However, Ford also has the athleticism and upside that makes him a fantastic prospect no matter the spot on the offensive line he plays. ESPN analyst Todd McShay gave the Bills kudos for standing pat to select Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, noting that the gap penetrator was, in his estimation, Buffalo’s best value pick. However, all Buffalo did was what it was supposed to do in that situation—they had an elite player fall to them in the draft, and they took him. With Ford, they saw a player they coveted in a free fall, and they acted accordingly, trading up two spots with minimal loss of draft capital (a fifth-round choice, 158th overall) to secure an elite prospect who fits an immediate need. The Carolina Panthers traded up to draft offensive tackle Greg Little, who was the 45th overall prospect on NFL.com’s board. Buffalo selected Ford one spot after Little, drafting prospect number 28 at 38 overall. Oliver, whom the Bills drafted ninth overall, was the eighth-best prospect in this year’s draft per NFL.com’s grading system. Buffalo definitely made some great choices in the 2019 Draft, but when it comes to value, the best choice they made was in drafting Cody Ford.<doc-sep>The Buffalo Bills have an aging running-back room headed by LeSean McCoy, who turns 31 in July, and Frank Gore, who turns 36 next week. Clearly, the team was going to select a running back in the 2019 NFL Draft, as an injection of youth was necessary to set up the team for long-term success at the position. So what’s wrong with Buffalo selecting Florida Atlantic running back Devin Singletary, a player who averaged 1,429 yards on 238 carries, an average of six yards per carry, over the course of his collegiate career? The Bills spent an early third-round pick on a player with average-at-best athleticism for his position while there were other players at positions of need on the board that many analysts graded higher overall. The Bills had needs at tight end and edge rusher, and they also needed help in the defensive secondary. They proved this by selecting Ole Miss tight end Dawson Knox via trade-up later in the third round and then by selecting Miami (Fl.) safety Jaquan Johnson in the fifth round. They selected edge rusher Darryl Johnson from North Carolina A&T in the seventh round, and used another selection on a tight end in that same round, taking Boston College senior Tommy Sweeney. The player picked immediately after Singletary was tight end Jace Sternberger, who not only was graded higher than Singletary by NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, but he also had significantly better collegiate production than Knox. The next running back selected, Alabama’s Damien Harris, was just as productive as Singletary on a per-touch basis, averaging 6.4 yards per attempt throughout his college career. Throw in the fact that he has approximately 250 fewer touches (read: contact plays) under his belt, and Harris looks like a pretty attractive prospect in comparison. Buffalo also passed on edge players from bigger schools who could have stepped in and immediately contributed to the defensive-line rotation. Chase Winovich (77 overall), Jaylon Ferguson (85 overall), and Oshane Ximenes (95 overall) all graded out higher than Singletary at a position of need. Reaching for a running back earlier than they needed left them in a position where they drafted a lesser player to help the pass rush, arguably a far greater need than another running back. Five running backs (Dexter Williams, Rodney Anderson, Ryquell Armstead, Alexander Mattison, and Trayveon Williams) with a higher overall grade, per Zierlein, were selected after Singletary. One running back with the same grade, Bryce Love, was selected after Singletary. Washington selected Love with a pick they received from the Bills in the trade-up to grab Knox. Selecting Singletary set off a chain of events that forced the Bills to forfeit draft capital in order to draft at positions they deemed to be “of need.” Had the Bills resisted the urge to draft a running back with their third-round pick, instead opting for an edge rusher (for argument’s sake, let’s say they selected Ferguson), then they’d have had two fourth-round picks with which to draft a running back and a tight end. Their draft could have looked like this: DE Jaylon Ferguson (74 overall) RB Bryce Love (112 overall) TE Foster Moreau (137 overall) Admittedly, this is nit-picking. Singletary could very well go on to have an excellent career, and he could contribute in a Bills’ backfield that looks quite crowded now, with the aforementioned veterans combining with T.J. Yeldon and Singletary to make for a strong four-way competition for time and touches. The argument could be made that it’s actually Knox, not Singletary, that was the biggest reach. Given that Singletary was selected earlier at a position that has much less value in the modern NFL, I’m inclined to go with him over the athletic tight end. It was that pick that set up the chain of events where a trade-up for Knox occurred, as well, for even if the Bills didn’t take Singletary, they had a solid option in Sternberger available to them. They could then have made the trade that they did to move up the board to select an edge rusher, which would have been a better choice than a running back at that time. Judging value in the immediate aftermath of a draft is always a difficult, if not impossible, task. In a draft where general manager Brandon Beane and company did so much right, this was their one minor misstep.<doc-sep>The Buffalo Bills have announced the numbers their 2019 NFL Draft picks will be wearing in the fall. There are some familiar numbers being worn by new faces and some numbers that Bills fans haven’t seen on Sundays in quite awhile. First-round draft pick Ed Oliver has chosen number 91. The number was most recently claimed by Kyle Peko, but he has switched to 94. You could read 91 as 9 + 1 = 10, the number Oliver wore at the University of Houston. Alternately, you could read it as an homage to when he was drafted, 9th pick in the 1st round. The most recent, prominent Bill to wear 91 was Manny Lawson from 2013 to 2016. The Bills’ second-round pick, Cody Ford, will don the number 70. All Bills fans know that number was most recently worn by Eric Wood. On Twitter Wood acknowledged the announcement saying, “This photo isn’t easy to see but #70 wasn’t getting retired in Buffalo so I’m glad the dude getting my number is going to maul people on the field this year!” Running back Devin Singletary will be wearing number 40—a relatively obscure number in Bills history. Most recently that number was claimed by Tanner Vallejo. Some fans may recall the number 40 being worn by short-yardage specialist Robb Reddick in the late ‘80s. New tight end Dawson Knox has chosen number 88. Khari Lee is the last player to wear 88, but Marquise “Flash” Goodwin 2013-2016 is more associated with that number in recent history. Pete Metzelaars is the most successful Bill to suit up in the double eights. He wore the number for a decade in Buffalo, including the Super Bowl years. Former Florida Gators linebacker, Vosean Joseph will wear 50 for the Bills. The same number worn by another recent rookie linebacker—the player formerly known as The Legend of Kiko Alonso. Since Alonso was traded the number has gone from Tony Seward to Ramon Humber. Ray Bentley also wore the number back in the Super Bowl years. Jaquan Johnson, the Miami Hurricanes safety drafted in the sixth round, has chosen 46 for his uniform number. That number has not seen the field for the Bills since Marlon Kerner wore it from 1995 to 1998—over two decades ago. Prior to Kerner, Leonard Smith wore 46 for three seasons. Defensive end Darryl Johnson will wear number 92 in Buffalo. Johnson’s number has seen some great owners. Both Ryan Denney and Ted Washington wore it for the Bills. Adolphus Washington is the most recent Bill to wear those digits. Last, but not least tight end Tommy Sweeney will wear the same number he wore at Boston College— number 89. Sweeney will have big shoes to fill wearing that number. Two Bills legends have previously worn it: Steve Tasker and Brandon Reilly.<doc-sep>The 2019 draft class is an exciting one for fans of the Buffalo Bills to watch develop. The team has two instant starters in defensive tackle Ed Oliver and offensive lineman Cody Ford. How fast these two players can reach their ceiling and become cornerstones of the franchise is something many cannot wait to see. The remaining Bills picks filled needs on the roster with athletic and high-potential players. While several of later round picks will need time to develop and will most likely not see the field as starters, they may nevertheless contribute when called upon this fall. Here are five reasons to be enthusiastic about the Bills’ 2019 draft class: Ed Oliver will make the entire defense better Oliver is an athletic freak who will instantly bolster the productivity of the entire defensive line. Opposing offenses will need to game plan for Oliver, who demonstrated a penchant for shooting gaps and getting in opponents backfields during his college career. The No. 9 overall pick should complement whoever the Bills place opposite the opponent’s center next year. Star Loutulelei or Jordan Phillips will fill the role of space eater while Oliver can use his athleticism to exploit the space on the line. He will also help edge rushers Trent Murphy and Jerry Hughes, as teams will need to account for Oliver. Last season, the Bills had linebacker Lorenzo Alexander attack the interior of opponent’s offensive lines in certain blitz packages. While Alexander was productive, now consider a more versatile interior defensive lineman with an additional 40 pounds matching up against guards. Oliver should also be able to hold his own against the run. He will take on blocks while freeing second-year middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to find space to attack ball carriers.<doc-sep>
The Buffalo Bills earned high praise for their 2019 draft class from one of the most dedicated outlets one could find. The Draft Network gave the Bills an overall grade of B-plus for their eight-pick haul at the recent extravaganza. In coming to that conclusion, TDN’s Joe Marino labeled three of Buffalo’s draft picks in the process with a title: best pick, worst pick, and best Day 3 pick. Here’s how those worked out: Best pick: DT Ed Oliver, Houston Worst pick: RB Devin Singletary, FAU Favorite Day 3 pick: TE Tommy Sweeney, Boston College In regards to the overall grade, here’s how Marino landed on B-plus: I don’t look at Buffalo’s 2019 Draft Class and find any extreme reaches or insane values outside of Oliver at No. 9 overall. I have questions about the Devin Singletary selection in general, but also because it was an opportunity passed by Buffalo to invest in an edge rusher like Chase Winovich who went to the New England Patriots three spots later. With Trent Murphy as the lone edge rusher on the roster beyond this season, that investment would have made a ton of sense to me. On Day Three, I like that Buffalo added two players in Vosean Joseph and Jaquan Joseph who project wonderfully to special teams where the Bills fell short in 2018. Oliver and Ford project as impact starters, but how Knox and Singletary evolve and impact the offense will ultimately define the class. Since the moment the Bills selected Oliver at nine, they’ve received plenty of praise for selecting him, and general manager Brandon Beane has received even more for having the patience to stand pat at No. 9 to get him. Many speculated that Oliver could be selected as high as third overall in the draft. In Singletary, Marino says the value for the Bills was right when they selected him at No. 74 overall in the third round. What has Marino worried is how Singletary’s game translates to the NFL level, having played against Conference USA competition in college. Other concerns one can find in Singletary’s game are his size. At 5-foot-9, he’s not undersized, but won’t be the biggest back on the field, and he’s currently in a packed house of a backfield. Before the draft, the Bills signed T.J. Yeldon to a running back room which also includes LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore. In the long-term, a running back makes sense, but it is a little puzzling for 2019 after signing Yeldon. Sweeney? If the Bills can hit on one single Day 3 pick? Well, that’s gold. They’ve done so in each draft class under Sean McDermott, in players such as Matt Milano and Taron Johnson. Sweeney could join that group of late-round gems the Bills have found in recent years.