2012 NFL Draft Preview: Buffalo Bills

Riley Reiff at the NFL Combine/AP Images

Evaluating the Bills’ options with the tenth overall pick in this year’s draft.

By Joe Diglio


After an impressive 5-2 start, the Buffalo Bills let the wheels fall off its 2011 season, losing eight of its final nine games to finish an unimpressive 6-10. Tied with the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers for the eighth-worst record in the league, the Bills lost out against the two due to a better strength of schedule, leaving them with the tenth overall pick in the first round.


What will they do? All signs point to Riley Reiff, a left tackle out of Iowa. This is a sensible pick; the Bills need a solid tackle to protect the backside of Ryan Fitzpatrick, whom the team agreed to play long term during the season. However many scouts question whether Reiff can make it at the next level. He should offer decent pass protection, but his run blocking is definitely his strong suit. That doesn’t bode well for Fitzpatrick, who probably doesn’t want his Harvard brain shaking violently in his skull.

Last week, though, the team threw a wrench into the equation when they hosted two first round prospects: USC tackle Matt Kalil and Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. Kalil has the potential to be a franchise left tackle, but he’s expected to be taken by the time the Bills draft. Drafting Kirkpatrick would fill a need at cornerback as well; however picking him at the ten spot would be a reach.

What these moves could mean is that the Bills are interested in looking at trade offers. The Cleveland Browns, who have the fourth overall pick, have already expressed interest in moving down. Buffalo could make a deal with them to get Kalil, but he might even be gone by then, since many predict the Minnesota Vikings will take him with the third overall pick.

On the other hand, trading down seems more plausible. There will surely be a few teams willing to trade up for a top ten pick, and the Bills could use such a move to get additional picks to fill other needs, such as corner and wide receiver.