When the Buffalo Bills are finally on the clock at pick No. 54 in next week's NFL Draft, there are a number of ways they can go. We know general manager Brandon Beane adheres to his "best player available" philosophy, but there are definitely some areas on the roster that could use some more depth and talent.
One of those is defensive end, and especially a pass rusher from that spot.
Here are three EDGE rushers who might be available when the Bills choose, and how'd they fit:
- Curtis Weaver - Boise State
We know the Bills coaching staff loves players with position flexibility, and this front office has opted for players with experience more often than not since they've been in charge. Even though he played only three years at Boise State, Weaver's played in 40 collegiate football games and can also play in multiple defenses, either with his hand on the ground as a rush-end or standing up. He's had a super productive college career, and capped it off by being named the Mountain West Conference's Defensive Player of the Year last season, an award Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes won in both 2008 and 2009 at TCU. In fact, Weaver passed Hughes for the most career sacks in the Mountain West and is the conference's all-time leader with 34. That also ranks fifth all-time in NCAA history since the stat has been kept. He's also the Mountain West's career-leader in tackles for loss with 48.
- Julian Okwara - Notre Dame
Okwara certainly has question marks, but by the second round, you're not getting can't-miss prospects who don't have any. The two biggest are a broken fibula in November of last season and his inconsistency against the run. However, he's long, fast, athletic, and has all the tools to be a really good pass rusher at the next level. The Bills wouldn't be expecting him to start right away and could let him develop the edge-setting, run-stopping part of his game while they used him as a situational pass-rusher, both standing up and getting into a three-point stance. He had a terrific junior year, collecting eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. He didn't have quite the production last year, but through only nine games before being hurt, Okwara still logged four sacks, six tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and even blocked a kick.
- Jonathan Greenard - Florida
While the two players listed above can both play defensive end and stand-up linebacker, Greenard's position flexibility is his ability to play both outside and inside. He's much more of a 4-3 defensive end, but can also play inside in that scheme to give the defense a different look and provide some interior penetration. He spent his first three years of college football at Louisville, but transferred to Florida prior to last season and became one of the best defensive players in the SEC in Gainesville. Greenard led the conference in both sacks (10) and tackles for loss (16). He's considered to be an extremely hard-worker with a good football IQ, which fits perfectly into the "Bills DNA" Beane and head coach Sean McDermott often refer to. One question mark for Greenard is a wrist injury he suffered in 2018 that many believe led to him being hesitant in 2019, whether still impacting him physically or mentally.
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