The 2016 NFL Draft is under a month away and the Buffalo Bills -- unlike last year -- have a first round selection to try and find themselves an impact starter. With a pair of selections on Day Two, the Bills could even two more starters to the roster.
General manager Doug Whaley has continued to say the Bills will look for the best player available and won't draft based on need, which makes them fairly unpredictable up until they make a selection on April 28. With so many positions that they could go after, the Bills have a great deal of names to keep an eye on -- as long as you know what you're looking for.
Leading up to the start of the draft, WKBW.com will be going through potential names that the Buffalo Bills could select in the 2016 NFL Draft:
DE/OLB Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State DE Emmanuel Ogbah fires off the snap. A lot of quickness for a 275-pound dude. pic.twitter.com/LhfAlvhITc
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) January 22, 2016
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 273
Why he’s a fit
- With Mario Williams now in Miami with a 4-3 defense, the Bills transition to a full-time 3-4 scheme is clear. With that, they need edge rushers that are athletic enough to drop back into coverage as an outside linebacker, and still provide some heat off the edge. After having run a 4.63 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Emmanuel Ogbah blew people away. There are times, like in the GIF above, that you see Ogbah uses his explosiveness and blazing speed to get by opposing tackles. He best fits in at left defensive end/outside linebacker, which would certainly work in unison with right defensive end/outside linebacker Jerry Hughes.
Why the Bills may shy away
- While his 40 time is impressive, there is still some worry about his ability to transition to a 3-4 defense. He doesn’t have a ton of experience dropping into coverage. If he’s forced to turn and run with a tight end or a running back, he may get exposed in that respect. Plus, the Bills like Manny Lawson quite a bit — and while he only has one year left on his contract and is getting up there in age by NFL standards, he’s still slated to start.
Joe B. Verdict
- Ogbah could be the situational pass rusher to help solve the big question the Bills had throughout the 2015 season in bringing down the passer. He’s an intriguing player because of his speed and explosiveness, and his value is right around where the Bills are selecting. There are some other pass rushers the Bills could go with in that area of the draft, but with a lack in depth at edge rusher in this year’s class, it would be prudent of the Bills to consider drafting a player like Ogbah to help make, at least, a situational impact on defense. After it was uncovered that he was reportedly a pre-draft visitor of the Bills, the interest from the team is clear.
