1. Will any of these top 50 prospects head to Buffalo?
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah came out with his second list of top 50 prospects in this year's NFL Draft. More than a few of these top 50 prospects have been assigned to the Bills at the 22nd pick in various mock drafts. Out of the 29 mock drafts buffalobills.com has tracked, nine mock drafts have Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins being drafted by Buffalo with the No. 22 pick. On Jeremiah's list, Higgins is No. 30.
Higgins is a tall, long and rangy wideout with elite high-point skills. He uses a quick foot fire to defeat press coverage. He is a smooth, long-striding route runner. He is at his best when on the move: slants, posts and go routes. He lacks snap at the top of his route when working back downhill. He has incredible ball skills down the field. He can elevate and also adjust to the back-shoulder ball. After the catch, he is very smooth and slippery. Overall, Higgins isn't going to do a lot of the dirty work in the middle of the field, but he's very effective on the outside and provides big-play ability.
Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault heads to Buffalo on four mock drafts and is No. 24 on Jeremiah's top 50 prospects list.
Shenault is arguably the best athlete in the entire draft class. He is tall with a thick, muscular build. He lined up everywhere in Colorado's offense -- out wide, in the slot, at running back and he even took snaps as a Wildcat quarterback. Shenault isn't a nuanced route runner, but he is a monster with the ball in his hands. He excels on quick hitters, fly sweeps and vertical routes. He has strong hands and his transition into a running back is immediate after the catch. He steps through tacklers and has a burst to finish. He is very competitive. Overall, Shenault will need time to develop into a fully polished wideout, but he can have an immediate impact for a creative offensive coordinator. He's too big, strong and fast to not contribute. His drafting team just has to figure it out.
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is Buffalo's 22nd pick on four mock drafts and is ranked 38th out of 50 draft prospects.
Gross-Matos is a tall, long edge rusher for the Nittany Lions. He will stand up on the edge or launch out of his 4-point stance. He is a very productive pass rusher. He doesn't have an elite get-off, but he has very active hands and an array of moves. He has a quick swipe move, inside spin and he can also bend/wrap at the top of his rush. I'd like to see him develop more power, but he still has a lot to work with. He is very effective on loops and games. He does need to improve versus the run. as he sometimes plays too high and gets uprooted. Overall, Gross-Matos offers double-digit sack potential but he does need to add strength at the next level.
Edge rusher A.J. Epenesa out of Iowa is projected to be drafted by the Bills on three mock drafts and is No. 23 on Jeremiah's list.
Epenesa is a skilled pass rusher with outstanding size, strength and effort. He has average get-off quickness, but he boasts strong hands, can flip his hips and is a reliable finisher. He has a variety of hand techniques, including a violent club move, swipe move and a push/pull move. He also will flash a long-arm move with his inside arm. He has a great feel when an OT is leaning outside, which creates an opening for his up-and-under inside-counter move. Against the run, he can hold the point of attack easily. His effort on the back side is outstanding, but he lacks the burst to make a ton of plays from distance. Overall, Epenesa has a very high floor as a prospect. He should be a consistent 8-to-10-sack performer at the very least.
Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III is the 22nd overall pick by the Bills on two mock drafts and is No. 11 on the top 50 prospects list.
Ruggs has an unbelievable blend of speed and toughness. He lines up outside and in the slot. He ran a lot of slants and take-off routes in Alabama's offense -- and he was special on both. Ruggs boasts world-class speed -- he truly explodes off the line and after the catch. He needs to continue to refine his releases against press (he gives up his chest too often), but not many defenses will want to take that chance against his speed. His hands are good not great and he does allow too many balls into his chest. After the catch, he runs away from most defenders while occasionally running through them. He is outstanding on jet sweeps and also has kick-return value. Overall, Ruggs has Tyreek Hill-type ability. He will be a matchup nightmare every week.
LSU edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson is the 22nd pick by Buffalo in two mock drafts and is listed as the 26th best draft prospect of 50 by Jeremiah.
Chaisson primarily lined up as a stand-up rusher in the Tigers' defensive system. He is long, explosive and very athletic. As a pass rusher, he relies more on pure get-off speed and athletic ability than technical skill. He is at his best as a looper, where he can find a crease and explode through. He has yet to figure out how to use his length to his advantage on a consistent basis. Against the run, he flashes the ability to stack and hold the point, but he's at his best slipping blocks and creating havoc. His speed and effort show up on the back side of plays. Overall, Chaisson is more athlete than football player right now, but he has all of the raw tools to be a dominant force at the next level.
2. Which prospect will shine at this year's combine?
Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski thinks nine players will “blow up” this year’s NFL combine and one of these players is projected to be drafted Buffalo in two of the 29 mock drafts we have tracked. That player is wide receiver Henry Ruggs III out of Alabama and he is known as one of the quickest players in this year's draft class.
Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III won't just go to the combine and try to be the fastest man in his class. He has a legitimate shot to break Ross' record in the 40-yard dash.
In this case, Ruggs' speed is already well-known throughout the NFL scouting community. According to AL.com's Matt Zenitz, Ruggs ran in the 4.25-second range during last spring's junior pro day.
In 2019, Ruggs had 40 receptions for 746 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 18.6 yards per catch.
3. This Bill made NFL.com's top 101 free agent list
With free agency looming and the NFL combine this week, free agency talk is heating up. NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling created a list of their top 101 free agents in 2020 and Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Shaq Lawson made the list at No. 99.
Long an enigma in Buffalo, Lawson's production picked up just in time for free agency. ...
Lawson had 30 total tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2019.
