1. These prospects were the most popular picks for Buffalo in 2020 mock drafts
Buffalobills.com tracked 53 mock drafts since the Bills traded their first round pick for Stefon Diggs in mid-March. Here's a list of the positions most often selected for the Bills in their second and third round slots.
Edge rusher accounted for 49 percent (26 of 53 mock drafts) of the picks for Buffalo at the No. 54 slot. Edge rushers Julian Okwara and Curtis Weaver led all prospects getting picked nine times each for the Bills. Okwara played at Notre Dame and had 15.5 sacks during his college career. Weaver played at Boise State and racked up 34 sacks in three years.
Running back was next most popular position and accounted for 24.5 percent (13 of 53 mock drafts) of the selections. Behind Okwara and Weaver, Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor was picked for the Bills in six mock drafts. In 2019, Taylor had 320 rushing attempts for 2,003 rushing yards and scored 31 total touchdowns.
Out of the 35 total mock drafts including the 86th overall pick, edge rusher again was the favorite position for the Bills. In the third round, an edge rusher was mocked to the Bills in 34.3 percent (12 of 35) of the mock drafts. However, the most popular player picked for Buffalo at the No. 86 slot was running back Zack Moss out of Utah. He was picked in five of the 35 mock drafts. In 2019, Moss had 235 attempts for 1,416 rushing yards and scored 17 total touchdowns.
Bills fans will find out who Buffalo will pick during tonight's broadcast of the 2020 NFL Draft as mock draft season has officially come to an end.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at Buffalo's personnel as they work remotely during the 2020 NFL Draft. Draft coverage is presented by ECMC.
2. Tua Tagovailoa joins Josh Allen and Sam Darnold in QB youth movement in AFC East
With the fifth overall pick the Miami Dolphins drafted Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa making the AFC East full of young quarterbacks. Tagovailoa is now the third quarterback in the division to be drafted in the first round since 2018. Josh Allen was drafted by the Bills with the seventh overall pick in 2018. The Jets drafted Sam Darnold with the third pick in 2018. Although Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham didn't go in the first round, he was drafted in 2019 during the fourth round. Out of the four, the oldest quarterbacks are Allen and Stidham at 23-years old.
It's not just the AFC East that has young quarterbacks a-plenty, the AFC North is the only other division in the NFL to feature at least three quarterbacks drafted in the first round since 2018. The Bengals drafted LSU's Joe Burrow with the first pick of the 2020 draft. Burrow's not the only quarterback in the division to be drafted first overall, Baker Mayfield was the first pick of the 2018 draft to the Browns. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was chosen in the 2018 draft as well with the 32nd pick. While the Steelers hope to have Ben Roethlisberger healthy for this season, two young quarterbacks in Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges helped carry the team last year. Rudolph came out of the 2018 draft and Hodges went undrafted in 2019.
3. Jerry Hughes to be inducted into TCU HOF
Bills defensive lineman Jerry Hughes will receive a high honor this October as he will be inducted into TCU’s Hall of Fame. Hughes will be a part of the 53rd class to be inducted and is one of six athletes to be recognized. The defensive lineman played at TCU from 2006 to 2009. Hughes totaled 28.5 sacks and 40.5 tackles for loss during his college career.
Hughes is one of just two players in TCU football history to be a two-time consensus first-team All-American. He won the 2009 Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's top defensive end and was also the 2009 Lott IMPACT Trophy recipient. A two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and Dan Rogers TCU Most Valuable Player, he led the nation with 15 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2008. The 15 sacks rank second for a season in TCU history.
Hughes will be inducted into the hall of fame during Hall of Fame Weekend at TCU on October 1.
