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Back in the game: Bills regain first round draft pick
By Shawn Krest
Welcome back Buffalo to the first round. The Bills replaced the 19th overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, relinquished eleven months ago, with Atlanta’s pick at spot 23. Last year’s blockbuster now boils down to Drew Bledsoe for Peerless Price.
The big question is, after the success the Bills had early in free agency, will they have any holes left to fill in the draft? Linebacker, a glaring need entering the offseason, seems set with the signings of Jeff Posey from Houston and Cincinnati’s Takeo Spikes. Defensive line help is on the way in the persons of late-season pickup Marcus Jones and free agent Keith McKenzie of the Packers. On the offensive side, tight end acquisition Mark Campbell will fill Jay Riemersma’s shoes.
So how do the Bills spend their first-round riches? A big hint may have been dropped on the early March Good Friday in Buffalo. The trade of Peerless was announced in early afternoon, followed by the Spikes signing a little later. Defensive tackle Sam Adams was also in town, and his signing would have brought size and another Super Bowl ring to the improving Buffalo defense. The third shoe never dropped, however, and Adams left town without even an offer from the Bills. Adams, it seems, was an insurance policy, in case the Price trade fell through. The best bet is that Atlanta’s draft pick will be used to bring in a DT to play next to Pat Williams.
Who are the likely candidates? Tackle is a deep position in the draft. Penn State’s Jimmy Kennedy will be off the board by the time the Bills pick, but everyone else is a possibility. Some mock drafts have Miami’s William Joseph still available at 23. Washington State’s Rien Long, A&M’s Ty Warren, Oklahoma State’s Kevin Williams and Georgia’s Jonathan Sullivan are also possibilities.
Other areas of need are defensive end and a replacement for Price at wide receiver. At end, Michael Haynes of Penn State and Miami’s Jerome McDougle may slide to the Bills, but Texas’ Corey Redding is more likely. Receivers that will still be around include Tennessee’s Kelley Washington, Florida’s Taylor Jacobs, and FSU’s Anquan Boldin. Tennessee tight end Jason Witten is also a possibility.
Sports & Leisure Magazine’s prediction is that the Bills will go with a defensive tackle in round one and land Kevin Williams. Warren and Long would be fallbacks if Williams goes in the expected early run at the position.
In round two, our mock Bills draft looks to the Tar Heel State for either offense or defense. The pick is defensive end Calvin Pace of Wake Forest. If he’s gone, Sam Aiken of North Carolina is a tall strong replacement for Price at receiver.
In the third round, the team will reward ESPN host Chris Berman, a longtime friend of Buffalo. The pick is cornerback Antoine Winfield’s eventual replacement and a dream pick for the nickname-loving Berman—Texas A&M speedster Sammy Davis. Can’t you just hear Berman on NFL Prime Time? "Yeah, Babe! Sammy Davis rat packs away another interception." Or maybe, "The Candyman can take the pick to the end zone and make it all feel good."
Round four will be the Bills’ first offensive player, and the annual trip to Notre Dame. Wide receiver Arnaz Battle will be the choice. If the team took Aiken in round two, this pick changes to defensive end Kenny King of Alabama.
Deep into the second day of the draft, the Bills reach into the small schools for a sleeper pick. Linebacker Kawika Mitchell of South Florida is the choice here.
Back to offense in round six, for a bruising fullback. James Lynch of Maryland may not have an immediate impact, but he’ll stick with the team and pay dividends in 2004 and beyond.
The seventh round is time for a big name that slid in the draft. Receiver Chris Vance of Ohio State may still be around. If not, the Bills will go with psycho linebacker Brian Gamble of A&M.
The final tally for the mock draft is heavy on defense. The Bills spend two high picks for the defensive line rotation, gain depth at the linebacker position, and add a young cornerback to back up the injury prone Winfield. On offense, the team adds a fullback and some depth at receiver to make up for Price’s absence. Expect Buffalo to bring the usual crop of undrafted rookies to training camp with an emphasis on offensive line depth. A safety and tight end might also be on the team’s wish list.
Of course, all this assumes that Tom Donahoe doesn’t have another big surprise up his sleeve before draft weekend is over.
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