1. What this top draft prospect loves about the Buffalo Bills
Players are taking notice of Buffalo's brand new training facilities. The state-of-the-art performance center caught the attention of the entire NFL and draft prospects were impressed after their visits to One Bills Drive.
"The facilities are amazing, just to put that out there. Their facilities are top-notch,"said Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver according to Andy Young of Spectrum News.
Oliver has been commonly mock drafted to Buffalo with the ninth pick and has earned comparisons to Aaron Donald for his unique combination of size, speed and athleticism.
Oliver is aware of the potential situation in front of him.
"Their scheme is great and it fits me," Oliver said. "They need a three-technique linemen and if it's me that they call on then 'hey I'm coming.' Kyle Williams was great for them and I would like to watch his film and see how he lasted so long. I think I can come in right away, step up to the plate, and play. They have a unique situation where a guy retired and they need someone to come in right away and play, that would be a blessing."
2. Prominent players previously selected at Buffalo's current pick positions
The day is finally here. The 2019 NFL draft begins at 8 pm and will air on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes.
For months NFL teams have put together game plans for every single situation they could imagine and tonight it will finally come to fruition.
The Bills have 10 total picks in the NFL draft. They own picks number 9, 40, 74, 112, 131, 147, 158, 181, 225 and 228. Here's a list of players Buffalo has picked at these positions before.
No. 9 – C.J. Spiller, Haven Moses, Billy Shaw
No. 40 - Thurman Thomas
No. 74 – Tim Anderson
No. 112 – Dale Hellestrae, Jimmy Payne, Lyn Hart
No. 131 – Jonathan Linton, Tony Cline
No. 147 – Tank Carder, Nic Harris, Alvin Bowen
No. 158 – AJ Ofodile
No. 181 – Fred DiRiggi, John Ford, George Gaiger
No. 225 – Glenn Jones
No. 228 – Mario Haggan, Charlie Killett, Jim Beaver, Mike Stock
Hall of Fame member Thurman Thomas leads the charge of the Bills previously picked at these spots. Thomas was a five-time pro bowler and a MVP in his 12 years with the Bills from 1988-1999. He currently sits at 15th on the all-time rushing list with 12,074 career yards.
Other notable NFL picks from these positions include Hall of Fame members Bruce Matthews at No. 9, Michael Strahan at No. 40 and Will Shields at No. 74.
3. Trade up or trade down? Analysts make the case for both scenarios
Should the Bills trade up, trade down, or stay put with the ninth pick? No one knows what the exact plans are but Bleacher Report and ESPN disagree on what Buffalo's plans should be.
Bleacher Report says Buffalo needs to move up to grab a pass-rusher.
"As such, the Bills could move up to build upon their No. 2-ranked defense in 2018 by securing the pass-rusher of their choice. The team has the ninth overall selection, and top-tier pass-rushers such as Ohio State's Nick Bosa, Kentucky's Josh Allen and Mississippi State's Montez Sweat may be off the board by the time Buffalo is on the clock."
ESPN says Buffalo can trade down because of the draft depth.
General manager Brandon Beane made his mark trading up in the 2018 draft, but circumstances are different in 2019. There seems to be good depth at the top of the draft at positions of need for Buffalo -- offensive tackle and defensive line. By trading down in the first round, the Bills could still tap into the talent at those positions while picking up extra picks to address other areas. Unlike last year, the Bills enter the draft without any extra selections until the fourth round. -- Mike Rodak ESPN
The Bills will make their decision tonight at 8 pm but until then Buffalo's draft plans remain up in the air.
