2015 NFL Draft: Offensive Line Prospects for the Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills made plenty of noise this offseason. They signed one of the league’s best running backs in LeSean McCoy; they brought in arguably the league’s best defensive coach in Rex Ryan; and they inked the explosive Percy Harvin and Charles Clay. With all the hype surrounding Buffalo, what should the Bills be looking for in the upcoming NFL draft?

Frankly, the Bills need a quarterback. If the Bills hope to compete for an AFC East title, they’ll need to find a quarterback capable of leading an elite offense. But it seems entirely unlikely that the signal-caller question will be answered in the draft, given that just two players—Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota—are viewed as potential NFL stars.

The Bills don’t have a first-round pick, so Winston and Mariota are out of the question. And, given their aggressive offseason, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for Buffalo to take a second- or third-round gamble on an unheralded quarterback prospect. Instead, the team should aim to shore up its offensive line, which was one of the league’s worst last year, per Pro Football Focus.

Luckily for Buffalo, this draft class is deep. Here are three players who could help the Bills and are likely to be on the board when it comes time for Buffalo to make a selection. 

Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon

Fisher stands 6’6” and weighs 306 pounds. He has a quick first step, good hands, and—as you can see in the video below—a good understanding of angles, momentum and leverage. Furthermore, while Fisher received a worrisome number of penalties, he is rarely fooled by spin or swim moves; he’s tenacious (he always finishes the play) and doesn’t get beat on the first step. 

It’s unclear if Buffalo plans to run a particularly fast-paced offense, but Fisher—coming out of Oregon’s ludicrously fast offensive system—should have the endurance to play at the NFL level. 

If he can avoid penalties and stay healthy (he missed time in 2014 with a leg injury), Fisher could be a welcome addition to Buffalo’s offensive line. However, as Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo noted on Twitter, it’s entirely possible that Fisher is off the board by the time Buffalo drafts at No. 50.

If that’s the case, the Bills should consider...

Tyrus Thompson, OT, Oklahoma

The most important thing about Thompson is his athleticism. He has the strength, instincts, quickness and footwork to be a starting tackle in the NFL. You can see it in the Vine below, as Thompson’s man doesn’t even catch a glimpse of Oklahoma’s quarterback:

Thompson’s heavy arms and punches are effective against the bull rush, and scouts everywhere seem to agree that he absolutely has the talent and physical tools necessary to achieve NFL success. Plus, he’s been durable, as he missed just two games in his final three college seasons. 

Arguably the biggest knock on Thompson is character-related: According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, Thompson is “considered lazy and maddening to scouts, who question how much he loves the game.”

However, choosing a potential-laden tackle with the No. 50 selection is hardly ever a silly decision. And it appears that Thompson has not flown under Buffalo’s radar:

A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina

Perhaps the most highly regarded player on this list, Cann projects as an early second-round pick, and he would be an excellent addition for Buffalo. While Cann doesn’t have Thompson’s raw size (Cann stands 6’3” and weighs 313 pounds), he has fewer glaring weaknesses than both Thompson and Fisher. 

Like Thompson, Cann has already drawn attention from Buffalo:

Cann is almost never susceptible to the bull rush, doesn’t draw penalties and (as shown in the video below) has loads of raw power. Like Thompson, he has the raw tools to succeed in the NFL, and (like Thompson) he was durable in college, starting all but one game in his final three seasons. 

Right now, the Bills figure to start an offensive line including Cordy Glenn, Chris Williams, Eric Wood, Richie Incognito and Seantrel Henderson. That line could use a jolt, particularly because Buffalo will likely rely heavily on McCoy. And a successful offensive line can mitigate some of the problems caused by Buffalo’s lack of a quarterback. Manuel, for instance, will almost certainly be more effective if he’s consistently protected.