Buffalo Bills add defensive pieces in 7 round mock draft
By Lucas Schuh
Buffalo Bills 2022 mock draft: 4th and 5th round picks
Before we dive into this pick, yes I know I have Buffalo taking a receiver in the 2nd round. The thing about that is that Alec Pierce won’t be playing in the slot at all, while Phillips likely will exclusively be.
The current situation at the slot for the Bills is not great as Jamison Crowder will likely be starting in the slot for them, while Isiah McKenzie will be backing him up.
Crowder signed a one-year deal with the Bills after spending three years with the Jets. Crowder has been a fine slot receiver for most of his career, but he’s nothing more than okay at the very best. McKenzie has had his moments in the NFL, but he’s never been a consistent slot receiving weapon.
Looking at Phillips, he isn’t the smallest receiver in the world at 5’11 198 pounds, but the reason he will be one is because of his poor 40-yard dash, which was a 4.58.
While Phillips isn’t the fastest guy in the world, he is shifty as all can be and can run pretty much every route in the book. He plays like an NFL receiver as he knows how to set up defenders with his head and varied speed.
Phillips won’t spend any time on the outside, but he should be able to challenge Crowder in the slot position.
Other Players Considered: Kellen Diesch, Neil Farrell Jr, Dohnovan West
While I do have the Buffalo Bills taking Marquis Hayes in the 3rd round, I think it would still be very wise for Buffalo to snag another offensive linemen, especially with the depth that they have, or lack thereof.
In terms of backup offensive linemen, the Bills have the likes of Ike Boettger, Cody Ford, Tommy Doyle, and Greg Mancz, all of which would be problems if they earned starting snaps. Ford has earned some starting offensive line snaps with the Bills, but he struggled greatly in those snaps that he earned.
One thing that is very clear from just looking at Ezeudu is his size and length. Ezeudu is 6’4, 308 pounds, with a 6’10” wingspan, yes you read that right, a 6’10” wingspan. Outside of his arm length, he has some good hands in terms of usage and strength.
While he does have some positives to his name, there are of course some weaknesses. Ezeudu looks a bit stiff at times and when defenders get their hands in his chest, it’s pretty much game over for him.
Ezeudu won’t be a starter right away for the Bills, but if one of their starting offensive linemen goes down, Ezeudu should be able to pick up the scraps and shouldn’t look like a deer in headlights.
Other Players Considered: Mykael Wright, Dominique Robinson, Jerome Ford