Buffalo Bills go Offensive on NFL Draft Day Two
By James Reeve
The Buffalo Bills made two blockbuster trades to select two offensive players on the second day of the 2017 NFL draft.
After trading down and selecting cornerback Tre’Davious White in the first round, the Bills approached the next two rounds with a different mentality.
As reported by Sal Maiorana of the Democrat & Chronicle, the Bills jumped up seven places in the second round, from 44th to 37th, after trading picks with the Los Angeles Rams.
As well as the two second-round picks being swapped, the Bills received the Rams’ fifth-round pick (149th overall) in exchange for the third-round pick they received from the Chiefs on day one of the draft (91st overall).
With the 37th pick, the Bill addressed a need and selected wide receiver Zay Jones from East Carolina.
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With star receiver Sammy Watkins finding himself sidelined often, the Bills needed another guy that can step up and provide them with offensive playmaking.
The Bills feel confident Jones can be that guy and, as a four-year starter in college with 23 total receiving touchdowns and 4,279 receiving yards, the hope is he can be a day-one contributor.
But the Bills weren’t done there.
The AFC East team made another trade, this time with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons traded their second-round pick (63rd overall) to the Bills, in exchange for a third-round pick (75th) and two fifth-round selections (149th and 156th).
With this pick, Buffalo selected Dion Dawkins, an offensive lineman from Temple.
The big-bodied lineman stands at an impressive 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, giving the Bills some extra protection for Tyrod Taylor.
Taylor was sacked 42 times last season, an increase of six from the prior year, and the Bills need to keep their quarterback on his feet if they hope to turn their fortunes around.
With Dawkins having started 41 out of a possible 44 career games at Temple, as well as earning First Team All-AAC honours after his senior year, it is hoped he can slot into a starting guard position early and provide much-needed protection in the trenches.
The additions of Jones and Dawkins, both offensive players, shows a clear intent to improve on a passing game that ranked 30th in the league in average yards per game.
The Bills had the best rushing yards per game in the 2016 season and improvements made to the passing attack will help new head coach Sean McDermott build a team that can overturn last season’s 7-9 record and push towards the playoffs.
Next: Bills gamble with First Round trade
What do you think of Buffalo’s draft trades and selections? Who would you like to see them pick up on day three? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!