With the questions at quarterback the Bills have, as well as the acquisition of LeSean McCoy in the offseason to bolster the running game, you have to figure Buffalo will look to draft some offensive line help next week in the NFL Draft.
While Eric Wood holds down the center position on the offensive line, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see the Bills look to add to their depth at offensive tackle or guard. Richie Incognito hasn’t played in over a year, and there is speculation the Bills could cut Chris Williams before June 1st to make some cap space.
One thing which will hamper the Bills to address any concerns they might have is they don’t pick until day two of the draft. By that time offensive lineman like Brandon Scherff, Ereck Flowers, Andrus Peat, La’El Collins, D.J. Humphries, and T.J. Clemmings will almost certainly be off the board already. But there is still plenty of other quality options out there which should be worth taking a look at.
Offensive Tackles:
Jake Fisher – Oregon:
A big plus for Fisher is he played all over the line while in Eugene. Fisher was a former tight end, who blossomed into a third-team All-American, as well as first-team Pac-12 last season, while starting 13 games at left tackle for Oregon. In 2013 Fisher started 11 games at right tackle, and in 2011 he played 13 games as a reserve right guard.
One issue with Fisher is he was guilty of a lot of penalties the last few years at Oregon. He might be a little better option at guard just because he doesn’t have great quickness of the line, which could leave him vulnerable to some of the speedier outside rushers at tackle.
Still Oregon’s offensive line coach called Fisher “more polished” than former teammate, and current Chicago Bear, Kyle Long. I have a feeling Fisher will be taken earlier in round two, but if he does slide to the 50th pick, they’ll have to take a long look at him.
Cedric Ogbuehi – Texas A&M:
Ogbuehi is more of a wild-card pick because of the torn ACL he suffered in the bowl game in December Texas A&M played against West Virginia. Coming into the 2014 season, Ogbuehi was being considered as a possible top-10 pick, but a so-so season hurt the projection some. Still Ogbuehi was named first-team All-SEC and third-team All-American.
Ogbuehi has a great combination of athleticism and power and has the looks of being a tremendous run blocker in the pros. Much like Fisher, Ogbuehi has played both tackle and guard, which allows for some much needed versatility in today’s NFL.
With other options at the tackle positions right now, the Bills could afford to draft Ogbuehi if he is available and let him fully rehab his knee injury. While the Bills probably want their first pick in this year’s draft to have an immediate impact, the possibility to draft a tackle like Ogbuehi might be too good to pass up.
Donovan Smith – Penn State:
At 6-6 and 338 pounds, Smith is an absolute monster, but also has good speed for a player his size. The calling card of Smith is his power though, which means he could be a real asset as a run blocker. Much like the first two lineman mentioned, Smith also has the ability to move to guard if needed.
With the size Smith has, sometimes he can get caught playing a little high, but some feel those problems can be fixed with technique work. Smith’s arm and hand technique could use a little work, as sometimes he can hurt his blocking and make him vulnerable to powerful edge rushers. Some think Smith could be a very underrated pick, so he could be taken off the board before the Bills even get a chance to decide if they want to take him.
Rob Havenstein – Wisconsin:
Even though is originally from Maryland, Havenstein has the kind of size that we’ve come to expect out of Wisconsin offensive lineman over the years. Havenstein was almost 390 pounds when he came to Wisconsin, but worked his way down to 321 pounds at the combine.
Havenstein is quicker than you would expect someone with a massive frame like he has to be. He has the mean streak you would want a lineman to have, and it showed as Havenstein was part of a Wisconsin line the past two seasons which consistently opened up holes for one of the best rushing teams in college football.
With the huge size Havenstein has, it seems like it easier for to become very stiff in his blocking. The length Havenstein has makes it a chore for defenders to get around him, he is vulnerable to some of the speedier edge rushers who get off the line a little quicker. Still it seems like more often than not, Wisconsin lineman are pretty dependable in the NFL, and Havenstein has already shown how dependable he is by playing in 54 games at Wisconsin.
Offensive Guards:
Laken Tomlinson – Duke: In my first mock draft I had the Bills taking Tomlinson with the 50th pick, and he is certainly still in play for Buffalo even though I had them going a different direction in my latest one. Tomlinson was a little bit of late bloomer after not playing football until his freshman year in high school, but he has certainly excelled on the line the last few years.
Over the past two years Tomlinson didn’t allow a sack as Duke had a couple of their best seasons in school history. Tomlinson plays low which allows him to generate power, giving him good push against defenders, but also allows for a strong base which allows him to hold his own in pass protection.
An issue with Tomlinson is he has limited mobility which has forced him to the interior positions on the line. Don’t expect to see Tomlinson down the field and into the second level too much, as he does most of his damage close to the line of scrimmage. Still it’s hard to go wrong with an intelligent, four-year starter, who could be a long time starter at guard for a team.
Arie Kouandjio – Alabama:
How fitting would it be if the Bills ended up taking the younger brother of Cyrus Kouandjio, who they drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft? It definitely would be interested if the Kouandjio’s could play side-by-side and lock down one side of the line for the Bills in the future.
What is most notable for Kouandjio is his arm length and hand strength. The explosive limbs Kouandjio possesses allows him to neutralize defenders. There is some concern with Kouandjio’s body, since he has had surgery on both knees. The surgeries could be a reason as why he sometimes plays stiff. Still it’s hard to deny the talent, and even more intriguing is if the Kouandjio brothers playing together again could spark their play.
A.J. Cann – South Carolina:
During his career at South Carolina, Cann was a model of reliability, starting every game except one the past four years. What Cann does well is get low and drive through his opponents, keeping a wide base, which keeps him strong against power rushers.
Where Cann struggles is he is a little slow of the line, and it takes him a while to get going. Sometimes the late start leads to Cann trying to do too much to recover, lunging and overextending to try and get back in the play. While Cann isn’t flashy, he has all the makings of a consistent starter, who starts for a solid 8-10 years in the league.
Tre’ Jackson – Florida State:
Tre’ Jackson has had a pretty good last couple years. Not only did Florida State go undefeated in 2013 and end up winning the national championship, but they followed it up in 2014 by making the College Football Playoff before losing to Oregon. With his performance in his senior season, Jackson was named a unanimous first-team All-American.
Jackson was a major reason for the success of Jameis Winston the last two years, helping to keep the quarterback clean with his pass blocking. Jackson is able to keep his balance in pass protection really well, but also has the size to drive opponents of the line in run blocking.
The problem at times with Jackson is he tries to rely more on his size and doesn’t use quite as much technique in his blocking. The good news is the downside is something coachable, and should the teachings be translated on the field, Jackson could be a very good pick for whoever takes him.
Josue Matias – Florida State:
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Matias was a New Jersey high school football product who committed to Florida State and became a three-year starter at left guard. In 2013 Matias was named second-team All-ACC, and last year he was named to the third-team.
While Matias has the size like teammate Tre’ Jackson, the big difference between the two apart is Matias has a little bit of finesse to go along with the size. Matias is a very smart blocker and is very good at understanding angles to get an edge on the opponent.
Matias may be quick of the snap but he doesn’t quite have the power explosion as others, which is why he has to rely a little more on his intelligence on making up for some of the power he is giving up to defenders. Still I could see Matias being a lot like A.J. Cann, where he quietly builds a solid NFL career.
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