It It wasn't a great first year in Buffalo for new head coach Chan Gailey, as the Bills finished in the bottom five in the league in both points scored and points allowed en route to a last-place 4-12 finish. The upside there is that the team shouldn't be beholden to any particular position with the third pick – they can focus on the best player available.
That said, reports indicate that Gailey is enamored with Auburn QB Cam Newton. So, in our hypothetical draft, he would be upset that the would-be-icon is off the board. The prevailing thought is that Missouri's Blaine Gabbert isn't a good scheme fit in Buffalo, but he can't be ruled out for the third spot. There's no question that the role of quarterback of the future is one that needs to be filled in Buffalo, but after the solid, if not spectacular, 2010 season from Ryan Fitzpatrick, it's a hole that doesn't need attention at the expense of other leaks.
One area that the team could use an infusion of talent is defensive playmaker. The Bills finished 2010 with the worst turnover differential in the league (-17) and had a paltry 22 takeaways. Luckily for them, there's a stud prospect available at each level of the defense. Even though Marcell Dareus went second overall according to you, Auburn's Nick Fairley offers game-changing potential with his inside pass-rush ability.
At linebacker, Von Miller of Texas A&M is considered a top-five talent and would fit perfectly into the team's new 3-4 defense as a pass-rushing specialist. In the secondary, LSU's Patrick Peterson is available and would provide a big upgrade at cornerback – as well as in the return game.
Offensive line is a big area of need, but it doesn't look like there's a tackle worthy of the third overall pick.
As for how last year's draft is panning out, first-round pick C.J. Spiller was slow to develop as a rookie but offers big-play ability that should come in time. The Bills also got steady contributors on defense from second-round defensive tackle Torell Troup and sixth-round linebacker Arthur Moats.
Needs: OT, OLB, QB, DE, TE
All-Good: RB, S
Previous Picks
No. 1 - Carolina: QB Cam Newton, Auburn
No. 2 - Denver: DT Marcell Dareus, Alabama
