2017 NFL Draft Grades: Buffalo Bills Day 3 Picks
By Brenden Deeg
The Buffalo Bills did a stellar job of filling the holes on their roster in the first two days of the 2017 NFL Draft. So how did they fair in Day 3?
The Buffalo Bills entered the third day of the 2017 NFL draft feeling pretty good, having successfully filling their immediate needs in the first two days of the draft. The Bills drafted cornerback Tre’davious White in the first round after trading down 17 spots with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs took their quarterback of the future in Patrick Mahomes, and the Bills used their pick to take their hopeful future No. 1 corner in White.
In the second round, the Bills took the extra third-round pick they had in the bank to trade up and take wide receiver Zay Jones out of East Carolina. The Bills were not done wheeling and dealing, as they moved two of their extra fifth-round picks to move up late into the second round to take offensive tackle Dion Dawkins.
The Bills had holes at wide receiver, corner and offensive tackle and they used their first three picks to address them. Each pick was well thought through, as each player should make an immediate impact next season. The Bills had three picks heading into Day 3 of the draft. Here are my grades for each pick the Bills made on Day 3.
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Round 5, Pick 163: Matt Milano, LB – Boston College
The Bills came into the 2017 NFL draft needing an edge rusher. The Bills have a very solid front seven already, but lack some speed at the linebacker position. Matt Milano is exactly what the Bills needed. The 6-0 223-pound linebacker out of Boston College can really move for a linebacker. He ran a 4.67-second 40 at the NFL combine which helped to boost his stock. The one knock against him is he is undersized at six feet tall. Perceived lack of size can be overlooked with results. He needs to use his speed to cover tight ends and get after the quarterback. Matt Milano should be able to step in right away and be a special team regular and a rotational linebacker for the Bills
Grade: B+
Round 5, Pick 171: Nathan Peterman, QB – Pittsburgh
The Bills needed to address their air attack this offseason after last year’s dreadful passing offense. They gave Tyrod Taylor some assistance in drafting wide receiver Zay Jones and offensive tackle Dion Dawkins. The Nathan Peterman pick provides character building competition this upcoming training camp. Peterman comes out of Pittsburgh already knowing how to run a pro-style offense. He is an accurate quarterback who can roll out of the pocket and will need some coaching to become NFL ready. I love this pick for the Bills, as they needed to give Taylor some competition.
Grade: A-
Related Story: 2017 NFL Draft Grades: Buffalo Bills Day 2 Picks
Round 6, Pick 191: Tanner Vallejo, LB – Boise State
The Bills doubled down on linebackers on the third day of the draft, selecting Tanner Vallejo with their last pick. The 6-1, 228-pound linebacker out of Boise State ran a 4.67-second 40 at the Combine, exactly the same as Matt Milano. Vallejo should be able to step in and be a part of the linebacker rotation right away, and provides additional speed in the front seven.
Grade: B+