Buffalo Bills Mock Draft: Updated Day 2 Predictions

All was quiet for the Buffalo Bills on Day 1 of the NFL draft. There was no wonky trade made by general manager Doug Whaley as the Bills prepared for what could be an extremely busy Day 2. 

Plenty of first round-quality talent spills over into the second day of the draft and Buffalo sits in a good position to make a move either up or down in the second round. There are still plenty of wild-card situations for the Bills heading into Friday and several good prospects at positions of need remain without a team. 

The biggest question as we approach the 50th selection is: Will Whaley go for need or best player available?

High-risk, high-reward options will be available when the Bills come on the clock for the first time and may be hard to ignore. Positions like defensive line and wide receiver are not big needs coming into the weekend, but they provide serious value with the talent still on the board. Guard is perhaps the biggest need outside of the quarterback dilemma and only Laken Tomlinson of Duke came off the board in the first round. 

Whaley and Rex Ryan have a long night ahead of them with so many options to choose from. 

Over the next few slides, we will go through an updated mock with the first round of the NFL draft under wraps. 

Round 2

Pick No. 50: Bryce Petty, Quarterback, Baylor

This pick is very hard to predict for a variety of reasons. 

First of all, there is not a whole lot of separation in talent from the end of the first round to the end of the third round. There are so many quality players who will make immediate impacts in the second or third round, maybe even more so than the boom-or-bust crowd the first round possessed this year. 

Secondly, possible selections Laken Tomlinson and Stephone Anthony both came off the board at the tail end of the first round, while a few intriguing first-round talents dropped due to off-field issues. If Randy Gregory or Jalen Collins fall to the Bills in the second, they might not be able to resist the temptation regardless of the problems. La'el Collins' bizarre off-field story involving the murder of his ex-girlfriend might be nothing in the long run, but in the post-Aaron Hernandez NFL teams cannot take that risk without knowing the facts. 

In the end, Bryce Petty has a good chance of becoming the apple of the Bills' eye. I might not like it. You might not like it. But it doesn't mean that they don't like it. 

Petty is the best pure passer in this draft, but age and injury kept him from being a first-round selection. The Bills might be able to make the playoffs with one of the three quarterbacks currently on their roster acting as a game manager, but Petty's live arm could make him the best option in the not-so-long term. 

Baylor might have a good system at the college level and maybe teams should be staying away from quarterbacks coming out of the program. Robert Griffin III has had mixed results at this level, but Petty is the next one in line to prove critics wrong about the Bears' players behind center. 

Round 3

Pick No. 81: Clive Walford, Tight End, Miami

Walford has been on my radar for a few months now and was listed in the positional rankings and mock draft earlier in the week. With consensus top tight end Maxx Williams falling into the second round, Walford could easily drop to the third round and would prove to be a steal for the Bills at this pick. 

The Miami tight end fills two needs with one pick. The Bills lost their biggest target on the field in Scott Chandler, who was far from a complete player at the position but did provide a big target in the red zone. Buffalo also lost its best blocking tight end in Lee Smith, who left for Oakland in free agency. 

In Walford, the Bills get a guy who can do both things relatively well. His blocking technique is still a little raw, but it is a lot further along than most of the guys coming out this year. 

Some teams allegedly took issue with Walford during the interview process, but cockiness isn't a trait that Ryan shies away from with his teams. Even if Walford is overconfident coming into the NFL, a locker room as sound as Buffalo's will put him in line pretty quickly. 

The talent is too great at this point in the draft. 

Round 5

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Pick No. 155: Taiwan Jones, Inside Linebacker, Michigan State

With Stephone Anthony a surprise first-round pick and Benardrick McKinney likely to be not too far behind at the top of the second round, Buffalo may miss out on value at the linebacker position in the second round. 

Jones is likely going to fall to the fourth or fifth rounds because of his severe limitations in terms of versatility. The former Spartan is purely a downhill run-stopper, much in the mold of Brandon Spikes, who played for the Bills last season. Buffalo has likely debated re-signing Spikes at certain points of this offseason but has little cap room to work with to get things done. 

Jones is a prototypical 3-4 thumper who will likely have to come out on third down. Drafting a guy like that in the first two rounds doesn't provide any value, but it's worth an investment in the middle of the draft. 

While his issues in coverage are a real concern, Jones has good instincts in finding holes in the offensive line and making stops behind the line of scrimmage. Because of his size and strength, very few running backs get away from Jones' grasp. If there is any hole in the Bills' linebacking corps entering the draft, it's a "Mike" linebacker who can cause disruptions up the A gap. 

Round 6

Pick No. 188: Max Valles, Linebacker, Virginia

Valles moves up a few spots in this mock, but I still like his natural abilities enough to take a risk this late. 

The former Cavalier likens a lot to Aaron Lynch from last year's draft, although Lynch was taken a little higher despite his project status. It's not inconceivable that Valles could go higher if a team falls in love with his measurables, but anything earlier than the fifth round would be a huge risk. 

At this point, Valles presents great value as a project. Give him two years in a Ryan program and he could see some of the same potential he might have seen if he had waited two more years to declare. As a redshirt sophomore, Valles could use the extra seasoning and will likely be a practice squad target no matter what team takes him. 

Pick No. 194:  Jamon Brown, Tackle/Guard, Louisville

Can the Bills go to the well two years in a row and take a "Brown" from the Louisville program? 

Brown is a physically imposing lineman at 6'4" and 323 pounds, but he lacks athleticism to stay at the left tackle position he manned as a Cardinal. Sliding inside to guard in a power-blocking scheme would be good for Brown's professional longevity, which makes him an interesting Day 3 prospect for the Bills. 

A bulldozer of a run-blocker and not a liability in the passing game, Brown gives the team another big guard who can possibly step in to fill one of the final glaring holes on the roster. 

Round 7

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

Pick No. 234: Erick Dargan, Safety, Oregon

Nothing has changed in this spot since Wednesday's predraft mock, although it wouldn't surprise me if Dargan becomes one of the Oregon Ducks who Chip Kelly over-drafts at the beginning of Day 3. 

All kidding aside, whomever the Bills pick in the last round is going to have a tall task to make the roster. It makes sense to spend the pick on a guy who can contribute on special teams right away, while also being able to hold his own if an injury arises. 

The Bills are all set atop the safety depth chart, as they hope Duke Williams takes the right step forward in his third year with the team. However, Dargan has a niche skill that can help him carve out a spot during training camp. 

Dargan has great hands for a safety and that is something the Bills have lost in each of the last two free-agency periods. Jairus Byrd and Da'Norris Searcy each led the Bills in interceptions at the safety position the year before they bolted for money elsewhere. Aaron Williams has the skills to be a talented ball hawk but only has one season of more than one interception in four years. 

Dargan comes in and gets a chance to pick a few passes a year at a small financial commitment.