Who Should the Bills Draft 27th Overall?

With free agency on the back-burner now, the Buffalo Bills and the fan base will start looking towards the draft. The Bills currently hold the 27th pick, and there are a lot of places they can go with their first-round pick. Unlike previous years, there isn’t one big hole that the team has to fill in the first round… there are multiple.

Last year, everyone, including the Chiefs, knew the Bills were going to take a cornerback. So Kansas City jumped them on the board and potentially took Buffalo’s guy in Trent McDuffie. Now, teams aren’t completely sure where Buffalo will go. So let’s take a look at some options at pick No. 27.

LB Jack Campbell (Iowa)

As I’ve previously mentioned, Jack Campbell is the exact same player that Tremaine Edmunds was for Buffalo. Standing at 6’5”, 249 lbs, Campbell has all the intangibles to become a starting MLB in the NFL and is best in a zone coverage scheme, something that the Bills play a lot of. Last season as a senior, Campbell totaled 125 tackles, one sack, two INTs, and one forced fumble. If the Bills get him in the LB room, the defense likely won’t miss a beat next season.

LB Trenton Simpson (Clemson)

Trenton Simpson would be an interesting player for the Buffalo Bills. Seeing as their most recent signing, S Taylor Rapp, has plenty of positional flexibility, the Bills could go that route through the draft as well. If they do, Simpson is their guy. Clemson’s former defensive coordinator, Brent Venables, had Simpson lining up anywhere from deep safety to weak-side LB in 2021. The issue with Simpson though is his development. And that all depends on where the Bills would line him up to begin his career. But, considering they love drafting developmental players, it shouldn’t affect their decision too much.

WR Zay Flowers (Boston College)

Don’t freak out, but Zay Flowers isn’t the big-bodied receiver everyone is clamoring for on social media right now. Standing at 5’9”, 182 lbs, he’s definitely on the smaller side. But he makes up for it with his on-field production, where he totaled 78 receptions for 1,077 yards and 12 TDs last season. He has a bit of a drop problem, however, as he dropped 24 passes over his four-year collegiate career (11% drop rate). He posted a 50% contested catch rate this past season, which is fantastic for his size. Most of his production came in the open field. Running a 4.42 40-yard dash, Flowers may fit best as a speed receiver for Josh Allen.

OT Darnell Wright (Tennessee)

The Buffalo Bills need help on their offensive line, specifically at right tackle. Ruining Spencer Brown’s development shouldn’t factor into their decision of drafting an OT early this year. Standing at 6’5”, 333 lbs, Darnell Wright has experience at both RT and LT and has a good blend of both size and power. Wright is fantastic as a pass blocker, but could use some work in the run game. If Brandon Beane is willing to wait for him to develop as a run blocker, this could be a home run pick if they don’t find their LB at 27.

WR Jordan Addison (USC)

Yes, another WR. But with DeAndre Hopkins seemingly falling out of Buffalo’s hands, it’s worth taking a look at multiple receivers. Addison is bigger than Flowers is, standing at 5’11”, 173 lbs. He doesn’t have the speed after the catch that Buffalo may want from their WRs (Ken Dorsey would hate Addison). But, he makes up for it with his separation on all levels of the field. Addison would be an immediate impact player with Josh Allen, and would be a fantastic WR2 opposite Stefon Diggs.

Analysis

For further analysis on these players and others, check out the latest episode of the BF Writer’s Club.

Featured Image: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen