NFL Draft Grades 2013: Buffalo Bills

The 2013 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now it’s time for some reflection. While some teams traded around to get who they want, others stood pat to see who would slide to them — and if there’s one thing to remember about this draft it’s players that slid around the rounds. But now that the draft is behind us, the all important grading phase has begun, so lets take a look at how the Buffalo Bills did in this year’s NFL Draft.

Draft Picks

• EJ Manuel, quarterback, Florida State — Round 1 (16)
• Robert Woods, wide receiver, USC — Round 2  (41)
• Kiko Alonso, linebacker, Oregon — Round 2 (46)
• Marquise Goodwin, wide receiver, Texas — Round 3 (78)
• Duke Williams, safety, Nevada — Round 4 (105)
• Jonathan Meeks, defensive back, Clemson — Round 5 (143)
• Dustin Hopkins, kicker, Florida State — Round 6 (177)
• Chris Gragg, tight end, Arkansas — Round 7 (222)

Best Pick: Marquise Goodwin

The Bills need to add playmakers to the offensive side of the ball and there are few players that have the quickness of Marquise Goodwin. If the team utilizes him in the correct way, he could be a terror lining up all over the field and notching big plays for the team every outing.

Worst Pick: EJ Manuel

I was going to go with the other Florida State player, Dustin Hopkins, because there is no way I condone drafting a kicker. However, the value of the EJ Manuel pick was just too awful. Manuel is a third-round talent who should have been overdrafted in the second-round at the earliest. Instead, the Bills used a first-round pick on a quarterback who is nowhere near close enough to begin contributing.

Analysis: The Bills found a way to get very little value for the entire draft. The Kiko Alonso, Goodwin and Chris Gragg picks could prove to be helpful, but the team could have maximized their draft position and played the board a lot better. The decision to go with Manuel so high could really come back to haunt this franchise.

2013 Draft Grade: D