Day 1 saw the Bills land their top need with a toolsy, highly skilled, fast, athletic, tackling, ball-hawking, high upside (I could go on and on) CB in Mad Max Hairston.
On Day 2 they will hope to land more difference makers and there are still some on the board, but which positions should they target and when?
The Bills hold 2 picks currently and they are both in the second round, 6 picks apart at picks 56 and 62.
I will be tracking the prospects for the Bills live on my Big Board as the picks come in.
Let’s look at who might be available.
Positions to Target
- DT
- DE
- WR
- S
DT
The Bills missed out on the top tier players, as Mason Graham, Derrick Harmon, Kenneth Grant, and Walter Nolen were all drafted well before the Bills could even think about trying to make a play for them. Even Maliek Collins snuck into the first round when most thought he would be available in round 2.
The good news is that there are still second and third tier players worth targeting. Here are the top ones I’m looking out for:
Trade Up Candidates
- T.J. Sanders – South Carolina
- Darius Alexander – Toledo
- Alfred Collins – Texas
Stick and Pick
- Omarr Norman-Lott – Tennessee
- Joshua Farmer – Florida State
Who I Am Hoping For – Darius Alexander
DE
There is intriguing talent still remaining when Day 2 begins including talented but troubled rusher Mike Green. He will likely be gone within a few selections, but we’ll see how far he slides.
In my view, there is a very clear tier break, so if you are going to pick a DE in round 2, you will probably need to trade up to do so.
Trade Up Candidates
- Mike Green – Marshall
- Donovan Ezeiruaku – Boston College
- Nic Scourton – Texas A&M
- J.T. Tuimoloa – Ohio State
- Princely Umanmielen – Ole Miss
Stick and Pick
- Jack Sawyer – Ohio State
Who I Am Hoping For – J.T. Tuimoloa
WR
While there were plenty of receivers selected in the first round, this is where I have been targeting WR seriously.
The talent pool at this level tend to blend from tier to tier without clear drop offs. If the Bills do end up selecting a WR, I would almost see them packaging a 4th and 5th to get a third rounder at the end of a tier. They also might have already done this to move up in the second.
Trade Up Candidates
- Luther Burden III – Missouri
Stick and Pick
- Jayden Higgins – Iowa State
- Jalen Royals -Utah State
- Jaylin Noel – Iowa State
Who I Am Hoping For – Jalen Royals
S
Safety has been heavily debated as a targeted draft position as RB can be seen as a similar level of need. James Cook has been great, but it looks like he wants a top contract and won’t spring for a more team friendly deal. Safety is solid with Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop as projected starters, has been beefed up with the signing of Darrick Forrest, and has solid depth with Cam Lewis filling in, but the Bills only have 2 safeties signed beyond this year and I expect them to bring in talent from this draft to compete for a developmental role and play special teams. Maybe day 2 is too early, but if the talent drops to a range they simply cannot refuse, don’t be surprised if they continue to invest in a DB room that needs to improve upon last year’s performance.
Trade Up Candidates
- Nick Emmanwori – South Carolina
Stick and Pick
- Xavier Watts – Notre Dame
Who I Am Hoping For – Xavier Watts
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