Here’s the Bills news of note for April 30.
By Dominic LoVallo / Contributing Correspondent
1 – Reviewing Buffalo’s 2018 NFL Draft grades
The wait is done, the mock drafts are over and the questions have been answered. We know where each pick fell. We know which team drafted a quarterback and now it is time to prepare for the NFL preseason. Before that, draft analyst Chad Reuter graded the Buffalo Bills draft.
First, Reuter graded every team’s day one, two and three. The Bills received:
Day 1 grade: B
Day 2 grade: B
Day 3 grade: A-
Overall, Reuter gave the Bills a B , and he can see the upside for the team’s future.
Tackle Cordy Glenn was shipped to Cincinnati in a swap of picks, setting Buffalo into a position to move up again to pick Josh Allen. Giving up two second-round picks without trading the No. 22 pick this year or next year’s first-round pick is fine. Allen’s inaccuracy as a thrower against marginal competition makes him a risk that many teams wouldn’t want to take. He showed improvement through the draft process, though, so it’s possible this will turn out.
The Bills also moved down in last year’s draft to get a second first-rounder this year via Kansas City, and then moved back up when the exceptional Tremaine Edmunds was available at 16. A good trade, especially since they only moved from the third to the fifth round in the deal. Trading to land Allen made Friday night quiet for the Bills, and we’ll have to see if he was worth it. But picking up Phillips late in the third round was a great deal, as he could be a perfect replacement for nose tackle Kyle Williams whenever he retires. The guy led Stanford in tackles last year as a nose tackle. Think about that. Buffalo was looking for interior O-line depth coming into the draft, and found a future starter in Teller, one of the strongest players in the draft. Their secondary needed bodies, as well, and two small-school players (Taron Johnson and Siran Neal) will more than just fill roster spots. Ray-Ray McCloud and Austin Proehl provide very good depth as inside receivers.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper gave Buffalo an A for its draft. Here’s his synopsis on the Bills selections.
We know Josh Allen (pick 7) needs development as a player with great traits but lacking polish out of Wyoming, but development is a given for any QB. The addition of Tremaine Edmunds (16) means that the Bills managed to get two of my top 11 players in this draft class, and Edmunds is likely to help right away. The useful immediate help and long-range upside wasn’t limited to Round 1, either. Harrison Phillips (96) is an interior disruptor who can jump into the mix in Week 1.
2 – Bills receive praise for round three selection
Like every other team in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills added many good football players to their roster, but NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison had some special praise for the young, beast of a man the Bills took at pick 96.
It was an emotional moment for Harrison Phillips, the defensive tackle from Stanford, when he found out he was heading to One Bills Drive. The former wrestler can now look to impress at the national level.
Heckuva pick for the Bills at 96th overall. Phillips had 103 tackles in 2017 as an interior lineman. That’s unbelievable. The only thing better? Bills alumni Andre Reed and Fred Jackson honoring super fan Pancho Billa. What a fantastic idea, and a touching moment that Buffalo’s biggest supporter will appreciate forever.
Phillips plans on bringing that same emotion to Orchard Park. He let media know that during his conference call Friday night.
“I’m ready to bring my lunch pail to work every day and I’m ready to do anything that they need me to do in that organization,” said Phillips. “I’m a big believer in Bills mafia and I’ve seen the moves that they’ve made in this offseason and I’m just anxious and excited to try and just contribute in any way that I can.”
3 – Bills late-round pick has day one starter potential
The Bills made a lot of picks for versatile players in the 2018 draft. One of the them is the big 6-5, 314-pounder from Virginia Tech, Wyatt Teller. The second of two Hokies drafted to Western New York this year, the first being Tremaine Edmunds, is excited to be a member for the Buffalo Bills.
“The mindset that I bring is that competition every day, that you don’t get anything without deserving it or earning it and working for it,” said Teller. “I feel that mentality, like I said with Coach when he came down, he liked the mentality I had. He is the reason why I’m a part of the Bills Mafia. I’m excited to get in there and I really feel that we see eye-to-eye – well, obviously there’s a lot of learning but I really do feel like we see eye-to-eye in the way that we need to work and the way that we need to get after things to be successful.”
Even though he is a late-round pick for the team, Bleacher Report sees the potential in Teller becoming a starter for the Bills.
In light of the strange situation where guard Richie Incognito suddenly retired due to health issues, the Buffalo Bills had to walk away from the draft with a talented guard to fill his shoes. They succeeded in doing so, selecting the underrated Wyatt Teller from Virginia Tech with the 166th overall pick. Teller will have the chance to earn the starting right guard job in his rookie season…
Only time will tell, but Bills fans should be excited for what some of their new draft picks can bring to the table.