By Tim Graham
NFL Network put the Buffalo Bills on the clock this morning for its "NFL AM" On the Beat Mock Draft.
The wakeup call for me to make the pick came at 6:30 a.m. So I don't take it personally that you didn't set your alarm to watch the drama unfold live.
A recap of the mock draft and my selection:
- 1. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M tackle
- 2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Ezekiel Ansah, BYU defensive end
- 3. Oakland Raiders: Sharrif Floyd, Florida defensive tackle
- 4. Philadelphia Eagles: Eric Fisher, Central Michigan tackle
- 5. Detroit Lions: Dee Milliner, Alabama cornerback
- 6. Cleveland Browns: Geno Smith, West Virginia quarterback
- 7. Arizona Cardinals: Chance Warmack, Alabama guard
- 8. Buffalo Bills: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee receiver
Smith being off the board cemented Patterson as the choice. Even if Smith is on the board, the Bills still might go with a receiver here.
Patterson is the best option for the Bills. He's a scintillating playmaker who can get behind defenders, take the top off a defense or gain yards after the catch. He's an instinctive athlete. He's physical when he attacks the ball. He can catch it when he's covered.
Bills General Manager Buddy Nix started telegraphing his desire for such a player three months ago.
The biggest drawback for Patterson is that he's raw and will need time to mature into an NFL star. That should be of little concern for the Bills, who, based on their actions so far in free agency, evidently haven't made the postseason the priority. This evidently is another rebuilding phase.
Patterson can experience all the growing pains he wants in 2013 and bond with whatever quarterback Buffalo selects in the second round.
Or that's my theory this early in the morning, anyway.
tagged
2013 draft | Cordarrelle Patterson
