Buffalo Bills start strong in 2021 NFL Draft with Gregory Rousseau
The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is in the books and the Buffalo Bills addressed an important need with edge rusher Gregory Rousseau.
At first glance, you can see why the Miami Hurricanes star was a first-round calibre player given his impressive frame. In his NCAA career, he totalled 54 tackles, 19.5 for a loss, and 15.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2019. He did opt out of the 2020 season which probably hurt his draft stock but the raw talent is there.
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Talking to reporters, general manager Brandon Beane said he expects Rousseau to be a part of the team’s rotation in 2021. This should hopefully, lead to him being a starter on the defensive line for many years to come.
Looking at how the AFC has some emerging quarterback talent, getting a player that can wreak havoc in the backfield should provide Bills fans with some excitement. This was a priority for Buffalo considering how their season ended on the losing end of a dominant effort from Patrick Mahomes.
There were some who expected the Bills to take a running back in the first round but the top two in Najee Harris and Travis Etienne were gone before then. It’s not the worst thing considering many teams have been able to find great value on Day 2 of the draft.
The important thing with Rousseau is that he gets a chance to ease into playing again after sitting out an entire season. His decision had to do with COVID-19 concerns with his mother being a nurse.
It’s quite a relieving feeling that Buffalo didn’t need to reach or trade-up for a particular player but after a strong 2020 season, anything less than another run for a Super Bowl will be a significant step back.
Buffalo Bills: 2021 NFL Draft Day 2 should be exciting with some names dropping
It will be interesting to see how the talent pool shakes out on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Azeez Ojulari, Asante Samuel Jr., and Trevon Moehrig are among some of the top prospects to keep an eye on in round two. Buffalo likely won’t see them drop that much which is why they could consider some of the offensive linemen like Teven Jenkins, Samuel Cosmi or maybe running back Javonte Williams.
The benefit for the Bills is that they don’t have to reach for a particular position which takes some pressure off Beane from going off his draft board.
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What are your thoughts on Rousseau? Do you think the Bills made the right pick? What should they try to get on Day 2? Let us know in the comments below.