2011 NFL Mock Draft: Buffalo Bills Edition 2.0
As the 2011 NFL Draft slowly but surely creeps closer, many questions remain unanswered regarding the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills finished 4-12 this past season, garnering themselves the third overall selection in this year's draft. In my previous mock draft, my colleague, fellow Bleacher Report contributor Christopher Kerr, and I tried to address the Bills' needs by predicting who they would take with each pick.
This mock draft was made in early January and didn't account for the potential draft pick's combine performances. Some player's stocks have risen, while others have steadily declined as the draft approaches.
In our previous draft, we had the Bills selecting Da'Quan Bowers out of Clemson to bolster the Defensive Line and add a much-needed pass rusher. Head inside to see who the Buffalo Bills will take in the much-anticipated 2011 NFL Draft.
Comments are strongly encouraged. Enjoy.
With the No. 3 Overall Pick, the Buffalo Bills Select...
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Von Miller, OLB/DE, Texas A&M
With Cam Newton going to the Panthers with the First pick and Marcell Dareus going to the Broncos with the Second selection, Bills fans will welcome Von with open arms.
This 6-3, 246-pound man will terrorize opposing quarterbacks and provide the Bills with a pass rusher they haven't seen since the days of Bruce Smith. In addition to Miller's ability to get to the quarterback, he is also capable of dropping back into pass coverage.
After watching Chris Kelsay trip over his own feet last year in attempt to cover the opposing team's tight ends, I hope to see Miller make an immediate impact by decreasing Kelsay's playing time.
Why didn't we go with Bowers this time around? The answer is quite easy. With the immense increase of doubt concerning Da'Quan Bowers' durability, he has taken a plummet from being a potential top 3 pick, to being picked in the latter part of the top 10.
Questions have risen about his "one-year wonder" status and whether the risk is worth the reward. Putting it best, Franchises are made and destroyed through the draft.
At this point, I cannot see the Bills putting our future, and possibly our existence in Buffalo, in the hands of an injury-plagued one-year wonder.
While Da'Quan will most likely find himself a rich man on draft day, Ralph Wilson will not be the one signing his checks.
With the No. 34 Pick, the Buffalo Bills Select...
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Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
In our previous mock draft we had the Bills selecting Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State. Sherrod has fallen off my draft board while Christian Ponder has won a place in my heart.
The risk with Ponder is one that I would be willing to take in the second round. At the 2011 Senior Bowl, Ponder went 7-13 for 132 yards and 2 TD's en route to winning the game's MVP award.
Chan Gailey coached the South Team to a victory behind Christian Ponder's arm and I hope the Gailey-Ponder connection will lead the Bills to the promised land in the near future.
With the No. 68 Pick, the Buffalo Bills Select...
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Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson
After the release of Marcus Stroud early on in the off-season, the Bills have a gap to fill at DT. With the improved play of last year's second-round pick Torell Troup and third-round selection Alex Carrington, the Bills will look to continue their quest to build a better run defense.
Finishing dead last in run defense last season, while allowing eight 200-plus yard rushing games, the Bills should be very concerned.
Jarvis Jenkins is one very large man, standing at 6-4, 311 pounds. Alongside Pro-Bowler DT Kyle Williams, Jenkins will add a much-needed boost to the D-Line and plug the hole left by seasoned NFL veteran Marcus Stroud.
By adding Von Miller and now Jarvis Jenkins, the Bills are definitely making a step in the right direction.
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With the No. 99 Pick, the Buffalo Bills Select...
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Casey Matthews, ILB, Oregon
This is the only pick that remains from my previous Buffalo Bills Mock Draft and it does for good reason.
For starters, with Paul Posluszny's future as a Bill in doubt, we could use another play-making ILB to play next to Von Miller.
I don't know about you, but if I saw No. 55 coming around the edge with his beautiful, crispy flow blowing in the breeze, I'd cry.
He is a scary-looking man and based on family pedigree, Clay Matthews III being his brother, there's a good chance he can become an impact player for years to come.
With the 121st Pick, the Buffalo Bills Select...
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Davon House, CB, New Mexico State
You can never have too many CB's.
At this point in the draft, it's hard to find impact players and statistically speaking, late-round picks don't have the greatest success.
Maybe House can be a diamond in the rough and help McGee and McKelvin in the long run.
In the Fiftth Round, the Buffalo Bills Select...
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Derek Newton, OT, Arkansas State
The Bills could use an extra man on the O-Line to help protect Fitz or whoever our quarterback of the future may be.
Newton isn't the best O-Line prospect in the draft, but he's low risk and has a good upside.
In the Sixth Round, the Buffalo Bills Select...
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Deunta Williams, FS, North Carolina
Although Williams is a natural Free Safety, transitioning to Strong Safety shouldn't be that much of a problem.
As Donte Whitner seems to be on his way out, the Bills will need another able-bodied defender to take his place on the roster.
With Their Final Selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills Select...
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Chris L. Rucker, CB/FS, Michigan State
I know we just took a Free Safety in the last round, but what the heck, why not take another.
Rucker has decent hands and has the ability to become a good special-teams player, an area of the game that Buffalo has taken pride in recently.
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