Thanks to Thursday’s trade with the St. Louis Rams, the Buffalo Bills had three picks in the second and third rounds. With those picks, Buddy Nix and company selected two wide receivers and a linebacker. These selections give us a little more knowledge about the schemes the Bills hope to implement both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball next season.
Pick 41: Robert Woods, WR
Positives: Woods played three full seasons as a key receiver in the USC west coast passing offense. There, he became a polished route runner and pass catcher who showed the ability to fight for jump balls and that he is ready to line up opposite of Stevie Johnson on opening day.
USC Coach Lane Kiffin developed an offensive attack based on what he called the “Robert Woods Effect.” Kiffin exploited the fact that defenses double- and sometimes triple-teamed Woods and created openings for other players on the Trojans offense. Woods lined up all over the field: split end, flanker, slot receiver, tight end, and in the backfield.
When Woods did get the ball in his hands, he was a YAC (yards after the catch) machine.
Negatives: Woods isn’t the big “throw him open” type of receiver. He’s average in height at 6’0” and doesn’t possess above average speed. His combine measurables were average.
Spin: The Bills got their number two receiver who has the potential to become a top receiver in a west coast passing attack.
Pick 46: Kiko Alonso, LB
Positives: Alonso is a tall (6’4”), fast linebacker from Oregon. His agility workouts at the combine (short shuttle and three-cone drills) showcased his upper echelon quickness and change of direction ability. In his last season at Oregon, Alonso nearly doubled his junior season tackle count (46 in 2011 and 81 in 2012), grabbed four interceptions, and forced two fumbles.
Negatives: Alonso has had some legal issues. First, he was arrested for driving under the influence in 2010. After missing his sophomore season due to the suspension that was a result of the arrest, Alonso then was arrested for breaking into a woman’s home after the Duck’s 2011 spring game.
Spin: It seems Alonso has stayed out of legal trouble since his sophomore year and focused on football. Alonso’s intrigue is his great athleticism and ability to fly all over the field. The linebacker could play inside or outside in Mike Pettine’s hybrid defensive front, and could cover slot receivers in pass defense. Players like Alonso and free agent singing Manny Lawson are the athletic freaks that Pettine hopes to disrupt and confuse offenses.
Pick 78: Marquise Goodwin, WR
Positives: Goodwin played four consistent years at Texas and also represented the United States in the 2012 Olympic Games as a long jumper. He’s incredibly fast and can jump unbelievably well (obviously, he’s a freaking Olympian).
Negatives: Goodwin isn’t big (5’9” and 183 pounds). In fact, didn’t we draft a smallish fast receiver in the third round of the draft last year?
Spin: While Goodwin is a similar player to Graham at first glance, he is the superior athlete when comparing the two. The graph below compares combine (and pro day for Goodwin) results for the two players compared to the average combine results for all receivers since 1999. The values are standard deviations from the mean. (68% of the population lies within one standard deviation of the mean in either direction, 95% are within two standard deviations. Anything more than two standard deviations from the mean in a normal distribution is rare.)
The Bills went in a different direction than many thought as they addressed their receiver depth. Instead of drafting the big, powerful receiver some had hoped for (Tennessee picked Hunter before Buffalo had the chance in the second round), the Bills selected a professional-caliber west coast offense receiver and an Olympian.
This offense, coupled with CJ Spiller and eventually EJ Manuel will be really exciting to watch in the open field. I’m expecting to see many three and four receiver sets with routes that confuse safeties and create mismatches. Who do you cover in the play below when Johnson, Woods, and Goodwin would all require safety attention? Someone is bound to have a man on man mismatch.
Because these players are such fast and dynamic athletes, the Bills offense will undoubtedly revolve around a quick strike attack that tries to get their players the ball in open space. On defense, the Bills are collecting hybrid headaches for opposing offenses.
The offense got faster and more dynamic with two more playmakers. The defense got more badass. Hopefully we get a corner in the final rounds.
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