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Underrated Prospects Bills Must Prioritize in 2021 NFL Draft
April 7, 2021Underrated Prospects Bills Must Prioritize in 2021 NFL Draft
The Buffalo Bills sit in an ideal position to be a perennial contender.
The reigning AFC East champion does not have many holes on its roster, and the depth issues it may appear to have can be fixed through the 2021 NFL draft.
Over the last few years, the Bills landed Matt Milano, Zack Moss, Devin Singletary and Gabriel Davis on the second and third days of the draft.
Milano was the key defensive piece Buffalo re-signed in free agency, Moss and Singletary make up the running back platoon, and Davis excelled in his first season alongside Stefon Diggs.
With most of the offensive skill positions set, the Bills can look to filling out their defensive roster with some of their picks.
If they have the same success with some of the gems in the 2021 class as they have had with Milano, Moss, Singletary and Davis, their roster could be even deeper in the coming years.
Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State
Marvin Wilson's draft stock plummeted in the last 12 months.
The Florida State defensive tackle went from a possible first-round pick to a likely Day 2 draftee because of a knee injury.
The team that lands Wilson on the second day could receive a powerful interior rusher who had 8.5 sacks across his sophomore and junior seasons.
Buffalo needs to add some depth to its defensive line, and Wilson could be the perfect guy to add competition to Ed Oliver and Harrison Phillips.
If the Bills could be four-deep with quality interior pass-rushers, they could get the best pressure possible on every down.
Defensive tackle should not be their first-round priority, but if Wilson is on the board in the second or third round, the Bills should take a closer look at him.
Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
Eric Stokes is one of two Georgia corners who could have the Bills' attention in the first two rounds.
Stokes and Tyson Campbell could go off the board early in the event's second day, but if the All-SEC player is still around at No. 61, the Bills should take a look at him.
Buffalo sits in a precarious spot with its draft position when it comes to the top-tier corners. Caleb Farley and Patrick Surtain II should be off the board by No. 31, while Asante Samuel Jr. and Jaycee Horn may receive boosts up the first round because of their NFL pedigree.
If the top four corners are gone by No. 31, the Bills could look at another position and wait until No. 61 to grab a perimeter defender.
Stokes had four interceptions in 2020, two of which he returned for touchdowns, and he beat a handful of talented defensive backs to earn the first-team All-SEC honor.
Since Campbell is the higher rated prospect out of the two Georgia corners, Stokes is more likely to be there at No. 62, and if he is, the Bills could bring in him as depth behind Tre'Davious White.
Kenny Yeboah, TE, Ole Miss
Buffalo is not taking a tight end in the first round, and it may wait until the third day of the draft to do so.
If that is the case, Kyle Pitts, Pat Freiermuth and Brevin Jordan are out of the picture to potentially supplant Dawson Knox in the starting lineup.
Ole Miss' Kenny Yeboah could be the physical pass-catching threat the Bills need to have across the middle and in red-zone situations.
Yeboah turned in the best campaign of his college career at Ole Miss with 524 receiving yards and six touchdowns off 27 catches. Before transferring, he did not record a 20-catch season in his four years at Temple, but he did have five touchdown receptions in 2019.
If the Bills scoop him up on Day 3, Yeboah could start as a red-zone complement to Knox, and if he impresses with his pass-catching skills and massive frame at 6'4", 240 pounds, he could take over the starting role at some point.
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Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.