2017 NFL Draft: 5 First Round Options for the Buffalo Bills
By Tyler Olson
The Buffalo Bills are searching for that next piece of the puzzle. There’s plenty to target in this years first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Rex Ryan saw his time come and go with the Buffalo Bills. A fan and player favorite, Ryan never found the success in one of the NFL’s proudest cities. That forced the Pegulas’ hands in making a change.
While some believe Ryan was the problem many more believe that general manager Doug Whaley is the issue. The GM since 2013, Whaley hasn’t seen his team win more than nine games. Now new head coach Sean McDermott is in town and Bills fans may be seeing a power shift go from GM to head coach.
McDermott was brought in this offseason to improve a team that finished 10th and 16th in offensive and defensive scoring, respectively, this past season. He was successful as the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, helping lead a charge that saw the Panthers in the Super Bowl for the first time in over a decade.
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The question leading into the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft is who’s calling the shots? Will Kim Pegula give Whaley one more shot or is McDermott going to take over in the war room? Regardless, these five players will all be options with the No. 10 overall pick.
5. Mike Williams, WR – Clemson
The Bills moved up in the 2014 NFL Draft to draft Sammy Watkins. They have high hopes that he can be everything they want him to be, but a shaky start to an injury-filled career is all he has to his name right now. Obviously Watkins is part of Whaley’s plans in 2017 and beyond. But there needs to be a more reliable asset to Buffalo’s offense and Tyrod Taylor can’t rely on him or any other of Buffalo’s signings this offseason.
Whaley needs to save his job. Picking a quarterback first wouldn’t be his decision. His best bet would be to play nice and do what he can to find pieces for Taylor on offense, and Mike Williams would be a top choice.
Like Watkins, Williams had great success at Clemson. Williams proved to be a big-play guy as a sophomore in 2014, catching 57 passes for 1,030 yards and six touchdowns. His junior season was cut short in week one due to a neck injury, but it didn’t set the tone for the rest of his career. He came back this past season as a senior and caught 98 balls for 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns.