2021 Way to Early Mock Draft

With the turmoil and hectic nature of the past few weeks Bills have been sent reeling, after having multiple showings that were not up to the standards that this organization has set for themselves over the past three seasons. While these are not an uncommon occurrence for this iteration of the Buffalo Bills staff it has sent Bills fans into a tailspin of self-destructive lamenting. Well let’s take a look into the future, into the 2021 offseason while I’m still going to billieve that the Bills season ends in confetti, champagne, and cigars at Raymond James stadium. However let us look into what the Bills can do in the 2021 NFL Draft to push them further into contention for the 2021 Super Bowl.

Alex Leatherwood OT Alabama University

Alex Leatherwood is a mauler who is extremely powerful at the point of attack, with a strong punch and built up frame you look for from a NFL starting tackle. This functional strength within his game allows him to hammer down his feet against power rushers and anchor at the point of attack. He gains depth well in pass sets while being active and getting his hands back to where they need to be. During run blocking he is strong at the point of attack and gets downhill quickly when double teaming to the second level. Leatherwood’s only downside is also his strength in that he can be too aggressive at times and puts all his velocity into his blocks which leads him to be out of control when rolling into blocks. However body control is something that teams can easily fix at the next level. For the Bills he would be competing with Daryl Williams at Right Tackle a position that fits Leatherwoods style of play at the next level. While the natural overreaction would be to go after interior defensive line or edge rusher here the value of Leatherwood is so much higher than those other ones also with the return of Star next season should help shore up the run game. Which honestly I don’t think is as big of an issue as some thought.

Paulson Adebo Cornerback Stanford

This lengthy corner would be an instant competitor to the Bills outside corner competition, Adebo has an excellent nose for routes while in zone coverage. Adebo is an expert at passing off routes to the next zone and recovering to find the receiver coming his way. While not an elite athlete he has a nose for the ball and always seems to be in the right place to make a play. In the run game he is a capable defender and tackler who isn’t afraid to get mixed up in the run defense. However he does lack the physical gifts to truly make a difference against bigger strong clydesdale type backs. This could be helped by physically developing a little more and adding some more bulk to his frame. Bottomline is the Bills need help opposite Tre White and Adebo would provide that in spades while fitting exactly what Leslie Frazier and Sean McDermott look for in a defensive back. Another interesting fact about Adebo is he is multi-lingual as in the home he speaks French with his family because his mother Emigrated to the United States from Benin.

Jaelan Phillips Edge Miami

Another defensive player with the last name Phillips for the Bills, how shocking. All joking aside Phillips has the natural athleticism that is an unteachable component of dominate edge rushers. Also, Phillips shows a greater understanding of what the offense is giving him when in his pass rush sets with an insane off the line burst to pressure offensive tackles. A former 5 star recruit with lengthy, speed, and natural gifts he checks all the boxes for an upside prospect who could develop into a gnarly defensive end. There are some red flags, he has had some issues with injuries in the past. Ailments with his ankle and elbow as well as some concussion issues however in the third round those are more of a calculated risk than anything else. Also, very little full time experience after transferring out of the quagmire that is UCLA. However his potential and honestly god given talents are very much worth the price of admission in the third round which is historically the cut off for finding edge rushing talent.

Tariq Thompson Safety/ Nickel CB SDSU(CA)

The Bills have a serious issue in the Nickel corner position and I think the Bills really wanted to take Kyle Dugger before that dastardly Bill Belichek snatched him up. While Tariq Thompson is not as great of a pure athlete as Duggar he has the coverage and communication skills needed to play the position well. For the Aztecs Thompson plays in the slot and the in the box safety role. Plays in zone extremely well and can play man in the slot against bigger body targets efficiently. In the run game he goes to the ball and is a sure tackler who rarely misses tackles at the line of scrimmage or in coverage. Really the only knock against him is that he isn’t an elite athlete which isn’t a deficiency for Thompson as he makes up for it with good instincts.

Dazz Newsome SLWR North Carolina U

Cole Beasley has been one of Josh Allens favorite targets since he arrived in 2019 and has shown to be worth every penny the Bills forked over for him in Free Agency. However the draft isn’t only about the now but also down the road enter Dazz Newsome. Newsome is the slot option and returner for the explosive UNC Tarheels. Newsome shows he has the brass for going over the middle to make a catch as well as being an option for jet sweeps or catching out of the backfield. He has the speed to get him behind opposing secondaries and create space in the middle of the field. When going for the catch like the one above his hands are vices once the pigskin hits his hands. Dazz shows the ability to to get after the ball as well and uses his strong hands to go out and get it even when hit by a defender he holds onto the ball. Also, during run plays he is more than ready to throw down in the blocking aspect and really get after the opposing secondary. Newsome does have some problems when corners get in his face and physically force him off his spot however the Bills have two of the best elusive route runners in the game for him to learn from in Diggs and Beasley. 

D’Eriq King OW Miami U (Fl)

I know Josh is the QB of the now and future but freak athleticism is something that is hard to find in human beings and King truly is an athletic freak. I would love to see Daboll develop King into a Isiah McKenzie Taysom Hill Hybrid. This would allow the Bills to keep the running option in their playbooks with out risking Josh’s body. I’m literally drooling over the offensive opportunities that you could draw up with Josh and King on the field at the same time. King has some serious issues with him as a true QB prospect however turning him into a limited use offensive weapon you can put in multiple positions all over the field without defensive players being able to key on what he’s doing or where he’s going. Is he bait, are they going to throw him a screen, our run a double reverse throw back pass you just don’t know and that’s the kicker of picking up an offensive threat like King if you get a creative OC like Daboll who can put in places to succeed and take the brunt off others who may take some brutal hits because of it.