The 2015 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now it’s time to assess the draft classes of all 32 teams. Highlighted here are the Buffalo Bills, who made six selections yet didn’t get their draft started until the second round with the 50th overall pick.
Those six new members of the Bills organization are listed below, including what round they were selected and their overall pick number. We also have links to scouting reports of a few of the players who were drafted.
Second Round (50th overall): Ronald Darby, cornerback, Florida State
Third Round (81st overall): John Miller, offensive guard, Louisville
Fifth Round (155th overall): Karlos Williams, running back, Florida State
Sixth Round (188th overall): Tony Steward, outside linebacker, Clemson
Sixth Round (194th overall): Nick O’Leary, tight end, Florida State
Seventh Round (234th overall): Dezmin Lewis, wide receiver, Central Arkansas
General manager Doug Whaley, head coach Rex Ryan and the rest of the Bills brass are hoping these additions are part of a team that reaches the playoff promised land in 2015. What does each player bring to the table? Which one shows the most instant impact potential as a rookie? Is there a pick we can describe as a “what were you thinking” kind of move? What about a possible sleeper pick?
Below you will find which players fall into these categories.
Buffalo Bills 2015 NFL Draft Review
Best Player Selected
Ronald Darby
In Darby, the Bills are getting a proven coverage corner with ridiculous speed. He ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.38 seconds) among defensive backs at the Combine and tied for the second-highest vertical jump (41.5 inches) at the position. His presence will add to an already formidable ball-hawking secondary that includes Stephon Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin, among others.
While discussing the selection of Darby, Whaley remarked that it was made in adherence to their best available player doctrine. “We said at the beginning of this thing that we were going to take the best player and he was the highest rated player on the board,” Whaley said.
Ryan is a fan of corners who excel in press coverage and that was another rationale for taking the former Seminole. Opposing quarterbacks actively avoided throwing the ball to his side of the field last season. As a result, his overall stats suffered a bit. However, his ability to track the ball, anticipate routes and break up passes cannot be doubted.
There are certain character issues stemming from the same incident that has dogged his college quarterback Jameis Winston. Darby was called on to testify at the code of conduct hearing at Florida State related to the accusations of sexual assault against Winston and refused to do so. He was reportedly a key witness in the case.
Biggest Head-Scratcher
No Quarterback?
My head-scratcher this year isn’t necessarily a particular pick itself, but the position of need that was not addressed with any of them. Namely, the Bills decided against adding another quarterback via the draft. Truth be told, they’ve already made two offseason signings in Matt Cassell and Tyrod Taylor and now have four players at the position on the roster. There’s even been talk that Taylor has impressed since joining the team from Baltimore and could be a potential frontrunner to start.
That said, there were a few mid-to-late round sleepers the Bills chose not to pursue. Brett Hundley and Bryce Petty are the first two who come to mind. I thought Hundley would go a lot earlier than he eventually did in the sixth round to the Green Bay Packers. Petty ended up getting selected in the fourth round by Buffalo’s AFC East rival the New York Jets. I hope the Bills don’t come to regret the move to stand pat with their quarterback situation.
Most Surprising Pick
Karlos Williams
Going into the draft, running back didn’t appear to be the most pressing need in the world for the Bills. After all, they had just acquired LeSean McCoy from the Eagles and had three other backs (Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown, Anthony Dixon) who had seen significant time last year. This was likely another “best player available” pick and Williams’ physical running style in the FSU backfield likely attracted the attention of Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
Whaley particularly likes his potential versatility. “Karlos Williams gives us an option in the backfield that also brings a tremendous option at special teams and that’s valuable,” he said in discussing the former Florida State back.
Similar to Darby, though, there are some off-the-field red flags the Bills had to have been concerned about. In October of last year, he was reportedly being investigated for a domestic battery incident involving his girlfriend. He has also been connected to a robbery associated with a drug deal gone bad last June.
Steal of the Draft
Nick O’Leary
One of the shortcomings of former Bills tight end Scott Chandler was that he struggled as a blocker. It’s a primary reason they were so intent on signing Charles Clay from the Miami Dolphins in free agency. It’s also an attribute O’Leary possesses and he demonstrated as much while at Florida State. Though short on raw athleticism and speed (he ran a 4.93 40-yard dash at the Combine), the 2014 Mackey Award winner has competitive grit and a great work ethic that could go far in this league. As an aside, his grandfather is none other than golfing legend Jack Nicklaus.
Most Likely To Turn Heads in Training Camp
Dezmin Lewis
Lewis saw significant playing time in all four of his years at Central Arkansas, including his senior season where he earned first-team all-Southland Conference honors after leading the team in yards, catches and touchdowns. At the 2015 Senior Bowl, he actually led all wide receivers in catch yardage, making three receptions for 59 yards. The Bills are getting a player with Calvin Johnson size that could turn into a viable fourth option for whoever wins the starting quarterback job.
The Rest
John Miller – I really thought the offensive line was the most glaring need for the Bills heading into this draft. It was a unit that struggled in 2014, particularly in run blocking. I was surprised to see Miller as the only player drafted at the position. He has solid upper body power and scouts think he has a great deal of upside at the next level.
Tony Steward – Steward was never going to garner the attention his college teammate Vic Beasley got heading into the draft, but he was pretty capable himself in Clemson’s defensive front. Only Beasley had more sacks than him last year and he finished tied for third in tackles for loss. Much like Williams, Whaley sees him as a special teams contributor early on.
Bottom Line
Overall, the main theme for the Buffalo Bills in the year’s draft was adding depth to key positions. Pretty much all six picks were looking to accomplish this. It certainly had an ACC theme to it as five of six players hail from that conference with three of them having played for 2013-14 national champion Florida State. Their selections haven’t exactly raised eyebrows but it appears Whaley, Ryan and company had a plan and executed in the way they best saw fit.
My Grade: 7.8/10
Check out our other draft reviews here.
Main Photo:
