Will the Buffalo Bills Draft a Quarterback in Round 1?

With the Buffalo Bills not sold on Tyrod Taylor as their long-term answer, the team will once again be in the market for a quarterback at the NFL Draft.

For the past 16 seasons, two things have eluded the Buffalo Bills: the playoffs, and a franchise quarterback.

Bills general manager Doug Whaley calls it “quarterback purgatory”, while fans just call it cruel torture. Either way, here we are again at the NFL Draft, and, surprise, the Bills are being linked to a couple quarterbacks.

The two most recent names being connected to the Bills are Paxton Lynch and Christian Hackenberg.

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Lynch, a dual-threat, put together a fine season at Memphis, throwing for 3,776 yards and 28 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Standing at 6-foot-7, 244 pounds, he has all the physical tools needed to endure the harsh Buffalo winters.

Adding to his case, Bills senior offensive assistant Chris Palmer is said to “love” Lynch, according to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. Palmer has worked with quarterbacks like Mark Brunell, Drew Bledsoe, Tim Couch, David Carr, Tony Romo and Eli Manning, and has been coaching offence in the NFL since 1990. Aside from offensive coordinator Greg Roman, he’s likely someone who could persuade Ryan into lobbying for a prospect.

As for Hackenberg, he’s widely regarded as a “project”. The former Penn State pivot has all the physical tools, but he needs polish and time to grow, which is something the Bills could provide him with.

Nov 28, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg (14) looks to throw the ball during the 2nd half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

Peter King of The MMQB provided some interesting info on Hackenberg and the Bills on Monday when he published his 2016 NFL mock draft.

“Some in the NFL are convinced the Bills will consider Christian Hackenberg here,” says King, “not so much because of the Penn State roots of the owner (Terry Pegula) but because some in the organization are convinced that Hackenberg, with the proper training, can be a good NFL player.”

King did not project Hackenberg to the Bills, for what it’s worth, but it was still an interesting tidbit of information.

If you believe in trends, though, the Bills likely will not take Lynch or Hackenberg. Over the last seven years, each of the Bills first round draft picks has came from their pre-draft visit list.

Although information in regards to who they host for pre-draft visits is becoming more difficult to obtain, the Bills did not host Lynch or Hackenberg. The three quarterbacks to visit One Bills Drive were Connor Cook, Cardale Jones, and Dak Prescott. They were in attendance for Lynch’s pro day, however, but that’s it up to this point.

Next: Buffalo Bills: 5 Best Options for the First Round

Luckily for Bills fans, Tyrod Taylor is the unquestioned starter entering this season, so they don’t need to panic. But with Taylor set to be a free agent after next season and the team not sold on him, the long-term answer at quarterback remains a gigantic question mark.

Much like it has for the last 16 years.

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