The mission of the Buffalo Bills for the 2016 NFL Draft was clear: they needed to upgrade their defense in multiple spots. And, by golly, they made it three-for-three on defensive players in the first three rounds.
With the 80th overall selection -- the Bills' third-round pick -- they decided to bring in Ohio State defensive lineman Adolphus Washington to the fold. A 6-foot-3, 301-pound player, Washington started in 31 games for the Buckeyes, totaling 142 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks.
On a conference call with local media, Washington said that head coach Rex Ryan told him that they were going to pick him, and that they want him to play right away. General manager Doug Whaley said they thought Washington was going to be selected in the second round of the draft.
Joe B's Take
With yet another pick in the front-seven, even as a third-round pick Adolphus Washington will look to start immediately for the Bills. He'll be in a competition with Corbin Bryant for the honors to start, but they envision him as a player that can not only play early, but one that is versatile as well.
Most often, he'll be a five-technique defensive in Rex Ryan's scheme, but they also believe he can shift inside to nose tackle on occasion just to give different looks. Washington has incredible size, and good length for the defensive end spot in the 3-4 defense, and has a boatload of talent an potential.
He's good at the point of attack, setting the table for his teammates, and holding his ground. The inconsistencies are something he has to work through, and if he wants to be an immediate player this season, he'll need to work through that. Too often, he was 'just a guy' on the field and failed to live up to the talent that he possesses and that he flashes at other times.
If he can become a more consistent player, the Bills quite possibly have picked three starters in the first three rounds. Not too shabby.
