2011 Cincy Jungle Mock Draft - The Buffalo Bills Select...

For the third pick in the second-annual Cincy Jungle Mock Draft, Elguapo09 selected for the Buffalo Bills, who have the standard three picks available. Here is the pick...

With the third pick in the 2011 Cincy Jungle Mock Draft, the Buffalo Bills select...

Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

2010 was a learning year for Buddy Nix, Chan Gailey and the rest of the Buffalo Bills organization. With many uncertainties going into the season, there wasn’t much hope for a winning record and most fans understood it was a year to reconfigure the direction of the team. The first draft of the Nix/Gailey regime focused equally on both sides of the team with 5 picks going for the offense and 4 picks going for the defense. All nine players selected were productive seniors with at least three years of experience as a college starter (except for 7th round QB Levi Brown who only started 2 years). This tendency to only draft seniors with multiple productive college years must be considered when predicting the Bills picks for the upcoming NFL draft.

After making the controversial decision to draft CJ Spiller in the first round last year, the Bills must devote their valuable picks in the first and second round to the defensive roster. In 2010, against the run they finished dead last in yards allowed per game and they also allowed the 4th most rushing touchdowns throughout the season. Although they finished 3rd in the league for least passing yards allowed per game, they also allowed the 4th most passing touchdowns. For a team that performed that poorly, one could make the argument that all positions on defense need to be addressed. But, there are some crucial pieces already signed in DT Kyle Williams and Torell Troup, DE Dwan Edwards and Alex Carrington, OLB Chris Kelsay, CB Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin, and FS Jairus Byrd. ILB Paul Posluszny has recently been tendered and expressed his desire to return, so it’s assumed that he’ll be back. Also SS George Wilson recently signed a 3 year extension, so he’ll be on the roster this coming season.

The positions that should be targeted by the Bills with their first pick need to be LB, CB or SS. At LB, behind Posluszny and Kelsay the Bills have 2 effective backups in Arthur Moats and Reggie Torbor. Andra Davis was signed last year, but he is 32 and only played 6 games last season finishing on Injured Reserve. Shawn Merriman was also signed last year, but he has played only 18 games since 2007 and he has never completed a full 16 game season in his career. Aaron Maybin will most likely be cut this season, leaving the LB position thin and in need of help. At CB, the Bills have one other backup behind the two aforementioned players in Reggie Corner. And at SS there is no depth. The Bills have tendered Donte Whitner, but I am sure most Bills fans would like to see him gone based on his play the last few seasons.

Now let’s turn to the draft. If Nix and Gailey stick to their previous draft strategy of only taking seniors with multiple years of production, we can eliminate many prospective candidates from the realm of possibility. The top seniors in this year’s draft are LB Von Miller, DE Adrian Clayborn, CB Prince Amukamara, DE Cameron Heyward and DT Stephen Paea. Paea can be eliminated because the Bills have depth at DT and he probably isn’t worth this high of a pick. Heyward was a good player at OSU, but he doesn’t have the eye-popping numbers you look for in the third pick of the NFL draft. The same goes for Clayborn, although I think he could be a good DE in the NFL, his college production doesn’t warrant a pick this high. So, we’re left with Amukamara and Miller. Prince is one of the top CB’s in this draft, but his numbers and consistency can’t rival what Von Miller did during his time at Texas A&M and I believe the Bills have a much bigger need at LB.

With the third pick in the NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills will select Von Miller, Linebacker out of Texas A&M. He accumulated 33 sacks (28 in the final two years) during his collegiate career and has impressed even more with his combine workouts. He will fill an immediate need for the Bills, providing an effective pass rush from the outside and the ability to stop running backs that routinely gashed the Bills defense last season.

Von Miller Highlights:

Draft Overview: