May 1, 2025 • 22 mins
On this week's episode of Bills by the Numbers presented by FanDuel, Chris Brown and Steve Tasker discuss the Bills 2025 draft class and share their thoughts on who could make the biggest impact this season. They talk about the possible biggest surprises with this year's class and how some teams from the division may have taken a page out of Buffalo's book. Steve is quizzed on Bills draft tendencies in The Numbers Game. Finally, Chris and Steve give their answer to this week's One Burning Question - what is the most important quality that the Bills draft class adds to the roster?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's a post draft edition of Bills by the Numbers
where you let the stats tell you where the Bills
are at. We're presented by fand will make every moment
more coming your way. Who could provide the greatest impact
from this year's Bills draft flex and who could.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Be the biggest surprise.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Steve is quizzed on Bill's draft tendencies, and we'll have
our one burning question.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Let's make some picks. Have it?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Have you with us here on Bills by the Numbers,
Bill's Wall of Famer, Steve's tasker Bills played by Playmak
Chris Brown with you, and right off the rip, we
begin with these three things concerning Buffalo's draft class.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Thing number one. Even though there.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Were defensive positional needs entering this draft for the Bills
and knowing the strength of the class, particularly at the
defensive line positions, where you surprise is that each of
Buffalo's first five selections came on the defensive side of
the ball.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
A little bit.
Speaker 5 (01:06):
Yeah, I think they leaned into the strength of the
draft class. I think whether they knew it or not
going into it with the way their free agency period went,
whether they wanted to, they knew they would be able
to do it without too much problem. And five guys
at two positions if you count the defensive line is
one position, although it's not defensive end, defensive tackle and
(01:29):
two corners. We've said on the Daily Show Man they
scratched an itch for a lot of Bills fans, and
I think it went over really well.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
So I'm a.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
Little surprised though, that they got all five guys at
those spots where we had been talking about those spots
for weeks, and man o, man, it feels really good
because they got some guys. When you start digging into
the kind of guys they got and what they can do,
and what their strengths were, and what some of the evaluators,
the draft evaluators were talking about, we got some really
(02:00):
really intriguing prospects. So it's a lot of fun to
think about it. But I am surprised that they leaned
into it.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Like a lot of their recent draft classes, which we
covered on a previous edition of Bills By the Numbers,
have been relatively balanced. Yeah, like offense to defense. I
think last year was a perfect five on one side
of the ball five on the other side. In the
twenty four draft, class, and they come out of the
shoot five straight off the rip on the defensive side
(02:29):
of the ball. That was surprising for me. And here's
the other part too. You said they kind of gravitated
to the strengths of the draft class, which made sense,
but they also made two big moves up the board
for defensive tackles. They go up fifteen spots in round two,
they go up twenty three spots in round four. Like yes,
they kind of you know in round one being let
(02:51):
the draft come to him and take the corner in
Max Harriston, But he was also aggressive, as we've seen
him be in years past.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
And even though they came out with and they went
in with ten picks, came out with nine draft picks.
We all know too, it's not just about having three
offensive players and six defensive players. Five of the six
were at the top of the draft. You got to
and when you talk about draft picks, it's not just
about the draft class you get towards the front of
the Those are weighted picks. Those are high quality, high expectation,
(03:23):
high production assets that you went all on that side
of the ball. So this draft, while it was six
to three in favor of the defensive picks and the
offensive picks. They were all at the front of the
draft almost all. That's why it kind of feels weighted
heavily to the defensive side, not just with six to
(03:43):
three picks, it was also the first five.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
That's big thing.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Number two and naturally this question will lean toward the
earlier picks. But who do you believe could provide the
greatest impact from this year's draft class for the Bills
in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
I think he got to start at the corner with
Max Harrison. He's a guy that could step on the
field and get it done. He's an NFL athlete. He's
going to be able to keep up with whoever they face.
He's going to match up, you know. And like I said,
you look at the top of the draft, and that's
(04:22):
where you think it's going to be. And there's an
and the other one would probably be Landon Jackson. I
think those two are close. But I think I think
Max Harriston is going to be on the field. Yeah,
and they take when they kick.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
It off, And I think what enhances his chances for
that to happen is the fact that he has experience
playing both man coverage and zone coverage, and he's going.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
To be asked to do both here as well.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
But the fact that the scheme they ran in Kentucky
asked him to process and understand zone concepts as well
as man to man, which is considered a strength of
his I think equips him coming in the door with
the knowledge he's gonna need to get this coaching staff
to trust him and put him on the field as
a starter.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah, he saw.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
One of the reasons he's, you know, is the kind
of athlete he is, and he's had the evaluations he
did was that when you watch some of these guys,
when you watch their highlight tapes, it's the same play
and it's just spins different, like he does the same
thing over and over. Is he's really good at it, Harriston.
You see him dropping back with his eyes on the quarterback.
You see him up in the receiver's face chasing the
(05:27):
guy down. You see him playing off with his eyes
on the receiver. You see him playing zone man with
his he's off the receiver and looking at the quarterback.
So he's got an area to defend and he makes
plays in all of those aspects. He's not just you
know out he's just not just guarding a wide receiver
that he's way better athlete than and just just dominates
(05:48):
the guy. He's making plays in every aspect of the
defensive scheme, and they ask him to do a lot
of different things. He's good at all of them. He
makes plays in all of them. You see all that
stuff on his highlight reel. That's not always the case
with an.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Owner, and I would tend to agree with your pick
of Land and Jackson as well. He was my favorite
pick in the entire draft for the Bills because I
think they got him at a great value. I thought
he was going to be a top sixty pick. He
goes a little bit later than that to pick six
seventy two in round three. But I think this is
a guy that's going to challenge to be a base end,
(06:22):
base defense end on first and second down before Bosa
comes on the field for obviously obvious passing situations. Not
that Land and Jackson can't rush the passer himself, but
I think they want Bosa to be a pass rush specialist.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
As we have discussed on the Daily.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Show when Bill's Live, He's probably only going to get
thirty to thirty five snaps a game. You need somebody
to hold down that run front base end position opposite Rousseau,
and with his length and his ability to set the edge,
I think he's going to really push guys like aj
Epanessa for a starter's role on the early run. I'm
(07:01):
curious to see how much playing time he can carve
out for himself. Thing number three, Which player who may
not have big expectations do you think could be the
biggest surprise of the draft class?
Speaker 5 (07:14):
I think it might be. I think it might be
the tight end Jackson Dawes Hawes. Certainly you can see
a path where he gets on the field, and as
a you know, third tight end round five pick, you
can see a path for him to get on the field.
(07:34):
And I think also an expanded role. Given the fact
that the pendulum is swinging away from you know, throwing
its sixty six percent of the time and running at
six thirty three percent of the time, I think the
Bills are more of a fifty to fifty run team.
Alec Anderson's role has also you know, kind of let
(07:54):
you see a path where it could be a tight
end on there instead of Alec Anderson on the field.
So I think that guy might be the surprise. He's
He's not a Dalton Kincaid coming out of college. He's
not a guy that is the Travis Kelsey type of
tight end. He's more of a Lease Smith tight end,
more of an offensive lineman. Wearn't an eighties number kind
of tight end. But he does show some ability to
(08:17):
run some routes and get open intermediate. He's not going
to outrun a safety or maybe even a linebacker, but
he might push him out of the way.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
And we heard Greg co Sale on our daily show
even say in his opinion he was the best blocking
tight end in the draft. They drafted him for a reason.
And if he does that as well as Greg co
Sale says he does.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
He's going to be on the field, he's going to
get a jersey, he's gonna be active, He's going to
play seventeen games.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
I think surprise the biggest surprise for me. I think
it could be Dion Walker if you know everything with
the back is good to go and he can play
freely without issue. And then I would put Jordan Hancock
in that category two only because of his position flexibility
(09:01):
when you can play safety and also slot corner they're
going to find a role for you in a sub
package somewhere. And his athleticism is very good four four, five,
forty time good in the other testing as well. I
think if he's quick on the uptake in terms of
(09:22):
scheme and can prove he can handle multiple roles, those
guys get on the field pretty quick and can make
an impact. So those guys could be surprises. Final thing
to mention about the draft, we saw the Bills address
their defensive line three times over with three consecutive picks,
going defensive tackle, defensive end, defensive tackle. Their division rivals
(09:45):
wisely took a page out of Buffalo's book. Miami drafted
three defensive linemen, including their top pick, Kenneth Grant out
of Michigan, and an offensive lineman and guard, Jonah Savaaneya.
The Patriots drafted three offensive linemen, including topic Will Campbell
with the fourth overall pick. Do you find it interesting
(10:06):
that after five straight division titles by the Bills, Buffalo's
division opponents are finally beginning to copy them.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Interesting?
Speaker 5 (10:17):
And one thing Miami has always felt the two was
their guy, so I think they're finally figuring out how
to help him in a better way than just getting
the ball out of his hands fast with toys. Right,
New England with a new head coach and Mike Vrabel,
and you know I both have a lot of respect
for Vrabel and think that's that's the team that you're
(10:37):
really looking over. If the Bills are looking over their
shoulder at anybody, it's New England. They've got their guy
in Drake May. They know how to build it around
a guy, and it starts up front and all of that.
So three offensive linemen they drafted with Will Campbell in
(10:59):
the mix there, that says all you need to know.
Drake May can play. They're going to help him play
his best. That's exactly what the Bills did in two
thousand after the twenty nineteen season, when Josh spread his
wings and yeah, this is the guy, all right, let's
help him. They came out and since then they have
done always Job one has always been O line. Since
(11:20):
twenty nineteen, after the twenty nineteen season when they ended
it in Houston and the playoff loss, this this team
has stacked guys around him up front. And that's what
New England's doing, and that's it makes sense. So where
they're at now, I think with their Miami's realization that
they got to do more for Tua then give him
(11:43):
speed and quick release offense. And also New England with
finding their guy finally in post Tom Brady era. Yeah,
it makes perfect sense for both those clubs to do
what they've done.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And for what it's worth, the Jets in back to
back years have drafted offensive tackled in the first round.
They had two picks in twenty four, one of them
was an offensive tackle fashion U and then this year
they draft Armand Membu seventh overall, who is a very
good right tackle who's got a little attitude as well.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Ada Missouri.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
We moved to the numbers game where Steve will be
quizzed on Bills draft tendencies. Here we go question number one.
As we mentioned Steve, the first five picks for the
Bills came on the defensive side of the ball. It's
the first time that has happened since two thousand and six.
(12:36):
Can you name two of the top five defensive picks
in Buffalo's two thousand and six draft two thousand and six, yes.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Twenty nineteen years ago.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
That's right, five straight defensive picks. And I will give
you a hint. They drafted eighth overall that year in
two thousand.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
And six system a Cargo draft, it could be. Do
you want to try to name two of the five?
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Okay, my cargo, that's one of them.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Kyle Kyle Williams in fifth round. Yes, that's all I
needed from you. You want to try more?
Speaker 2 (13:09):
No, you don't. You don't remember who was the eighth
pick overall that year?
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Was it? Oh?
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Macargo was twenty sixth. They traded back up into the
round to get him.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Darius Burden, not Jerisburd Jerisburg. Dante Whitner.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Oh, okay, yeah, Dante Whinner goes eighth overall. Ashton your
body was the third round pick, and co Simpson your
fourth round pick, safety out of South Carolina. Question number two,
when would you guess was the last time the Bills
drafted three defensive linemen in one draft class?
Speaker 4 (13:46):
The last time?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Give me twenty.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Twenty, twenty one, twenty twenty two, Nope, twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
It's not that reason. It's a long time.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Oh is it nineteen eighty five?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Well? Hell, not that far.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
It was.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
I'll say is it's in the eighties, No, nineties, it's
in this century.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Not jeez, but it's a long time.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Uh oh six, it's actually two thousand and one.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Oh my gosh, I'm all over the map.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
When they drafted Aaron Shobel, Ron Edwards and Tyrone Robertson,
and he was a seventh round pick. Question number three,
when would you guess the last time the Bills drafted
three defensive backs in one draft.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Class like they did this year?
Speaker 1 (14:40):
This year was obviously Hairston, Jordan Hancock, Dorian Strong. When
was the last time you think they drafted three defensive
backs in one class? This wasn't too terribly long ago.
It was you know, it was this cent and it
was more recent than the last dance.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
I'll say, I'm like throwing darts, like two thousand and.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Eleven, exactly, That's exactly correct. No, you want to take.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
That one. You want to blindfold?
Speaker 1 (15:16):
You want to you want to take a half court
shot and.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I hit it. That's right.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
You got ten thousand dollars in scholarship to go. You
want to guess the players?
Speaker 3 (15:26):
I guess.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
I have no clue.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
I don't even know. I don't know where I was
living at two thousand, Aaron Williams. It was in the
same house I'm in now, Aaron.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Williams okay, Donoris seriously and in the seventh round justin Rogers. Wow,
give me someone who was a returner more than that.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
You put a put a pin.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
That was a dart that hit the bulls.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Was an absolute balls out. That was like pin the
tail on the dunk.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
That was wow.
Speaker 5 (15:53):
Full turnaround three times and see if you can find
that's right.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
And finally, Steve, question number four. Since Ian McDermott was
named head coach in twenty seventeen, what is the most
popular position group for first picks in the draft? Not
first round picks necessarily first pick in the draft. You
know they didn't have a first round pick in twenty twenty,
so since twenty seventeen, most popular position group for first
(16:20):
pick in the draft by the Bills.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
So if does d line catch one or is it
eighth draft? Tackle or defensive end? Are they separated? I
would tackle or separate?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
I would separate.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
I will say, I say corner corner is correct?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Yeah, you want to name him Trey Yep, Treudavious White, Kayer,
Max and Max?
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Is that it?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Max?
Speaker 2 (16:48):
That's it?
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Very nice?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Finish Steve three times, cornerback has been the top pick
in the Bills draft. In the Bean McDermott era strong
finish by Steve Tasker.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
There numbers game well done.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
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Speaker 2 (17:17):
Time now for our one.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Burning question, and this deals with the draft class as
a whole. What Steve, do you believe is the most
important quality that Buffalo's draft class collectively adds to the roster.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Well, it's a little early, but at first blush it
could be one of two things. For me, speed, size,
Because they got both, I'm gonna say size.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I think, well, there's more of it.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
Yeah, I think there's more size, more supply than certainly
can really run and soaking all these other guys. I'm
but I think with Dion TJ. Sanders Jackson being length,
I think size the.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Tackle is six to eighty on the offensive.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
See, they are they are getting some one percent on
the genetic spectrum, some one percenter. So I'm I'm gonna
say that. I'm gonna say size. It's the game is
about pushing guys against their will and getting them on
the ground, and you need size and strength to do it.
And I think the Bills went big there and with
with Max and Praether and these guys, I think too
(18:35):
they can run, so.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Yeah, but I'd say size just because of the.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Number of guys, it kind of sticks out like a
sore thumb. The Bills knew they had to get bigger
upfront on the defensive side of the ball so they
could win the battle at the line of scrimmage more often,
because there were weeks where they would just get pushed around,
Teams would run on them, Quarterbacks would have a lot
of time to throw, and they didn't have enough answers.
I think, if you want to add something else, and
(19:02):
this is obvious because their draft choices and they're just
starting their NFL careers, youth. Yeah, they knew that they
had to get younger on defense as well, and similar
to the youth movement you saw on offense, I think
you saw it in more plentiful supply on defense, with
this draft class being six of nine on the defensive
side of the ball. I think up front, they've been
(19:25):
a little aged, and they've lost players due to injury
because of that age and that mileage. And now you
have younger players who are gonna, i think, step right
on the field, even if it's on a rotational basis,
and this team will be a lot younger.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I mean I wrote about it on Buffalo bills dot com.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Their defensive line is almost five years younger on average
than it was when they walked off the field in
the AFC title game last year.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
I think McDermott and Bean have had this philosophy that
when we can find a player, let's get a veteran
guy with some experience who at least will be in
the right spot and will know how to work and
be a rather than, particularly in free agency, rather than
taking a young guy who washed out on another team
who's got some traits that maybe we can tap into.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
I think and that that.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Philosophy, along with some injuries, has led them down this
road where all of a sudden, you got Vaughn, you
got Da Kuon, you got Jordan Phillips, you got some
guys that are been around for us. Starlow tu Lala
was of that early on in Shawn's career here, although
Star was a little younger when they got him. I
(20:34):
think it it took them down that road, and those
are the guys they always felt like they wanted to
lean on.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Now they kind of.
Speaker 5 (20:41):
Just they just kicked away the crutch and they said, listen,
we're gonna go with these young guys. We're gonna give
him a shot at it, and we're gonna live with
it and get them right. So I think I think
that the fact that they were old on defense was
a byproduct of their unwillingness to depend on somebody they
between the years who didn't have experience.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Our closing figure deals with Buffalo's seventy second overall pick
this year, the Bills selected defensive end Landon Jackson out
of Arkansas, and defensive end should not have been a
surprise because each of the previous two times the Bills
picked seventy second in an NFL draft, they picked a
defensive end. In twenty ten, they picked defensive end Alex
(21:24):
Carrington out of Arkansas State, and in two thousand and
eight they picked defensive end Chris Ellis out of Virginia Tech.
The only time the Bills held the seventy second pick
and did not take a defensive end was back in
nineteen sixty five when they picked defensive back Al Nelson.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
We should not have.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Been surprised at Oh my gosh, they do it all
the time on pick seventy two.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
That's it for this edition.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Be sure to watch us on the Bills YouTube channel
or subscribe on whatever podcast platform you use to listen
to us so you know in the next episode is out.
Because when you need to know about the Bills, you
need to check Bills by the numbers.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Grind Chris Brown, Thanks for listening. We'll catch you next time.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
Everybody,
It's a post draft edition of Bills by the Numbers
where you let the stats tell you where the Bills
are at. We're presented by fand will make every moment
more coming your way. Who could provide the greatest impact
from this year's Bills draft flex and who could.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Be the biggest surprise.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Steve is quizzed on Bill's draft tendencies, and we'll have
our one burning question.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Let's make some picks. Have it?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Have you with us here on Bills by the Numbers,
Bill's Wall of Famer, Steve's tasker Bills played by Playmak
Chris Brown with you, and right off the rip, we
begin with these three things concerning Buffalo's draft class.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Thing number one. Even though there.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Were defensive positional needs entering this draft for the Bills
and knowing the strength of the class, particularly at the
defensive line positions, where you surprise is that each of
Buffalo's first five selections came on the defensive side of
the ball.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
A little bit.
Speaker 5 (01:06):
Yeah, I think they leaned into the strength of the
draft class. I think whether they knew it or not
going into it with the way their free agency period went,
whether they wanted to, they knew they would be able
to do it without too much problem. And five guys
at two positions if you count the defensive line is
one position, although it's not defensive end, defensive tackle and
(01:29):
two corners. We've said on the Daily Show Man they
scratched an itch for a lot of Bills fans, and
I think it went over really well.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
So I'm a.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
Little surprised though, that they got all five guys at
those spots where we had been talking about those spots
for weeks, and man o, man, it feels really good
because they got some guys. When you start digging into
the kind of guys they got and what they can do,
and what their strengths were, and what some of the evaluators,
the draft evaluators were talking about, we got some really
(02:00):
really intriguing prospects. So it's a lot of fun to
think about it. But I am surprised that they leaned
into it.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Like a lot of their recent draft classes, which we
covered on a previous edition of Bills By the Numbers,
have been relatively balanced. Yeah, like offense to defense. I
think last year was a perfect five on one side
of the ball five on the other side. In the
twenty four draft, class, and they come out of the
shoot five straight off the rip on the defensive side
(02:29):
of the ball. That was surprising for me. And here's
the other part too. You said they kind of gravitated
to the strengths of the draft class, which made sense,
but they also made two big moves up the board
for defensive tackles. They go up fifteen spots in round two,
they go up twenty three spots in round four. Like yes,
they kind of you know in round one being let
(02:51):
the draft come to him and take the corner in
Max Harriston, But he was also aggressive, as we've seen
him be in years past.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
And even though they came out with and they went
in with ten picks, came out with nine draft picks.
We all know too, it's not just about having three
offensive players and six defensive players. Five of the six
were at the top of the draft. You got to
and when you talk about draft picks, it's not just
about the draft class you get towards the front of
the Those are weighted picks. Those are high quality, high expectation,
(03:23):
high production assets that you went all on that side
of the ball. So this draft, while it was six
to three in favor of the defensive picks and the
offensive picks. They were all at the front of the
draft almost all. That's why it kind of feels weighted
heavily to the defensive side, not just with six to
(03:43):
three picks, it was also the first five.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
That's big thing.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Number two and naturally this question will lean toward the
earlier picks. But who do you believe could provide the
greatest impact from this year's draft class for the Bills
in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
I think he got to start at the corner with
Max Harrison. He's a guy that could step on the
field and get it done. He's an NFL athlete. He's
going to be able to keep up with whoever they face.
He's going to match up, you know. And like I said,
you look at the top of the draft, and that's
(04:22):
where you think it's going to be. And there's an
and the other one would probably be Landon Jackson. I
think those two are close. But I think I think
Max Harriston is going to be on the field. Yeah,
and they take when they kick.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
It off, And I think what enhances his chances for
that to happen is the fact that he has experience
playing both man coverage and zone coverage, and he's going.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
To be asked to do both here as well.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
But the fact that the scheme they ran in Kentucky
asked him to process and understand zone concepts as well
as man to man, which is considered a strength of
his I think equips him coming in the door with
the knowledge he's gonna need to get this coaching staff
to trust him and put him on the field as
a starter.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah, he saw.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
One of the reasons he's, you know, is the kind
of athlete he is, and he's had the evaluations he
did was that when you watch some of these guys,
when you watch their highlight tapes, it's the same play
and it's just spins different, like he does the same
thing over and over. Is he's really good at it, Harriston.
You see him dropping back with his eyes on the quarterback.
You see him up in the receiver's face chasing the
(05:27):
guy down. You see him playing off with his eyes
on the receiver. You see him playing zone man with
his he's off the receiver and looking at the quarterback.
So he's got an area to defend and he makes
plays in all of those aspects. He's not just you
know out he's just not just guarding a wide receiver
that he's way better athlete than and just just dominates
(05:48):
the guy. He's making plays in every aspect of the
defensive scheme, and they ask him to do a lot
of different things. He's good at all of them. He
makes plays in all of them. You see all that
stuff on his highlight reel. That's not always the case
with an.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Owner, and I would tend to agree with your pick
of Land and Jackson as well. He was my favorite
pick in the entire draft for the Bills because I
think they got him at a great value. I thought
he was going to be a top sixty pick. He
goes a little bit later than that to pick six
seventy two in round three. But I think this is
a guy that's going to challenge to be a base end,
(06:22):
base defense end on first and second down before Bosa
comes on the field for obviously obvious passing situations. Not
that Land and Jackson can't rush the passer himself, but
I think they want Bosa to be a pass rush specialist.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
As we have discussed on the Daily.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Show when Bill's Live, He's probably only going to get
thirty to thirty five snaps a game. You need somebody
to hold down that run front base end position opposite Rousseau,
and with his length and his ability to set the edge,
I think he's going to really push guys like aj
Epanessa for a starter's role on the early run. I'm
(07:01):
curious to see how much playing time he can carve
out for himself. Thing number three, Which player who may
not have big expectations do you think could be the
biggest surprise of the draft class?
Speaker 5 (07:14):
I think it might be. I think it might be
the tight end Jackson Dawes Hawes. Certainly you can see
a path where he gets on the field, and as
a you know, third tight end round five pick, you
can see a path for him to get on the field.
(07:34):
And I think also an expanded role. Given the fact
that the pendulum is swinging away from you know, throwing
its sixty six percent of the time and running at
six thirty three percent of the time, I think the
Bills are more of a fifty to fifty run team.
Alec Anderson's role has also you know, kind of let
(07:54):
you see a path where it could be a tight
end on there instead of Alec Anderson on the field.
So I think that guy might be the surprise. He's
He's not a Dalton Kincaid coming out of college. He's
not a guy that is the Travis Kelsey type of
tight end. He's more of a Lease Smith tight end,
more of an offensive lineman. Wearn't an eighties number kind
of tight end. But he does show some ability to
(08:17):
run some routes and get open intermediate. He's not going
to outrun a safety or maybe even a linebacker, but
he might push him out of the way.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
And we heard Greg co Sale on our daily show
even say in his opinion he was the best blocking
tight end in the draft. They drafted him for a reason.
And if he does that as well as Greg co
Sale says he does.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
He's going to be on the field, he's going to
get a jersey, he's gonna be active, He's going to
play seventeen games.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
I think surprise the biggest surprise for me. I think
it could be Dion Walker if you know everything with
the back is good to go and he can play
freely without issue. And then I would put Jordan Hancock
in that category two only because of his position flexibility
(09:01):
when you can play safety and also slot corner they're
going to find a role for you in a sub
package somewhere. And his athleticism is very good four four, five,
forty time good in the other testing as well. I
think if he's quick on the uptake in terms of
(09:22):
scheme and can prove he can handle multiple roles, those
guys get on the field pretty quick and can make
an impact. So those guys could be surprises. Final thing
to mention about the draft, we saw the Bills address
their defensive line three times over with three consecutive picks,
going defensive tackle, defensive end, defensive tackle. Their division rivals
(09:45):
wisely took a page out of Buffalo's book. Miami drafted
three defensive linemen, including their top pick, Kenneth Grant out
of Michigan, and an offensive lineman and guard, Jonah Savaaneya.
The Patriots drafted three offensive linemen, including topic Will Campbell
with the fourth overall pick. Do you find it interesting
(10:06):
that after five straight division titles by the Bills, Buffalo's
division opponents are finally beginning to copy them.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Interesting?
Speaker 5 (10:17):
And one thing Miami has always felt the two was
their guy, so I think they're finally figuring out how
to help him in a better way than just getting
the ball out of his hands fast with toys. Right,
New England with a new head coach and Mike Vrabel,
and you know I both have a lot of respect
for Vrabel and think that's that's the team that you're
(10:37):
really looking over. If the Bills are looking over their
shoulder at anybody, it's New England. They've got their guy
in Drake May. They know how to build it around
a guy, and it starts up front and all of that.
So three offensive linemen they drafted with Will Campbell in
(10:59):
the mix there, that says all you need to know.
Drake May can play. They're going to help him play
his best. That's exactly what the Bills did in two
thousand after the twenty nineteen season, when Josh spread his
wings and yeah, this is the guy, all right, let's
help him. They came out and since then they have
done always Job one has always been O line. Since
(11:20):
twenty nineteen, after the twenty nineteen season when they ended
it in Houston and the playoff loss, this this team
has stacked guys around him up front. And that's what
New England's doing, and that's it makes sense. So where
they're at now, I think with their Miami's realization that
they got to do more for Tua then give him
(11:43):
speed and quick release offense. And also New England with
finding their guy finally in post Tom Brady era. Yeah,
it makes perfect sense for both those clubs to do
what they've done.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And for what it's worth, the Jets in back to
back years have drafted offensive tackled in the first round.
They had two picks in twenty four, one of them
was an offensive tackle fashion U and then this year
they draft Armand Membu seventh overall, who is a very
good right tackle who's got a little attitude as well.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Ada Missouri.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
We moved to the numbers game where Steve will be
quizzed on Bills draft tendencies. Here we go question number one.
As we mentioned Steve, the first five picks for the
Bills came on the defensive side of the ball. It's
the first time that has happened since two thousand and six.
(12:36):
Can you name two of the top five defensive picks
in Buffalo's two thousand and six draft two thousand and six, yes.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Twenty nineteen years ago.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
That's right, five straight defensive picks. And I will give
you a hint. They drafted eighth overall that year in
two thousand.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
And six system a Cargo draft, it could be. Do
you want to try to name two of the five?
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Okay, my cargo, that's one of them.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Kyle Kyle Williams in fifth round. Yes, that's all I
needed from you. You want to try more?
Speaker 2 (13:09):
No, you don't. You don't remember who was the eighth
pick overall that year?
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Was it? Oh?
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Macargo was twenty sixth. They traded back up into the
round to get him.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Darius Burden, not Jerisburd Jerisburg. Dante Whitner.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Oh, okay, yeah, Dante Whinner goes eighth overall. Ashton your
body was the third round pick, and co Simpson your
fourth round pick, safety out of South Carolina. Question number two,
when would you guess was the last time the Bills
drafted three defensive linemen in one draft class?
Speaker 4 (13:46):
The last time?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Give me twenty.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Twenty, twenty one, twenty twenty two, Nope, twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
It's not that reason. It's a long time.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Oh is it nineteen eighty five?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Well? Hell, not that far.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
It was.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
I'll say is it's in the eighties, No, nineties, it's
in this century.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Not jeez, but it's a long time.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Uh oh six, it's actually two thousand and one.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Oh my gosh, I'm all over the map.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
When they drafted Aaron Shobel, Ron Edwards and Tyrone Robertson,
and he was a seventh round pick. Question number three,
when would you guess the last time the Bills drafted
three defensive backs in one draft.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Class like they did this year?
Speaker 1 (14:40):
This year was obviously Hairston, Jordan Hancock, Dorian Strong. When
was the last time you think they drafted three defensive
backs in one class? This wasn't too terribly long ago.
It was you know, it was this cent and it
was more recent than the last dance.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
I'll say, I'm like throwing darts, like two thousand and.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Eleven, exactly, That's exactly correct. No, you want to take.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
That one. You want to blindfold?
Speaker 1 (15:16):
You want to you want to take a half court
shot and.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I hit it. That's right.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
You got ten thousand dollars in scholarship to go. You
want to guess the players?
Speaker 3 (15:26):
I guess.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
I have no clue.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
I don't even know. I don't know where I was
living at two thousand, Aaron Williams. It was in the
same house I'm in now, Aaron.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Williams okay, Donoris seriously and in the seventh round justin Rogers. Wow,
give me someone who was a returner more than that.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
You put a put a pin.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
That was a dart that hit the bulls.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Was an absolute balls out. That was like pin the
tail on the dunk.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
That was wow.
Speaker 5 (15:53):
Full turnaround three times and see if you can find
that's right.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
And finally, Steve, question number four. Since Ian McDermott was
named head coach in twenty seventeen, what is the most
popular position group for first picks in the draft? Not
first round picks necessarily first pick in the draft. You
know they didn't have a first round pick in twenty twenty,
so since twenty seventeen, most popular position group for first
(16:20):
pick in the draft by the Bills.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
So if does d line catch one or is it
eighth draft? Tackle or defensive end? Are they separated? I
would tackle or separate?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
I would separate.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
I will say, I say corner corner is correct?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Yeah, you want to name him Trey Yep, Treudavious White, Kayer,
Max and Max?
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Is that it?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Max?
Speaker 2 (16:48):
That's it?
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Very nice?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Finish Steve three times, cornerback has been the top pick
in the Bills draft. In the Bean McDermott era strong
finish by Steve Tasker.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
There numbers game well done.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
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Speaker 2 (17:17):
Time now for our one.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Burning question, and this deals with the draft class as
a whole. What Steve, do you believe is the most
important quality that Buffalo's draft class collectively adds to the roster.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Well, it's a little early, but at first blush it
could be one of two things. For me, speed, size,
Because they got both, I'm gonna say size.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I think, well, there's more of it.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
Yeah, I think there's more size, more supply than certainly
can really run and soaking all these other guys. I'm
but I think with Dion TJ. Sanders Jackson being length,
I think size the.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Tackle is six to eighty on the offensive.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
See, they are they are getting some one percent on
the genetic spectrum, some one percenter. So I'm I'm gonna
say that. I'm gonna say size. It's the game is
about pushing guys against their will and getting them on
the ground, and you need size and strength to do it.
And I think the Bills went big there and with
with Max and Praether and these guys, I think too
(18:35):
they can run, so.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Yeah, but I'd say size just because of the.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Number of guys, it kind of sticks out like a
sore thumb. The Bills knew they had to get bigger
upfront on the defensive side of the ball so they
could win the battle at the line of scrimmage more often,
because there were weeks where they would just get pushed around,
Teams would run on them, Quarterbacks would have a lot
of time to throw, and they didn't have enough answers.
I think, if you want to add something else, and
(19:02):
this is obvious because their draft choices and they're just
starting their NFL careers, youth. Yeah, they knew that they
had to get younger on defense as well, and similar
to the youth movement you saw on offense, I think
you saw it in more plentiful supply on defense, with
this draft class being six of nine on the defensive
side of the ball. I think up front, they've been
(19:25):
a little aged, and they've lost players due to injury
because of that age and that mileage. And now you
have younger players who are gonna, i think, step right
on the field, even if it's on a rotational basis,
and this team will be a lot younger.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I mean I wrote about it on Buffalo bills dot com.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Their defensive line is almost five years younger on average
than it was when they walked off the field in
the AFC title game last year.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
I think McDermott and Bean have had this philosophy that
when we can find a player, let's get a veteran
guy with some experience who at least will be in
the right spot and will know how to work and
be a rather than, particularly in free agency, rather than
taking a young guy who washed out on another team
who's got some traits that maybe we can tap into.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
I think and that that.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Philosophy, along with some injuries, has led them down this
road where all of a sudden, you got Vaughn, you
got Da Kuon, you got Jordan Phillips, you got some
guys that are been around for us. Starlow tu Lala
was of that early on in Shawn's career here, although
Star was a little younger when they got him. I
(20:34):
think it it took them down that road, and those
are the guys they always felt like they wanted to
lean on.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Now they kind of.
Speaker 5 (20:41):
Just they just kicked away the crutch and they said, listen,
we're gonna go with these young guys. We're gonna give
him a shot at it, and we're gonna live with
it and get them right. So I think I think
that the fact that they were old on defense was
a byproduct of their unwillingness to depend on somebody they
between the years who didn't have experience.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Our closing figure deals with Buffalo's seventy second overall pick
this year, the Bills selected defensive end Landon Jackson out
of Arkansas, and defensive end should not have been a
surprise because each of the previous two times the Bills
picked seventy second in an NFL draft, they picked a
defensive end. In twenty ten, they picked defensive end Alex
(21:24):
Carrington out of Arkansas State, and in two thousand and
eight they picked defensive end Chris Ellis out of Virginia Tech.
The only time the Bills held the seventy second pick
and did not take a defensive end was back in
nineteen sixty five when they picked defensive back Al Nelson.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
We should not have.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Been surprised at Oh my gosh, they do it all
the time on pick seventy two.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
That's it for this edition.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Be sure to watch us on the Bills YouTube channel
or subscribe on whatever podcast platform you use to listen
to us so you know in the next episode is out.
Because when you need to know about the Bills, you
need to check Bills by the numbers.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Grind Chris Brown, Thanks for listening. We'll catch you next time.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
Everybody,
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