The Buffalo Bills took 23-year old inside linebacker Kelvin Sheppard out of LSU with the 68th overall pick (3rd round) of the 2011 NFL Draft.  Sheppard stands at 6’2″ and he weighs in at 246 pounds.  He runs a 4.7 40 as he’s a good athlete and his motor is always running.  Sheppard played in 13 games (all starts) for LSU last season and he had 116 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, 2 passes broken up and he had 1 interception.  Sheppard played in 53 games (30 starts) in his four years with the Tigers and he has 311 tackles, 26 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, 7 passes broke up and he had 2 interceptions.  The Bills needed a thumper in the middle of the field against the run, and Sheppard should fill that bill.

The Buffalo Bills picked 21-year old cornerback Aaron Williams out of Texas with the 34th overall pick (2nd round) of the NFL Draft.  Williams is 6’0″, 195 pounds and he runs a 4.45 40.  He played in 11 games (9 starts) for Texas last year and he had 46 tackles, 13 passes broken up and three forced fumbles.  Williams played in 37 games (23 starts) in his three years with the Longhorns and he had 106 tackles, he broke up 24 passes, had 4 interceptions, forced 6 fumbles and he recovered 1 fumble.  Williams will likely need help over the top as he learns on the job at the NFL level.  He has good hands and he’s solid in run support, so the Bills should be able to get him onto the field right away.  This was another good pick by the Bills who are trying to rebuild the defense.

The Buffalo Bills got pushed around in the running game last season but that could be about to change.  That’s because the Bills took 21-year old DT Marcell Dareus with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft.  The 6’3″, 305 pound Dareus is a  load against the running game and he will demand double teams which will free up the Bills’ linebackers to make plays from sideline to sideline.  Dareus played in 11 games (all starts) for Alabama last year and he had 34 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks and he batted down 4 balls.  He played in 33 games (15 starts) in his three years with the Crimson Tide and he had 71 tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks and he batted down 6 balls.  Dareus was a great pick by the Bills who have to feel lucky that he dropped to them.

With the NFL currently under a lockout, it’s possible that teams like the Bills will be drafting for need and it’s probably a smart move this year.  The Bills need a QB for the future but they have big needs all over the defense, so I expect them to pass on Blaine Gabbert and Cameron Newton.  I did a mock draft of every pick for every team, without considering trades which are sure to alter the landscape of the draft.  Here is who I see the Bills picking:

1st round (#3 overall) – Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

2nd round (#34 overall) – Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada

3rd round (#68 overall) – Marcus Gilbert, OT, Florida

4th round (#100 overall) – Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State

4th round (#122 overall) – Da’Norris Searcy, SS, North Carolina

5th round (#133 overall) – Colin McCarthy, OLB, Miami (FL)

6th round (#169 overall) – Darvin Adams, WR, Auburn

7th round (#206 overall) – Andrew Jackson, OG, Frenso State

7th round (#245 overall) – Weslye Saunders, TE, South Carolina

This would be a solid class for the Bills as they would get a big time pass rusher (Von Miller), a QB for the future (Kaepernick) and some help on the O-Line and the defense.