Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Senior Bowl practice comment

Senior Bowl Game

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Senior Bowl practice comment

Senior Bowl practice comment

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Senior Bowl practice comment

Senior Bowl practice comment

Senior Bowl Game

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Senior Bowl practice comment

Senior Bowl practice comment

B+

2009 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

For a team that drafted three players on my "will have better NFL careers than many drafted higher than them in the draft" and signed a fourth as a college street free agent, a B+ seems low.  That is because of some missed opportunities (I.M.O.) that could have made this draft one of the best ever based on talent brought in and need.  Read on

DRAFT PICKS

Maybin is a tremendous pass rusher, maybe the best in the draft, but I had him projected as a 3-4 outside linebacker, not a defensive end.  As an end he is light and may have trouble holding the point of attack against the run.  He may, however, be fine.  Look at the Colts' Robert Mathis as an example of how he could be used.  While Maybin may be the better pass rusher, as a three-down end, I thought Orakpo had more upside.

Wood was my top rated inside offensive lineman in the draft.  He really impressed me during the Senior Bowl Game. Wood is strong and has quick feet.  He will be a fixture at center for the Bills for a long time.  He was a great pick and will be a top NFL player.

While I had Byrd with a third round grade at corner, the grade was based on him settling in long term at free safety.  If the Bills are looking at him as a free safety, I can't argue the selection.  However, as a corner he lacks speed and could give up big plays.  At corner, I like Sean Smith and Kennan Lewis better at this spot.  However, my selection would have been William Beatty, a player I project to be a solid to top left tackle down the line. 

Here is where I had my first disagreement with the Bills draft.  Most scouts had Levitre as their top guard.  Not me.  First, he is projection to guard from tackle.  Second, he looked overmatched at guard during the one-on-one drills at the Senior Bowl.  Now he did show quick feet during the workouts, so I only dropped him to a third round value (my rankings are based on probability of success and the Senior Bowl practice flag was just too great for me to give him a higher grade).  The top guard on my board was Urbik, who was scooped up by the Steelers at pick #79 in round three.  Therefore, Buffalo could have avoided trading up and drafted Urbik with their original pick in round three (#75).  If the draft went my way up to this point the Bills would have Orakpo, Wood, Beatty and Urbik instead of Maybin, Wood, Byrd, and Levitre.  But my massaging of the Bills draft will not end here.

Shawn Nelson in round four was one of the biggest steals in the draft.  T.O. must be very excited that the Bills drafted him his Jason Witten.  By the way, comparisons of Pettigrew to Witten are unfounded.  He is nowhere near as fast or athletic.  It is Nelson who has the best chance to be the next Jason Witten because not only is he fast and have excellent hands, but of all the receiving tight ends in the draft he has shown the best potential to develop into a solid blocker.  Oh, Bills fans, I have the perfect question a reporter needs to ask T.O. so you can get a feel for whether or not T.O. will make it through the year without a blowing up the team.  The question is: Since very early in your career you have been the number one receiver on every team you have been with.  How will you handle clearly being the number two receiver behind Lee Evans on the Bills?  I would love to hear T.O.'s response to that one (ego, two # ones on team, or defer tyo Evans).  Oh, and if someone asks this question, I would appreciate the plug for suggesting it.

Now for my second disagreement with the Bills draft.  Nic Harris is a smart football player and will help on special teams.  However, his upside is limited and he will never be a starter that the team relies on long term.  However, Marcus Freeman is such a guy and was, surprisingly (at least to me) was available at this spot.  Freeman could have come in and challenged to start at WILL from day one.  In fact I predict that Freeman will develop into a good starting linebacker in the NFL.  Harris will be a quality reserve.  Another option at this spot, if the Bills drafted Beatty instead of Byrd and wanted a corner, was Victor Macho Harris, a player I have more-highly rated than Bryd as a cornerback.

Cary Harris is a corner with some size who could have a tough time making the team.  A corner with some size who I liked better was Mike Mickens, although drafting Harris here was fine.

Lankster is a kid I like a lot better than most.  I had a fourth round grade on him.  He is a playmaker who can cover and isn't afraid to hit.  I see him as a long-term, high-quality nickel or dime back who can step in and hold the fort well if a starter gets hurt.  He could also play free safety and is a good return man.  Lankster was an exceptional seventh round pick.

 COLLEGE STREET FREE AGENTS

The combination of the accumulation of some excellent football players and missed opportunities made the Bills draft a difficult one to grade.  However, signing undrafted free agent Joel Bell was an excellent course correction.  Bell was one of the top undrafted players available, and plays a position of need for the Bills.  If a team drafted Bell in round three I wouldn't have batted an eye, and in fact, may have said good move if the team was grooming a left tackle.  Bell is strong, has quick feet, is athletic, has good size and played very well at Furman.  He isn't NFL-ready yet, but will be.  He won't replace Peters this year, but has a real shot to be that guy down the line.

Hennessey could offer the Bills a versatile backup.  He could backup right tackle, and, if he adds some bulk, he has the quickness to be a backup at guard as well.  He may need a year on the practice squad to get bigger.

McCall is a slow tight end who has reasonable, but not great hands, and disappointed as an in-line blocker at Senior Bowl Practices.  So why did he make my draft board?  Good question.  McCall could stick in the NFL as a fullback.  While he didn't block well on the line he could be fine as a 276-pound lead blocker, who can also catch some passes.   However, he will have his hands full trying to make this team.

Palmer garnered some attention during Senior Bowl Practices, although most must have occurred off camera because he didn't jump out that much for me.  That said, Palmer could be a plus special teams player and a decent backup linebacker.

The Bills doubled-up on the slower, taller corner (Byrd and Harris) and now on the shorter, faster corner (Lankster and Sargeant).  While Sargeant has some skills, it will be difficult for him to beat out Lankster.  He could, however, wind up on the Bills' practice squad. 

The Bills addressed their biggest needs with their first three picks and they were all excellent picks.  After pick #3, however, the Bills draft board and mine went in different directions.  As much as I liked the Bills first three picks, the rest of their draft left me scratching my head.   In free agency, guard Robert Felton was a good signing.

DRAFT PICKS

McKelvin was my top rated cornerback.  He should start from day one and be a top corner.  McKelvin and Gholston are my early picks to fight for the defensive rookie of the year honors.  McKelvin is a solid cover corner with speed, quickness and athleticsm.  He needs a better feel for coming up with interceptions, but I believe that will happen because he reads plays well and is almost always in a good position to make a play on the ball.  A great pick for Buffalo.

From all the receivers in this draft, Hardy was the ideal player to slot opposite Evans.  He had the best combination of size, strength, speed, quickness and athletic ability of all the taller receivers in the draft.  He has had some off-the-field issues (battery), but seems to have that part of his life behind him.  Hardy, however, doesn't always play to his measureables, but I look for that to change in the NFL.  Hardy is just what Evans and Edwards wanted.

Ellis is a speed rusher some projected to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.  However, he lacks the quickness and athleticism for that position.  He is best suited as a 4-3 end, who starts off as a pass rusher in the nickel and could develop into a starter down the line.  With Ellis on board, Kelsay may now be a two-down player with Ellis replacing him on obvious passing downs.

Reggie Corner went higher than I had him graded.  He is a smallish, quick corner who can cover slot receivers.  At corner, I liked Jack Williams who went 5 slots later better.  I also liked TE Tamme at this spot.

Fine is a short, quick tight end without long speed.  He is more of a short area receiver than a blocker.  As such, I would have grabbed Tamme at the previous spot and CB Bowman or Scandrick here.  Worst case, I like Barnidge as a receiver more than Fine.  He has better size and speed and is also quick like Fine.

Bowen is another player the Bills liked more than me.  He is small linebacker without great speed or quickness.  Gary Guyton, who went undrafted, is a better fit as an undersized linebacker.  He is very athletic, fast, quick and a sure tackler.  Guyton not being drafted was one of the biggest mysteries in this draft for me.

Omon was terrific in college.  His skill set is best suited as a short-yardage, goal-line back in the NFL.  He has a chance to win that role with the Bills.  He could also be cut or end up on their practice squad.

Bell has good size and is a good athlete.  However, he needs lots of strength training.  He is a candidate for the Bills' practice squad.

Johnson has decent speed and size.  He will have his hands full trying to make this team.  Jabari Arthur, who was not drafted is a player I like who may have been a better choice at this spot.

Cox has a terrific workout which got him drafted.  He played safety in college but has decent coverage skills.  He has a chance to be a good dime back.

COLLEGE STREET FREE AGENTS

Viti a a very strong kid who is a one dimensional blocking fullback and the Bills do employ a blocking fullback in some of their sets.

Felton is an interesting free agent.  He fell off the map with a bad workout but was productive in school.  He is certainly worth a look in camp and could be a nice surprise.

McCray is an athletic, smallish defensive tackle.  However, with the depth at this position, the most McCray can probably hope for right now is a spot on the practice squad.