Buffalo Bills Draft Grade:

Round 1, #16  – QB EJ Manuel, Florida State – Grade: B

-Manuel is a high upside quarterback and the Bills are desperate here for a signal caller. Five years from now Manuel has the potential to be an elite quarterback and the best from this class. That being said this is still a big reach, as he probably needs a good year or two of development time.

Round 2, #41 – WR Robert Woods, Notre Dame – Grade: A

-This is a fantastic pick for the Bills, Woods is one of the most NFL ready receivers in this class and had a 1st round value. He should be a day one starter for Buffalo and finally give them another option to go along with Stevie Johnson.

Round 2, #46 – ILB Kiko Alonso, Oregon – Grade: C+

-The Bills needed an inside linebacker, but Alonso was taken too high here and there were better and safer linebackers on the board. Given that this was a top 50 pick the Bills should have expected to get more out of it.

Round 3, #78 – WR Marquise Goodwin, Texas – Grade: C+

-Wide receiver continued to be a need even with the Woods selection, so adding another weapon makes sense. Goodwin has impressive speed and should help in the return game, but he’s pretty raw and slight reach here.

Round 4, #105 – S Duke Williams – Grade: B-

-Really nice value here and definitely fills a big need for Bills. He has good starting potential and should quickly compete for a job.

Round 5, #143 – DB Jonathan Meeks, Clemson – Grade: C

-Helps fill a need, but this is a reach pick and there were better defensive backs still on the board.

Round 6, #177 – K Dustin Hopkins, FSU – Grade: B

-A bit of an odd move since Rian Lindell is still under contract for 3 more years, but if Hopkins wins the job, the Bills take a cap hit this year and free up a couple million in each of the next two years. Hopkins was the 2nd best kicker in this draft and could have a long career at the next level.

Round 7, #222 – TE Chris Gragg, Arkansas – Grade: B-

-Adding a pass catching tight end was key, and Gragg is an interesting one. He’s a nice late round value here and could eventually develop as a starter.

Overall: B-

-The Bills hit on a number of needs and got some really intriguing players, but they did reach for a number of their picks. The one good thing about the Manuel reach is that they traded back first adding some some value. Manuel and Woods will likely make or break this draft, but if some of those other reaches pan out this could be a special class. Buffalo would probably do well to not rush Manuel, and let him sit for at least half a year to ensure they get the most out of that pick.