1. AFC East teams make bold moves on night one of the draft
As the offseason continues to progress, the AFC East is becoming more and more competitive. The Jets, Dolphins and Patriots added talented players to their roster during the free agency period. During round one of the NFL Draft, the Jets added a quarterback and an offensive lineman, the Dolphins added a wide receiver and a pass rusher, and the Patriots added a quarterback as well. After the draft, Brandon Beane had a press conference with the media and shared what he learned about the division after round one.
"They all got better," Beane stated. "They got some young talent. Obviously, I mentioned earlier, two went with quarterbacks, very good quarterbacks. They'll definitely be guys that we'll have to contend with and stop guys that had great success. The Jets went up and added a lineman, as well. Miami added a pass rusher. Our division from free agency, and what already has been added tonight in the first round, it's going to be really tough. We knew it would be, but that's what makes it fun, and we got to do our job to continue to find players to offset what they've done."
2. Two quality mentors for the new draft pick
The Bills selected defensive end, Greg Rousseau, out of Miami (FL) with the 30th overall pick. The redshirt sophomore just turned 21 on April 5 and the young player has a lot of room to grow and develop as an NFL pass rusher. With a big veteran presence on the defensive side of the ball, he will have a lot of players that he can lean on for advice and guidance. In his Zoom session with the media after round one, Beane talked about how Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison will help Rousseau learn what it means to be a pro.
"We got some vets in there and those are two of the best, I mean guys that are pros, tough," Beane said. "They're going to show him how to work hard, get in the training room when you got an injury, just grinders. I think they'll really help. I think those guys did a great job in helping Epenesa grow last year. I think Daryl as well. I have no doubt that Jerry and Mario will show him what it is to be a pro, some of the counters that I talked about. Some of these young guys in college, a lot of them don't have those developed yet. Jerry and Mario are two guys that really do a great job of when they get stymied, having that counter whether it's a spin or hand move to get off the tackle. I'm excited for those guys to be around Greg, and we'll see what happens."
3. Rousseau: "I'm ready to earn the respect of everybody in Buffalo"
After round one of the NFL Draft, Greg Rousseau is excited to become the newest member of the Buffalo Bills. The defensive end out of Miami only played one full season in 2019, but he racked up 54 total tackles, 15.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and won ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. In a Zoom call with the media after the first round, he explained what kind of player he is and how he will fit in with the Bills.
"I'm just a player that's gonna bring it all from day one," Rousseau said. "I'm ready to go out there and compete, and I'm ready to go out there and get better. I'm also somebody who's gonna give high effort at all times. I feel like I really rely on my motor a lot but I'm also gonna just keep getting my technique better, and I'm gonna just be the best player I can be. I'm ready to earn the respect of my teammates, my peers, my coaches, and everybody in Buffalo, even the fans."
