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On to this community mock draft. The votes are in, and Bucs Nation thought the Broncos would take Marcell Dareus, defensive tackle out of Alabama. This is a dominant defensive tackle whose strength is run-stopping, and he should instantly upgrade an abysmal run defense. John Fox is a conservative, defensive head coach so Dareus fits perfectly what he wants to do.
Today, the Buffalo Bills are up. They're in the second year of Chan Gailey's tenure, and they were pretty terrible last year. While their defense was decent in 2009 it collapsed entirely in 2010 after a move to a 3-4 - which they then aborted midway through the season. The offense isn't much better. Rookie RB C.J. Spiller didn't do much last year, making all the Reggie Bush comparisons seem quite apt, their quarterback situation is passable but hardly solid with Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the only good wide receiver on the roster is Stevie Johnson. Plenty of needs to fix, then, so let's see what happens.
QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri: Gabbert is now the top QB in the draft. He's a good runner as well, and probably just as athletic as Cam Newton. But he doesn't have Newton's arm, nor does he have his accolades. He's been accurate, but he struggles on deeper passes. He doesn't have Cam Newton's upside, but he doesn't have his downside either. That's because he's completely clean on and off the field. The Buffalo Bills have Ryan Fitzpatrick, who's not horrible as a stand-in but hardly a long-term solution. Blaine Gabbert could solve the Bills QB problems for the future.
CB Patrick Peterson, LSU: Quite possibly the best pure talent in the draft. Patrick Peterson is a complete cornerback, physical with outstanding coverage and ball skills. He's probably at his best as a press-man cornerback, which shouldn't be a problem for the Buffalo Bills. Some have also said that he may have to move to safety in the NFL because of his size, but I don't see that and it hasn't stopped his draft buzz. He fits the Bills' needs who need to upgrade their defense at nearly every position.
WR A.J. Green, Georgia: Green is a terrific and complete wide receiver. He's big, fast, has great hands and breaks sharply in his routes. He also fits the Bills' needs, who have no one at WR behind Stevie Johnson. There are some question marks about A.J. Green, too. He was suspended for 4 games in 2010 for selling his bowl shirt, and he scored a 10 on the Wonderlic test, which raised some concerns about his intelligence. Those are the only concerns, though, and Green should definitely be in consideration for the Bills.
DE Von Miller, Texas A&M: Von Miller is a ridiculously good pass rusher who could make an instant impact at the next level. There are no character questions, and he's been a consistent producer. But while his skills as a pass-rusher are unmatched in this draft, it's basically the only thing he really does well. He struggles against the run and he doesn't look good in coverage. He's also undersized and would be a better 3-4 OLB than 4-3 DE, which could take him off the board for the Bills who switched around between a 3-4 and 4-3 scheme last year.
DT Nick Fairley, Auburn: Fairley was briefly in consideration for the 1st overall pick after his destructive NCAA National Championship Game against the Oregon Ducks. He's big, quick, strong and explosive, and could be a dominant defensive tackle at the next level. Unfortunately he's also really really raw, which is why he dropped out of the conversation for the first overall pick. He just doesn't use his hands, which means a big learning curve at the NFL level. Still, he fits the Bills' needs as they need more defensive-line talent. And if there's anything Fairley is, it's talented.
DE Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson: Bowers is perhaps the best talent at defensive end in this draft. He had a ridiculous junior year with 15.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss. He's a strong run defender and a potent pass-rusher. But there are two concerns about Da'Quan Bowers: his junior year was his first strong year, and he could be a one-year wonder. Second, a knee injury has prevented him from working out and he still wasn't fully healthy at his pro day. if his knee doesn't check out at the Combine Re-check, he could fall a long way on draft day. But if he does check out, he would certainly fit the Bills' defensive needs.
DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina: Robert Quinn was one of several North Carolina players who were suspended for the 2010 season for receiving improper benefits from agents. Then add to that some minor medical concerns over a benign brain tumor, and it would be easy to understand if Quinn dropped a long way on draft day. But Quinn is a unique defensive end talent, with great speed off the edge and good strength. He kept in shape during his time away from the game and performed well at the scouting combine and his pro day. Overall there are no questions about his commitment to football, and he may be even better than Bowers.