DANTE LASTING
Sports Editor
The most viewed draft in NFL history is in the books and hope and optimism could not be higher for all 32 teams. The fact that it was the only live sporting event Americans have had in a while could have helped boost those viewership numbers. Either way, it was a unique draft that NFL fans have never seen before and it didn’t crash and burn, as many people thought it might.
Buffalo Bills fans knew going into this draft that the team’s roster is pretty solid and only had two to three holes to fill. This Bills draft gave the team impact players that can get on the field on day one, and great depth for some positions that make the whole team better.
Round 1 (22): Traded to Minnesota Vikings for WR Stefon Diggs
Round 2 (54): A.J. Epenesa – Defensive End
Round 3 (86): Zack Moss – Running Back
Round 4 (128): Gabriel Davis – Wide Receiver
Round 5 (167): Jake Fromm – Quarterback
Round 6 (188): Tyler Bass – Kicker
Round 6 (207): Isaiah Hodgins – Wide Receiver
Round 7 (239): Dane Jackson – Cornerback
Best Value Pick:
Without having a first-round pick on day one, the Bills were still able to get a first-round talent with their second-round pick. Epenesa out of Iowa was projected by a lot of scouts and analysts to go in the first round. He fell in the draft due to a less-than-perfect combine outing in March. For Bills General Manager Brandon Beane, he didn’t care that much about that and saw the value of a player like that in the second round. Epenesa is a great run-stopper, has great hands, a long wingspan and had 26.5 sacks in his three years at Iowa. He will provide depth and a younger option for the Bills along the defensive line.
Biggest Surprise:
Most Bills fans didn’t expect the Bills to draft a quarterback in this draft and, after the pick, a lot of fans are split about whether it was worth it or not. Now, nobody expects Fromm to compete with Josh Allen for the starting job, but the draft pick could be competing to be his backup. Fromm slid further than a lot of people thought he would, but another case of a less-than-average combined performance helped with that. It didn’t help that he wasn’t able to have his pro-day or go and meet with teams in person because of the coronavirus pandemic. This is another value pick for the Bills that gives the team a low-risk option to have a high football IQ guy in the quarterback room and compete for the backup job.
Most Upside:
This year’s wide receiver class was touted as the best and deepest in NFL history. Thirty-seven wide receivers were selected in this draft, a new draft record. Even though the Bills traded away their first-round pick for Diggs, they didn’t shy away from bolstering up the wide receiver position in the draft. One of the lesser-known receivers in this class is Gabriel Davis. The fourth-round draft pick played at UCF and improved his stats every year. The big, physical pass-catcher has a lot of talent and potential for success on the Buffalo Bills team. Davis had around 2,400 yards and 23 touchdowns in his three-year career at UCF. He does not have to start right away and can learn from the three great receivers the Bills already have.
The Bills organization got a lot of value with their draft picks this year and focused on players with toughness and a competitive spirit. This draft class puts a lot of rostered players on the hot seat and will have to up their game to be ready to compete with these young guys if or when the NFL training camp starts up.