Cornerback Leodis McKelvin is a suitable
replacement for Nate Clements, whom the Bills lost last year in free agency.
Having lost two tight ends in free agency, the Bills had a major need at the
position and took Derek Fine in the fourth round. James Hardy provides a
valuable target for quarterback Trent Edwards and a complement for speedster Lee
Evans
Round 1, Pick 11 (11) Leodis McKelvin CB 5'11" 190 Troy
McKelvin is the first cornerback off the board. He is not afraid to hit opposing
receivers, but there are questions about his ability to pick the ball off.
Round 2, Pick 10 (41) James Hardy WR 6'6" 220 Indiana
In the end they have their cake and get to eat it too, as they nab a real red
zone threat in the 6-foot-6 Hardy. He finished his career by hauling in 191
passes for 2,740 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Round 3, Pick 9 (72) Chris Ellis DE 6'4" 260 Virginia Tech
Ellis is an inconsistent player, who looked great at times. He had 22 sacks and
36 tackles for loss in college and is fast enough to play on special teams.
Round 4, Pick 15 (114) Reggie Corner CB 5'10" 180 Akron
Corner is a small guy who ran pretty well at his pro day. The concern is his
size because it hinders his ability to cover big receivers in a jump-ball
situation.
Round 4, Pick 33 (132)
(Compensatory selection) Derek Fine TE 6'3" 245 Kansas
Fine is going to sit down against zones and catch 8-9 yard passes. He can also
play solid special teams.
Round 5, Pick 12 (147) Alvin Bowen OLB 6'1" 223 Iowa State
Bowen is an outside linebacker with decent size and very good speed. He can drop
into coverage and can play every down.
Round 6, Pick 13 (179) Xavier Omon RB 5'11" 226 Northwest Missouri State
Omon is a very productive player. He's got size and speed and has had an
unbelievable statistical output in college.
Round 7, Pick 12 (219) Demetrius Bell OT 6'5" 303 Northwestern State (LA)
Bell is very athletic and has good size. He lacks polish though and needs to be
developed. He's probably a practice squad player at this point but has
potential.
Round 7, Pick 17 (224) (From Eagles) Steve Johnson WR 6'2" 210 Kentucky
Johnson is a solid player with decent speed and size. He only played two years
at Kentucky after transferring from a junior college in California.
Round 7, Pick 44 (251)
(Compensatory selection) Kennard Cox CB 6'0" 195 Pittsburgh
Cox is a safety that some scouts think might project as a corner. He has decent
size and might develop into the nickleback that so many teams are searching for.
Buffalo Bills 2008 NFL Preview
The Bills keep getting stronger as
they got the running back (Marshawn Lynch) and the quarterback
(Trent Edwards) last year, and this year they add the wide receiver
threat in James Hardy. Things are definitely looking up in Buffalo
as the Bills get back some players who were injured on defense last
year to include Paul Posluszny, and add the best CB in the draft in
Leodis McKelvin who is also a threat on special teams. The Bills
continue to build on success and should contend for a wild card spot
all year. Bills' head coach Dick Jauron did a remarkable job last
season getting his team to seven wins.
Offense: The Bills are carefully developing second-year
talents Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch. With James Hardy now
available as a big target for Edwards, look for continued
improvement offensively as a WR trio of Hardy and the dangerous Lee
Evans as well as productive Josh Reed can give this offense some
impact. It seems fair to assume the offense will do more because it
could hardly do less than it did a year ago.
Defense: The Bills suffered a rash of injuries last year,
they are not nearly as bad as their #31 ranking would have you
believe. They added Marcus Stroud to the line and Leodis McKelvin
should provide some immediate help in the secondary. Things should
be greatly improved defensively this year if newly acquired nose
tackle Marcus Stroud stays healthy.
Overall: The division title is unlikely, but a wild card is
within reach for the Bills and the future looks even brighter with
the youth they have in place. The Bills are doing ok. It is going to take a few years to catch up to the
rest of the AFC, but they are on the right track,
an appropriate
goal would be to reach the postseason for the first time this
decade. If everyone stays healthy, they could do just that. At the
same time, it’s important that Buffalo keep preparing to peek in a
few years
