Bills Dark Horse First Round Candidates

I, like many others, think that Brandon Beane will draft a WR with the 1st round pick they have in the draft. I do not think they will be making this choice at 28 if they go WR though. There is a drop off after the top 4-5 WRs in my opinion that would leave them looking at other positions if they're gone. That is why I think they will move up from 28 depending on who they’re targeting in those top 5, and if a run on WRs starts in the late teens of the first round. In this scenario, I am assuming Beane stays put. This can be because the WR run starts earlier than anticipated or the trade price is too expensive to make a move in a very deep WR draft.  

So…If Beane can't make a trade-up and the likes of Nabers, Harrison Jr, Odunze, Thomas Jr, and Mitchell are gone at 28, things get interesting. There are three players that I think could be picked over a WR if they are available at that spot.

Iowa DB - Cooper DeJean. I have seen DeJean’s range in mock drafts from the early teens to the end of the first round. His athleticism and versatility would be something that McDermott could utilize well in his defense and a player that would be a high-value pick if sitting there at 28.

Oregon C - Jackson Powers-Johnson. Powers-Johnson doesn't fill an immediate need for the Bills but would allow them to keep 4 starters in their same roles from last year. He would replace Morse with a bigger and younger player while also giving the Bills cost control for the next 5 years, leaving as the Bills continue their o-line rebuild with young talent.

UCLA DL - Laiatu Latu. Latu is an interesting prospect because he was medically retired prior to continuing his career at UCLA. This may be something that causes him to drop in the draft. If Buffalo is comfortable with the medical reports, I can see them picking Latu if he is available at 28 due to the high ceiling he has in a position that they are always looking to improve on.