As he does every year, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane will try his best to avoid reaching for a player in the first round of the NFL Draft just to fill a particular need.
In fact, he’s far more likely to trade down and out of the first round if there’s not a player available at No. 30 who carries a true first-round grade. That’s what happened last year when Beane traded down twice and ultimately settled in at No. 33 - the first pick of the second round - where he chose wide receiver Keon Coleman.
“I promise you we are just trying to position the board the best we can, and let’s get as many good football players,” Beane said earlier this week at the NFL owners’ meetings in Florida. “We know we need to be strong up front and we’re trying to have as many weapons.”
So while it feels imperative that the Bills get a big, run-stuffing defensive tackle in the first round, the board may dictate that cornerback - another area of concern - presents a better option. Or maybe even a wide receiver or edge rusher, though those two positions aren’t as big of a need.
Playing in Buffalo’s favor is that the draft community consensus is that this is a deep defensive tackle class, and first-year starters or key contributors can be found on Day 2 in the second and third rounds. Here are five players who could be good fits as the Bills try to find the eventual replacement for one-technique DT DaQuan Jones.
Defensive tackle who may be available in second round of NFL draft
1. Alfred Collins, Texas
Earlier this week, I wrote about Oregon’s Derrick ...
