The Buffalo Bills held their 2021 rookie minicamp last weekend. The rookies will now join the rest of their teammates for the remainder of offseason workouts.
While we are still over two months away from the start of training camp, here are the roles and expectations I see for each of the team’s eight recent draft picks this coming season:
Round 1 (30th overall)
Greg Rousseau - DE - Miami
Rousseau joins an already competitive, and maybe even crowded defensive end group which includes 33- and 34-year-old veterans Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, and five other players who have NFL experience.
While he may not be an every down starter right away, the Bills certainly did not make Rousseau their first round pick to have him sit and watch all year. He should fit in as a rotational pass rusher at all different spots on the defensive line. The only questions are where, how soon and how often?
General manager Brandan Beane said Rousseau will start off on the outside and eventually play inside, as well, as he develops and learns the defense.
Round 2 (61st overall)
Carlos "Boogie" Basham - DE - Wake Forest
You can basically take everything I just wrote about Rousseau and the competition he will be a part of at his position and apply it to Basham, too. However, Basham may be a little more ready to contribute right away, especially on the interior.
While Rousseau has tremendous upside, Basham’s 42 collegiate games played versus Rousseau’s 14 games will most likely allow Basham to adjust to the speed and size of the NFL a bit quicker, especially in what could be another shortened offseason.
I could see Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier trying to be creative with Basham, trying to figure out how best to get him on the field early on.
Round 3 (93rd overall)
Spencer Brown - OT - Northern Iowa
Brown has a great opportunity to immediately win the backup right tackle spot behind Daryl Williams.
The Bills will almost certainly dress, at least, eight offensive lineman every game in order to have 48 players active on the game day roster. That leaves three backup spots available every game.
If Brown holds his own during training camp, he could very well be one of them. If not, he’d still be on the roster, but inactive on game day, ready to dress when needed.
Round 5 (161st overall)
Tommy Doyle - OT - Miami (OH)
Given where Doyle was drafted, he will have a solid shot to make the final roster.
Teams don’t typically want to cut fifth round draft picks. If he does make it, he still faces an uphill battle to be one of the active players on game day.
Assuming everyone stays healthy, Doyle is most likely looking at a reserve role, practicing throughout the week and not getting a jersey on Sundays. In a worst-case scenario for him, he would still be a valuable practice squad player for development.
Round 6 (203rd overall)
Marquez Stevenson - WR - Houston
I often said on air prior to the draft that what the Bills need an offense is “Isaiah McKenzie with a turbo button.” Enter Stevenson.
He’s a faster version of McKenzie, and has the ability to return kicks. It will most likely come down to those two players, as well as Brandon Powell, battling for the punt and kick return duties.
However, McKenzie is still the incumbent and also has proven his worth as a solid depth receiver when called upon. With other receivers like Jake Kumerow, Duke Williams and Isaiah Hodgins also all fighting for depth spots, Stevenson may be staring at a year on the practice squad, or at least a start there to his career.
Round 6 (212th overall)
Damar Hamlin - S - Pittsburgh
Despite being a sixth round pick, Hamlin may be in a better position to carve out a role than some other rookies drafted earlier, because the No. 3 safety position appears to be wide-open.
Starters Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer rarely come off the field, but when they have that was Dean Marlowe’s spot. He signed with the Detroit Lions as a free agent. Jaquan Johnson has been in Buffalo for two years, but he’s mainly been only a special teams player up to this point. The coaching staff likes Josh Thomas a lot, but he’s yet to play a defensive snap in the NFL, appearing in two games on special teams last season.
That leaves the competition for the main backup job right there for Hamlin to grab. He’s also a terrific special teams player himself, increasing his chances to make the team and see the field.
Round 6 (213th overall)
Rachad Wildgoose - CB - Wisconsin
Wildgoose offers something the Bills really covet - position flexibility. He can play both outside and in the slot.
Right now, the No. 2 cornerback job opposite Tre’Davious White is still unsettled, but it’s hard to see Wildgoose beating out both incumbent starter Levi Wallace and second-year player Dane Jackson, who flashed last year as a rookie and the team really likes. Taron Johnson is the starter in the slot, and Cam Lewis even took that job briefly last year before getting hurt.
Wildgoose is going to have to leapfrog a couple players no matter where he fits best. However, we know how much the Bills value cornerback depth and try to create as much competition as possible at the spot.
Wildgoose should get plenty of chances to prove he belongs, somewhere. He has a shot to make the final roster and then battle for time as a depth defensive back.
Round 7 (236th overall)
Jack Anderson - OL - Texas Tech
Anderson is most likely a candidate to start his rookie year on the practice squad, unless there is an injury or two in camp to anyone ahead of him. In that case, he would be right there to grab a backup role.
Jon Feliciano is the starting right guard, and the team will need at least one interior backup available every week. The Bills still have a bit of an unsettled situation at left guard, but it’s unlikely Anderson could win that job right away. He’d have to beat out Cody Ford, Ike Boettger, Forrest Lamp, and Jordan Devey, at minimum.
Anderson can also play center and work a bit there this year as he develops. He’ll probably need a year to do that, and then could possible slide right into a main reserve role or even compete to be a starter in 2022.
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