Fitting the Bills: Day 3 Draft Values

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KzBEY7I2mw

The glamour of the draft happens on Thursday night, and you look to add impact on Day 2, but Day 3 is where you build the character of your team, while hoping to find that overlooked gem. The Bills hold 6 Day 3 picks this year after a flurry of trades down on Day 1 and one on Day 2 that puts them in position to fill out the roster with quality and to help fill some critical remaining holes on the roster. There are a handful of prospects that could be perfect fits for the Bills both on the field and in the locker room.

With the first pick of Day 3, the Bills have a chance to add an overlooked sleeper to look to contribute immediately. They hold 2 additional 4th rounders that may prove valuable.

WR: There was a major run on Receivers on Day 1 and 2 of the draft, and despite many in the Mafia wanting the Bills to bring one of them in, the Bills have yet to pull the trigger on Offense. Josh Allen would have a strong case for willful negligence for the lack of weapons the Bills have invested in to support him. However, at pick 101, they have another opportunity to redeem themselves starting with the Receiver I projected to them in my mock at 91, Bryce Lance:

91	Buffalo Bills	Needs: E, LB, WR, S, OL
	Bryce Lance	WR	N Dakota St	6030	204	4.34	9.95	7.41
	Physical frame; Freakish Size/ Speed/ Athleticism strong contested-catch skills. Flag: Level of competition concerns.				Vertical/Contested | Possession WR | Vikings, Packers |

Lance has potential upside as a multi-faceted weapon given his size, explosive speed, and great hands. He will need to prove he can do it against better secondaries than he saw at ND State, and he needs to continue to refine and improve his route tree, but his combination of physical traits and production, even at the FCS level, are rare. Freakish Size/ Speed/ Athleticism with a prototype physical frame. Strong contested-catch skills. Great hands (3 drops (2025); career ~3.8%) 89.5 PFF overall grade (10th among WRs); high YPRR; 149.7 passer rating when targeted (elite). Offers a different skill set at outside receiver the Bills do not currently have.

70

Skyler Bell

WR

UConn

6'0"

190

4.45e

9.82

7.43

Reliable possession target; smooth route runner. Flag: Missing "home-run" gear. Modern Spread Slot WR Similar skill set to Shakir.

100

Brenen Thompson

WR

Mississippi St

5086

164

4.26

9.52

7.00

Explosive undersized Water Bug, Fastest at combine. Highly productive. Flag: Tiny Frame, durability and limited contested-catch radius. YAC / Deep Threat SPEED to Kill

189

Kaden Wetjen

WR

Iowa

5086

193

4.47

6.03

A Kick and Punt return demon with incredible quicks and balance. Used on gadget plays. Not an every down WR, but will give you a cost effective elite returner for 4 years. Given the new KO rules, he could be a true steal on day 3.

Other WRs: Deion Burks, Barion Brown, J. Michael Sturdivant, Jeff Caldwell

Linebacker is another position the Bills need to address and I believe the 4th round is a sweet spot to find some gems. The Bills new Defensive approach may rely more on size at the second level than years past, with that, here are the top LBs left on the board:

106	Kaleb Elarms-Orr	LB	TCU	6020	234	4.47
108	Jack Kelly	LB	BYU	6020	240	4.57
121	Deontae Lawson	LB	Alabama	6030	226	4.64e
122	Aiden Fisher	LB	Indiana	6007	232	4.76
137	Bryce Boettcher	LB	Oregon	6012	233	4.69
138	Jimmy Rolder	LB	Michigan	6024	238	4.68
141	Karson Sharar	LB	Iowa	6014	231	4.56

Bryce Boettcher, Aiden Fisher and Jimmy Rolder all would be great value in the middle of Round 4. The Bills spent time with Rolder and Elarms-Orr.

Although Fisher is the smallest of the LBs on this list, his elite recognition skills, and role as leader of the Hoosiers National Championship team keeps him high up on it.

Boettcher is the kind of glass eating MLB type I gravitate to, and would be a beast vs the run but may not be a 3 down LB on Sundays.

Jimmy Rolder is ascending and I would not be surprised if its his name the Bills call. A late bloomer, that came on strong as the season went last year and became one of Michigan's most valuable defenders. May take time, but can earna jersey every Sunday as a potential core 4 ST demon.

Kaleb Elarms-Orr is a tall, lean backer who plays with his hair on fire. Needs to fill out that frame, and work on his recognition skills, especially vs the pass. Another that would have to cut his teeth on ST.

DT is getting thin, and it will likely take a Round 4 pick to lan one still on my board. Gracen Halton is standing out on my board, as a 3 tech disrupter but think the Bills need more of a NT/ 1 Tech to add

46

Gracen Halton

DT

Oklahoma

6030

293

4.82

7.10

My favorite of the space eaters, is Dontay Corleon, but Florida State DT Darryl Jackson has similar traits to Deone Walker, and some true upside potential, if he can be motivated. DeMonte Capehart is an intriguing prospect with freakish athleticism for his size (9.97 RAS). If you subscribe to Bill Parcell's Planet Theory, he is your guy.

107	Darrell Jackson Jr.	DT	Florida St	6'5"	330	5.30e	6.80
118	DeMonte Capehart	DT	Clemson	6050	313	4.85	9.97

152

Dontay Corleone

DT

Cincinnati

6'1"

320

5.10e

O-Line:

Beane is his presser mentioned OT depth as a need and it would not suprise me if at least one of the Day 3 picks goes for an OT or IOL. Travis Burke is top of my board at OT still available. Inside, Sam Hecht was one of my favorite prospects to watch and would be a steal.

116

Travis Burke

OT

Memphis

6086

325

5.17

6.25

9.05

130

Dillon Wade

OT

Auburn

6'3"

307

5.15e

6.10

9.13

77

Sam Hecht

C

Kansas St

6041

303

5.1

7.9

7.72

Technically sound center with good leverage. Needs to prove he can anchor vs NFL nose tackles. Technical / High-IQ C | Starting or Depth