Alternate logo of a high school football team that plays in Section VI in Western New York state, the West Seneca West Indians. The logo is also the prime logo of the school’s wrestling team. The Indians’ gridiron program is one of the state’s most respected, and won the NYS Class A state championship in 2017.
1997 Pacific Philadelphia football card of former NFL offensive lineman Justin Strzelczyk, who played 9 seasons at tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He attended West Seneca West High School, where he starred in football and basketball. He also played hockey as a youth. Strzelczyk died tragically in a car accident at the age of 36 in 2004.
The long wait is over! The seven round mock drafts for the Buffalo Bills for 2021, compiled by the expert staff at Rayonsports.com, are ready to be revealed. Here are the predicted choices for Buffalo made by Connor Pohlman, Josh Pohlman, Scott Prelewicz and Ray Prelewicz. I’ve added some comments to show why the picks would be justified:
Connor Pohlman – Caleb Farley (CB, Virginia Tech) – a young corner to man the spot opposite Tre White is a popular pick among draft experts. Farley would be a top 10 prospect without injury concerns and there’s a chance he falls to this pick.
Josh Pohlman – Caleb Farley (CB, Virginia Tech) – see above.
Scott Prelewicz – Joe Tryon (Edge, Washington) – scouting reports list his best position as an outside 3-4 linebacker but he has the versatility to play in any system. He opted out of the 2020 season so there’s hesitation to pick him by some clubs high in the first round.
Ray Prelewicz – Landon Dickerson (OL, Alabama) – a surprise pick with a long term goal of Dickerson eventually replacing Mitch Morse at center. He has played all 5 positions on the offensive line and the Bills value versatility highly.
Connor Pohlman – Quinn Meinerz (G, Wisconsin-Whitewater) – a small college diamond in the rough, he opened eyes at the Senior Bowl and catapulted up draft boards. Not very athletic but makes up for it with exceptional strength and good technique.
Josh Pohlman – Pat Freiermuth (TE, Penn State) – the Bills are a little light at the tight end position on the current roster so a good prospect like Freiermuth makes sense here. He’s an excellent receiver with good hands and an adequate blocker in the run game.
Scott Prelewicz – Pat Freiermuth (TE, Penn State) – see above.
Ray Prelewicz – Asante Samuel Jr. (CB, Florida State) – there will be a number of good CB prospects available at this pick, but most are slot corners. Samuel has the ability to play on the boundary and with good NFL bloodlines, should be able to handle starting on day one.
Connor Pohlman – Hamsah Nasirildeen (S, Florida State) – the Bills have a pair of solid starting safeties, but with both over 30 they need to plan for the future. One description of Nasirildeen has to appeal to the Bills considering the teams they face in the AFC – “tight end neutralizer”.
Josh Pohlman – Deonte Brown (G, Alabama) – at 6’3 and 364 lbs. he is an imposing road grader who could help the Bills improve their run game. Brown is a good pass protector and excels at neutralizing inside pressure.
Scott Prelewicz – Trey Smith (G, Tennessee) – very high character player who has encountered some medical issues with blood clots that may drop him down some teams’ draft boards. His best asset is power run blocking, which the Bills could use an infusion of.
Ray Prelewicz – Alim McNeil (DT, North Carolina State) – the Bills need to toughen up the inside of their defensive line, with the uncertainty of Star Lotulelei returning in shape from opting out in 2020. McNeil is an excellent DT1 prospect. He’s a top notch run stuffer with potential to develop as an inside pass rusher.
Connor Pohlman – Demetric Felton (WR, UCLA) – small, quick slot receiver who also lined up as a running back for the Bruins. His best NFL fit is as a gadget player in an offense that uses multiple receiver sets, which makes him ideal for Brian Daboll’s offense.
Josh Pohlman – Jonathon Cooper (Edge, Ohio State) – he mostly projects as a designated passing down edge rusher, but the Bills rotate their defensive linemen a lot so he could be a fit. He’s not the prospect that other Buckeye players like Chase Young or the Bosa brothers were, but he’s good enough to play in the NFL.
Scott Prelewicz – Anthony Schwartz (WR, Auburn) – a small but fast deep threat, he is a track guy but also a real football player. The loss of John Brown to the Bills could open up a spot for a home run hitter like Schwartz.
Ray Prelewicz – Elerson Smith (Edge, Northern Iowa) – definitely a developmental project who would need to get stronger to survive in the NFL but has very high potential. He is similar to Darryl Johnson, another later round gem uncovered by the Bills’ scouts.
Connor Pohlman – Tommy Kraemer (G, Notre Dame) – he’s a four-year starter for a major college program so his experience alone will help him in his quest to play in the NFL. He could be valuable O-line depth for the Bills but doesn’t project to being a starter.
Josh Pohlman – Josh Imatorbhebhe (WR, Illinois) – a big, athletic wide receiver whose lack of real production will drop him into the later rounds of the draft. He has enormous potential, however, and the Bills could afford to develop him on the practice squad as a future contributor.
Scott Prelewicz – Malcolm Koonce (Edge, Buffalo) – a local prospect that the Bills should have a good scouting report on. He’s a long, rangy pass rusher whose weakness is getting overpowered against the run. He’ll need development time but could become a solid pro.
Ray Prelewicz – Malcolm Koonce (Edge, Buffalo) – see above.
Connor Pohlman – Chris Rumph II (Edge, Duke) – he’s small but as a coach’s son understands the game well and plays with good technique. He may have to carve out a role as a versatile specialty defensive player with a role on special teams.
Josh Pohlman – Malcolm Koonce (Edge, Buffalo) – see round 5B picks above.
Scott Prelewicz – Rachad Wildgoose Jr. (CB, Wisconsin) – here’s a guy who you hope makes it in the NFL for his name alone. A shoulder injury left him without much game tape for scouts to analyze but he can play either on the boundary or the slot.
Ray Prelewicz – Drake Jackson (C-G, Kentucky) – at only 290 lbs. his only spot in the NFL may be at center, unless he adds weight and strength. His best trait is experience, as he was a four-year starter in college.
Connor Pohlman – Rachad Wildgoose Jr. (CB, Wisconsin) – see round 6 pick above.
Josh Pohlman – Jaret Patterson (RB, Buffalo) – after the stellar season he had for the Bulls, including an eight touchdown performance, this would be an excellent final round pick for Brandon Beane. There is way too much high-end potential to pass up.
Scott Prelewicz – Damar Hamlin (S, Pitt) – he is a willing tackler and has adequate ball skills but can be susceptible to double moves in the pass game. A long shot prospect, as most seventh rounders are, who would have to make an impact on special teams.
Ray Prelewicz – Jaelon Darden (WR, North Texas) – wide receiver is a very deep position group again this year, and some good prospects will fall into the late rounds. Darden is a small but fast option who would be good as a gadget player for Brian Daboll and also a possibility to boost the kick return production.
Logo of a rabid fan base that lives and dies by its’ local NFL team’s fortunes, the Bills’ Mafia. The term is so widely known, used and loved by the Buffalo Bills’ fan base that the team actually trademarked the name. Members of the group have been involved in donating to charities over the years, including donations to Bengal QB Andy Dalton’s charity after he engineered an upset over Baltimore that sent the Bills to the playoffs in 2017, and to Oshei Children’s Hospital, Josh Allen’s favored charity, after the young quarterback’s grandmother passed away.
1963 Fleer football card of former pro football cornerback Booker Edgerson, who played 9 seasons in the AFL, mostly for the Buffalo Bills. A key member of the Bills’ back-to-back AFL titles in the mid-1960s, he was the embodiment of a “lockdown corner” before that term was popular. Edgerson was a track star as a sprinter and long jumper in college. He was a two-time AFL All Star, is a member of the Bills’ Wall of Fame, and has been active in charitable endeavors through the Bills’ Alumni group.
The team of expert analysts at Rayonsports.com has once again put their collective heads together to produce a first round mock draft for the NFL’s upcoming selection meeting of college prospects. Connor Pohlman, Josh Pohlman, Scott Prelewicz and Ray Prelewicz took turns making the clubs’ choices for the 32 picks. Here are the final results:
Alabama coach Nick Saban, once again, produced a high number of NFL-ready players this season. Our mock draft totaled 7 first rounders altogether. Three clubs who need to improve have multiple first round choices to try to accomplish that – Miami, Jacksonville and the New York Jets. At the other end of the spectrum are the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks, all of whom have no opening round picks. The Seahawks, in fact, have only 3 picks in the entire draft.
COMING SOON: Our draft experts submit their seven round mock drafts for the local club, the reigning AFC East champion Buffalo Bills.
Not a team logo, but the logo used for the 1990 NFL draft. The first pick of the draft was quarterback Jeff George, secured by the Indianapolis Colts via a trade with Atlanta. That year’s class produced 5 future Hall of Famers in Emmitt Smith, Shannon Sharpe, Cortez Kennedy, Junior Seau and John Randle, who was undrafted.
2010 Score football card of NFL placekicker Ryan Succop, who has enjoyed a 12 year career in the league with 3 different teams. He is perhaps the most successful of the NFL Draft’s “Mister Irrelevant” class, a name given to the last player chosen on the draft’s final day. Succop holds 2 NFL placekicking records – highest single season field goal percentage by a rookie (86%) and most consecutive field goals made inside 50 yards (56). He earned a Super Bowl ring kicking for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
The final entry of our four part Bills’ season review delves into what the team needs to accomplish in the off-season as far as adding talent to improve their standing. Having made it to the AFC Championship game in 2020, the challenges GM Brandon Beane faces are much different than in previous off-seasons. Nonetheless, there are still areas where the Bills need to get better next season. Here are our projections on the positions Beane has to address:
As prolific as Buffalo’s passing attack was in 2020 behind the arm of Josh Allen, the run game was very much abysmal. Allen, on scrambles and designed runs, was the best run game option. There is some debate as to whether the team needs a more dynamic running back to improve the rushing attack, or a stronger offensive line. Free agency is not a good option if Beane decides on adding a playmaking back. Most of the options are either too overpriced, plodding runners or are aging. Some draft experts see the Bills possibly taking a back with pick # 30 in the first round, and if players like Clemson’s Travis Etienne or Najee Harris of Alabama are still on the board, Beane might be tempted to go that route. Both are versatile and explosive.
Star Lotulelei’s decision to opt out of the season left a hole in the Bills’ defensive rotation that hurt their ability to contain the run. Buffalo might not want to wait to see what kind of condition Star, a big man, is in after not playing all year, and one name on the free agent market that stands out as a perfect fit for his spot is Dalvin Tomlinson of the Giants. He is a solid space-eater type of lineman with a high motor who would make the players around him, including Ed Oliver and the linebackers, so much more effective. It will take some salary cap finagling to be able to sign him, but I would like to see him be a top priority. In the draft, a couple of those space eating type tackles could potentially fall to the second round. They are Alabama’s Christian Barmore and Marvin Wilson of Florida State. In the middle rounds, an intriguing name is Tedarell Slaton from Florida, who is a mountain at 6’5 and 358 pounds.
Premier edge rushers in free agency are rare and usually expensive, and require an investment the Bills can’t afford at this point. There are some names on the list that stand out, but they are either 30+ years in age or will command dollars Buffalo doesn’t have, even if they cut ties with Trent Murphy and save some cap cash. That leaves the draft again. Edge rushers who project to be available when the Bills pick are Patrick Jones II of Pitt and Carlos Basham out of Wake Forest. Mid-round possibilities include Tulsa’s Zaven Collins and Shaka Toney from Penn State. Buffalo might also consider a late round flyer on a local product, University of Buffalo’s Malcolm Koonce.
In today’s NFL you can never have enough cover corners, and although late round 2020 pick Dane Jackson could be a candidate for a breakout season, Buffalo could go CB as high as their first round pick if he’s the best player available. Aaron Robinson of UCF has been projected to the Bills at that pick by Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network. Asante Samuel Jr. could fall to them at pick 30 also. He has NFL bloodlines as his father played in the league. If the Bills are looking for length at the corner, a later round gem might be found in Washington’s Keith Taylor or Robert Rochell from Central Arkansas. The free agent CB list is mostly older players over 30 or Buffalo retreads like Ronald Darby and Nickell Robey-Coleman.
Among free agent tackles on the market, the Bills’ best option looks like re-signing Darryl Williams to man the right tackle spot for another year. Also, their best and least expensive FA choice at guard appears to be their own Jon Feliciano. That leaves the college ranks again. Using the best player available formula, if Alabama tackle Alex Leatherwood or Tennessee guard Trey Smith fall to 30, either could be picked. There are plentiful choices from rounds 2-6 available among O-line prospects. The team would do well to look at players like Ben Cleveland from Georgia, Notre Dame’s Aaron Banks, Walker Little from Stanford, Dillon Radunz, a North Dakota State stud, and Spencer Brown of Northern Iowa.
This is definitely not a position of need for the Bills. However, should the team look to save cap space and add speed by not bringing back return specialist Andre Roberts, they might look for a cheaper and faster option like D’Wayne Eskridge of Western Michigan, who comes highly recommended by Rayonsports contributor and draft guru Josh Pohlman. Shi Smith from South Carolina and Dazz Newsome out of North Carolina are other later round possibilities.
Used from 1996 until 2000, this is the logo of a college football team that plays in the Mountain West Conference, the Utah State Aggies. The school played it’s first gridiron season in 1892 and has won 12 conference titles over the years. The list of former Aggies who have enjoyed pro football careers is long, and includes Bob Gagliano, Lionel Aldridge, Jim Turner, Bobby Wagner, Al Smith, Barry Sims, Altie Taylor, Len Rohde, Donald Penn, Bill Munson, MacArthur Lane, Rulon Jones, Cornell Green and Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen.