5 players the Buffalo Bills should draft in the first round

5 players Bills should draft in the first round

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - DECEMBER 12: Christian Barmore #58 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after sacking KJ Jefferson #1 of the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on December 12, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Crimson Tide defeated the Razorbacks 52-3. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

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SOUTH BEND, IN – NOVEMBER 10: Asante Samuel Jr. #26 of the Florida State Seminoles breaks up a pass against Chase Claypool #83 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter of the game at Notre Dame Stadium on November 10, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

2. Asante Samuel

If the Bills want to go with a more conventional cover corner option at No. 30, then Samuel makes a lot of sense. Most mock drafts currently have the former Florida State standout slated to go in Round 2, but there’s a strong chance he makes his way into the bottom of Round 1.

Samuel doesn’t possess great size for the position, but his combativeness in coverage more than makes up for that deficiency. Some teams also downgrade him for not having track speed, but he’s a smooth athlete that finds a way to stick with opposing wideouts even when he encounters a disadvantage when it comes to raw speed.

It’s really Samuel’s ability to hold up in man-to-man-coverage that stands out on film. Opposing quarterbacks just didn’t take many shots at him. NFL scouts should interpret that as a sign that he’s a really good cover option for them in this year’s draft.

The bottom line for Buffalo is that they need to improve their options opposite Tre’Davious White. Samuel has the ability to come in and battle at a high level right away. He’s the sort of defensive weapon the Bills need if they want to become more competitive in the postseason.

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