BY: MEREKAT
It was far from being the sexiest or most exciting draft class we’ve seen in the early stages of the McBeane reign, but I think it was a damn solid one. Did I agree with every player/position picked? No, but as a whole, I really have embraced the mantra of building sustained success and building up young, quality depth with high upside. That’s what this draft looked like exactly to me. Running back, corner, or even receiver were all popular projections to Buffalo in the first few rounds of this draft. What do we end up doing? Two defensive ends and two offensive tackles over our first four picks – not what anyone in #BillsMafia was expecting or hoping for.
Overall, I’m still a content Beane disciple. His vision for this roster’s growth over the next few years is a lot clearer than it was a week ago. When all is said and done and we’re able to actually grade this draft class (not speculate like I’m clearly doing) – it could be one riddled with “steals.” If I trust any coaching staff to help this project-filled class to blossom into players Beane thinks they can be, it’s Sean McDermott & Co. I dub this class the “Draft to the Future” and Big Baller Beane is our very own Doc Brown. Personally, I hated slapping a grade on this already, but hey, here’s the first reaction of a kid with a blog and bad opinions.
No. 30 Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami: B-
B minus!?!? But MereKat, didn’t you take Rousseau for the Bills on the Crowd Assist Podcast’s live mock and harp him as a “for sure first-rounder”? Well, yeah, but it doesn’t mean the pick is an automatic A for me here. Rousseau is rawer than a package of 80/20 ground beef – he’s a project pick, and I’m okay with that. When Brandon Beane alluded to having a “future” mindset in this draft and Rousseau fits that narrative. Here’s what I wrote about him in my mock draft where I had him going No. 21 to the Colts:
I’ve seen Rousseau projected anywhere from pick No. 10 to No. 60. This is probably because he’s only played one full season at Miami in 2019 after opting out of the 2020 season due to Covid concerns. The lack of tape is a cause for concern, but the tape he does have is impressive. After an injury ended his freshman season, he took college football by storm in 2019, finishing second in the nation behind some guy named Chase Young with 15.5 sacks. Rousseau earned himself ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, first-team All-ACC, and Freshman All-American honors for the Canes and solidified himself as a force off the edge. A converted high school WR/S, Rousseau’s biggest positive is that he’s an explosive athlete with a relentless motor. He’s definitely one of the more “slippery” edge prospects available this draft as well. Downside? A lot of his production came playing from playing in a 0-tech at the NT spot, which, with his current frame, doesn’t seem possible in the NFL. Also, he doesn’t convert his speed into power well (improved on that near the end of 2019, though) and has trouble/lacks balance when attacking a block. That being said, he fills a big hole for a Colts team that has a chance to compete this year and desperately needs a defensive end to anchor their line to provide pass rush support to Leonard and Buckner. Colts fans should be terrified of taking a raw pass-rushing prospect like GR with their draft history.
NFL Comparison: Montez Sweat without all the sweat. Has all the tools, now needs to develop them.
Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier will need to work some OT with him this offseason to develop his pure pass rushing talent and traits into a reliable defensive end in our defense. He reminds me of Epenesa, not so much as a player, but a guy we might not even see active on Sunday to start the season as they ease him into the NFL. I love the prospects of Rousseau – if they can get the most out of him. I really like this pick even though I think a CB2 was more important and Ojulari a better option personally, but I’m still chugging my process juice.
No. 61 Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE, Wake Forest: A-
Yes, I have this graded better than Rousseau, and no, I didn’t have Basham over Rousseau on my big board. I’m not up in arms like some about taking another edge defender here. I questioned it a little, but I said on our Trainwreck Sports live stream for Day 2 another end wouldn’t surprise me with talented guys still on the board like Perkins and Basham. Whatdya know, that crazy SOB Brandon Beane did that thing and took Basham, which makes me think he was really staying “true to his board” since there were a lot of popular names at CB and IOL still available. He was the highest-ranked defender left on my board at that point, and I’m still surprised he didn’t go earlier – so the value helps the grade here. Defensive ends are a premium in the NFL nowadays, and we watched the Bucs terrorize Mahomes in the Super Bowl while the Bills pass rush was just not that great last season. Mario Addison and Jerry Hughes eat up a ton of cap space while tipping the scales of the roster’s average age in the wrong direction, so moving on from at least one of them sooner than later isn’t crazy. Building up your future on the edge outside of Epenesa and Obada.
If I were a gambling man, which I am, I’d bet that the man they call “Boogie” Basham Jr. will see significant snaps before Rousseau this season. He’s an ideal DE fit in a 4-3 and has an NFL-ready body at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds which bode well for his fit in our current scheme. In a nutshell, Basham is just a well-rounded DE – he’s thicc, strong, and quick with a variety of pass rushing moves at his disposal and can read the play moments after the ball is snapped. I’m a big fan of this move from both a value and fit perspective, probably would’ve been an A or A+ if I didn’t question not going CB a bit there (you can like the pick and believe in Beane while still raising concerns people).
No. 93 Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa: B
“Wellllllllllll, it’s the Big Show!” plays in my mind every time I think about Spencer Brown. The mountain of lineman clocks in at 6-foot-9 (nice) and ~315 pounds…one word, UNIT. I like this selection more than I probably should, honestly, just because the man jumped through a table after having his whole town there to party after getting the call from Buffalo. Just seems like the type of guy you want to grab a few blue heavys with.
Brown is a tough guy to beat around the edge with the unnatural combo size and quickness he has. “Length” is a popular descriptor for the modern-day offensive tackle, and it’s hard to find someone lengthier than Brown that can also control rushers with their hands. He’s been a reliable pass and run blocker, but the durability is a big concern. He’s had multiple surgeries on his knee and back that can be concerning for someone carrying so much mass. With Browns’ size, he’s going to have to player lower in the NFL so defenders can’t get under him and use his lack of balance against him. Another raw, high-ceiling at a lesser addressed position of need. Josh Allen is one Dawkins/Williams injury away from Blobby Hart protecting him. Oh, and did I even mention his 10 RAS yet?
#161 Tommy Doyle, OT, Miami (OH): C+
A bit of a tough grade here doesn’t mean I don’t like Doyle; he just wasn’t on my radar here at all. I liked the Spencer Brown pick, but why another giant OT? Depth? Looking ahead to a Daryl Williams-less future? Best available on their board? I’m not sure, but it’s almost like Beane’s taking out insurance on his initial positional picks going DE/DE and then OT/OT. I’ll never doubt BB when it comes down to it, yet it’s a head-scratcher for me.
Doyle’s a gritty ass, All-MAC swing tackle with massive size and impressive athleticism. It fits the Bills culture under McDermott to a “T” and could be a nice backup plan at either tackle spot. He’s fluid enough controlling his body to work rushers outside and contain them more so than just using his size to be a wall which is nice but breaks down moving on from his initial block. Like Brown, he’s big and top-heavy, too, so NFL rushers should be able to get under him unless he learns to adjust better. A super “meh” pick for me with some upside as a piece on a line with many questions marks surrounding its future.
#203 Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston: B
Here we go, dipping our toes into the mud with four picks over the next 33, starting at No. 203. With one of my favorite late-round projections for the Bills on the board, Shi Smith, the Bills opted for Marquez Stevenson at receiver instead. The pick once again feels like one made with 1 or 2 years down the line in mind. Nicknamed “Speedy” for his blistering on-field speed, Stevenson can add a needed speed element to the receiving room and special teams. Three return touchdowns are promising for a team that let Andre Roberts walk, but I doubt they took him for just his speed. You’ve seen what Daboll has down with Isaiah McKenzie, and with Stevenson’s potential, the sky’s the limit in a similar one. His explosiveness and sneaky catch radius are a welcomed addition to our current crop.
He has to work on his route tree, and durability is a concern (missed games every college season but 2019, including a torn ACL), but this is a nice low-risk, high-reward selection. Outside of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis – there are real concerns about the receiver depth in Buffalo for the near future. Could end up being a PS guy that needs a year to test his durability in the NFL before being unleashed/needed, but this pick has a bit of a “steal” smell to it.
#212 Damar Hamlin, S, Pitt: C+
Not so much a late-round luxury as it may seem, I said I wouldn’t have been shocked if the Bills made a run for a safety earlier in the draft. Poyer and Hyde are one of the best tandems in the league, but Dean Marlowe did leave in free agency and saw many snaps in our defense. Looking down the line for a future at safety isn’t stupid, and depth is not a bad idea with just Jaquan Johnson and Josh Thomas behind them.
A team captain, all-ACC, and a senior bowl invite once again fits the narrative for the type of guys the Bills seem to target. Hamlin has an ideal size but not the speed you want to see to match it. He’s good at taking the right angles and reacting to a play which would be great if he didn’t break down whenever he gets beaten downfield. We might have a solid shot at making the roster as a depth safety/special teamer, but yet again, we’re talking about a guy with an injury history that seems more of a project than someone that’ll make an impact this season. Still a good value in this spot at a position that could use bolstering, and the ability to maybe work in the slot nearly earns the pick a B minus.
#213 Rachad Wildgoose, CB, Wisconsin: B–
FINALLLLLLYYYYYYYY, getting a goddamn CB in this draft was harder than finding rubbing alcohol at Walmart last year. To top it off, it might be the best last name in the draft…WILDGOOSE!? THE GOOSE IS LOOSE IN BUFFALO BABY!
All kidding aside, I’m not too happy we waited this late to address the corner position but can appreciate the fact we added one at all. What earns the late sixth-round pick a B other than he’s a CB? He’s a corner who can actually move around the field, and the Bills secondary suffers from stiffness. I haven’t watched much tape on him, but from what I’ve seen and heard about him so far, he’s got fluid hips and has a knack to stick with the receiver – which is definitely good. He’s a bit smaller than I had wanted at the position coming into this draft (5-foot-11) but flashed solid ball skills at times when he isn’t playing recklessly. Wildgoose plays like a, well, wild goose at times, showing a tendency to bite hard on a play before it’s developed and racking up a lot of penalties in not a lot of playing time. I sound like a broken record, but it’s another guy who needs development, and the Bills coaching staff can help him reach his potential.
#236 Jack Anderson, OG, Texas Tech: D
Another guy completely off my pre-draft radar, so I don’t have much of an opinion on him other than what I’ve seen since drafting him. Like CB, I thought the interior of the line would be a priority in this draft’s earlier rounds with so much talent…but here we are in the seventh round. The guard depth is shaky at best on the Bills, so I’m just happy bringing in another body to compete or fill out the PS.
Anderson has great size (6-foot-5, 314 pounds) for a guard and was a highly touted top-50 high school recruit before settling into Texas Tech, where he did start as a true freshman. Other than that, I’m going off of draft profiles to say he’s got solid footwork for his size and can be utilized as a pulling guard. He’s gritty and likes to battle in the trenches (probably a former wrestler too if McD liked him) but can get a bit “out of control,” especially run-blocking. I don’t love what I’m seeing on the surface in terms of his game growing anymore at the NFL level and upset we missed out on some great prospects that were slipping in the middle of the draft, so this gets my worst grade in the Bills’ class.
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