The Buffalo Bills finished the 2016 season with a disappointing 7-9 record and extended their playoff drought. In the aftermath, head coach Rex Ryan, who had promised that the Bills would make the playoffs under his tenure, was fired. The Bills poor performance in 2016 was partially due to a defense that severely underperformed all season. Now the Bills have a chance to fill some holes in the draft. But defense isn't the only issue. The Bills have the most free agents in the league and will likely need to reload in the draft in order to deal with all the departures.
Let's take a look at the top 5 draft needs for the 2017 Buffalo Bills.
1. Safety.
Aaron Williams might be done with football. A neck injury last season against Miami came dangerously close to ending his career and that may prevent him from coming back to the game. Corey Graham is a solid player, but he is now 31 years old and nearing the end of his career. The Bills secondary was exposed without Williams in the lineup in 2016 thanks to terrible play from Corey White, who was burned all year. Potential draft prospects at safety would include Malik Hooker, Jamal Adams, and Jabrill Peppers in the first round.
2. Offensive Tackle.
The Bills right tackle position really needs to be addressed. Jordan Mills is serviceable, but he's not good enough to consistently get the job done on a regular basis.
Tyrod Taylor always seemed to be scrambling and a lot of the time the blame could be placed directly on tackle Jordan Mills. And Cyrus Kouandjio hasn't yet proved that he is a much better option. The best tackles available in the first round are Cam Robinson and Mike McGlinchey.
3. Wide Receiver.
The Bills wide receiving corps doesn't have the best depth and has been plagued by injuries over the past two seasons.
Sammy Watkins can't seem to stay on the field and other wide receivers like Marquise Goodwin and Robert Woods also struggle to stay healthy. Woods is set to become an unrestricted free agent this season, and the Bills may look to replace him with a star receiver like Mike Williams in the 2017 NFL draft.
4. Cornerback.
Will the Bills sign cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a long term deal?
If not, they desperately need someone to cover across from Ronald Darby. A rookie would be cheaper than Gilmore, but there aren't a lot of clear cut star cornerbacks in this year's draft class. Marlon Humphrey, Marshon Lattimore, and Quincy Wilson would be the best options in the first round, but the Bills will likely take one at some point later on in the draft.
5. Quarterback.
I really hate to suggest this when Tyrod Taylor has been one of the best quarterbacks the Bills have had in a long time, but it certainly seems like Doug Whaley and the Bills are ready to move on. If that's the case, Buffalo absolutely needs to draft a quarterback so that they are not relying on an inexperienced Cardale Jones in 2017. Likely targets would include Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer, and UNC quarterback Mitch Trubinsky.
