The 2019 NFL Draft is right around the corner. According to Bills GM Brandon Beane, the draft board — typically consisting of 115-140 players — should be set by Wednesday, April 17, 2019. This means the team will have met with a majority of the prospects at some point this draft season. While not all of the visits are disclosed by the team, players, or agents, a majority of them are leaked in some manner. So based on my extensive research, let’s analyze the visits on page one. I’ll then share who I think the Bills will ultimately choose in round one on page two.

Official Visits

Teams are afforded 30 official visits each year, and the Bills have yet to meet that number. Currently, Buffalo has brought in 28 of their 30 allotted visits.

1. AJ Brown, WR, Ole Miss
2. Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida St.
3. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida
4. Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis
5. Dawson Knox, TE, Ole Miss
6. Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
7. DK Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
8. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
9. Elgton Jenkins C, Mississippi St.
10. Greg Little, T, Ole Miss
11. Hamp Cheevers, CB, Boston College
12. Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M
13. Jawaan Taylor, T, Florida
14. Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech
15. JoeJuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
16. Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
17. Juan Thornhill, S, Virginia
18. Khalen Saunders, DT, Western Illinois
19. Maxx Crosby, DE, Eastern Michigan
20. Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi St.
21. N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona St.
22. Nate Davis, G, Charlotte
23. Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
24. Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan
25. Sean Bunting, CB, Central Michigan
26. Trevon Wesco, TE, West Virginia
27. Tytus Howard, T, Alabama St.
28. Vosean Joseph, LB, Florida

Notes:

*According to my projections, the Bills have had meetings with 12 first-rounders. Of those 12, the Bills have brought in nine on official visits. Those players are EDGE Brian Burns, WR DK Metcalf, DT Ed Oliver, C Elgton Jenkins, T Jawaan Taylor, EDGE Josh Allen, DE Montez Sweat, DT Quinnen Williams, and DE Rashan Gary. In 2018, they met with 11 first-rounders out of 25 official visits.

*The three players who are considered first-rounders but were not brought in on an official visit are T/G Cody Ford, T Jonah Williams, and TE Noah Fant. The Bills did not draft any of the four first-rounders who they met with unoficially, but not officially, in 2018.

*Official visit count (including local pro day visitors) by round: nine first-rounders,  12 second-rounders, six third-rounders, two fourth-rounders, two fifth-rounders, and six sixth round-to-priority free agents. Official visit count (including local pro day visitors) by round: 11 first-rounders,  seven second-rounders, two third-rounders, three fourth-rounders, one fifth-rounder, and one sixth round-to-priority free agent.

*Of the 28 total official visits (not including local pro day visitors), 19 out of 28 (68%) are underclassmen, compared to 10 out of 25 (40%) underclassmen in 2018. 

*Top official visitors by position: eight edges/defensive ends, six wide receivers, and five cornerbacks. Top official visitors by position in 2018: five cornerbacks, four quarterbacks.

*The Bills have brought in four official visitors at edge/defensive end with first-round grades.

*Players with only an official visit and a Combine meeting: WR AJ Brown, WR DK Metcalf, EDGE/DE Brian Burns, DE Jaylon Ferguson, T Jawaan Taylor, DT Rashan Gary, DT Quinnen Williams. Players with only an official visit and a Combine meeting in 2018: QB Baker Mayfield, RB Rashaad Penny.

*Player with only an official visit and a pro day meeting: DE Jaylon Ferguson. Player with only an official visit and a pro day meeting in 2018: RB Kallen Ballage.

*Players with only an official visit and a private workout: TE Dawson Knox and DE Maxx Crosby. Players with only an official visit and a private workout in 2018: None.

*In 2018, the Bills only drafted two official visitors, QB Josh Allen and LB Tremaine Edmunds. Edmunds was the only official visitor AND underclassmen to be drafted. Linebacker Corey Thompson was an official visitor but was signed after the draft.

Local Pro Day

Players who “attend college or reside in a club’s ‘metropolitan area’ can be given a physical examination without counting against the 30-player limit, unless the club provides transportation for the visit. Also, a player who attends college or whose hometown is in a club’s ‘metropolitan area’ may be timed and tested at the club’s facility, as long as the club does not provide transportation.”

The following players were brought into the Bills’ facilities at one point or another over the last few months but do not count against the official visit tally:

1. Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn St.
2. Anthony Johnson, WR, Buffalo
3. Cameron Lewis, CB, Buffalo
4. Chuck Smith, DE, Buffalo
5. George Rushing, WR, Buffalo
6. Jake Dolegala, QB, Central Connecticut St.
7. Miles Sanders, RB, Penn St.
8. Shareef Miller, DE, Penn St.
9. Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo

Notes:

*Draftable players from the local pro day workouts: CB Amani Oruwariye (2nd), WR Anthony Johnson (3rd), RB Miles Sanders (2nd), DE Shareef Miller (5th), QB Tyree Jackson (3rd).

Private Workouts

Teams are also given the opportunity to set up private workouts with prospects throughout the draft process. Buffalo has done so with the following prospects:

1. Cameron Glenn, S, Wake Forest
2. Casey Bednarski, K, Minnesota St.
3. Curtis Akins, LB, Memphis
4. Dawson Knox, TE, Ole Miss
5. Deandre Thompkins, WR, Penn St.
6. Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic
7. Dru Samia, G, Oklahoma
8. Gary Jennings, WR, West Virginia
9. Kaleb McGary, T, Washington
10. Kingsley Keke, DT, Texas A&M
11. Maxx Crosby, DE, Eastern Michigan
12. Nick Easley, WR, Iowa
13. Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
14. Qadree Ollison, RB, Pitt

Notes:

*Players worked out by round: one first-rounder (TE Noah Fant), one 2nd rounder (T Kaleb McGary), two third-rounders, one fourth-rounder, two fifth-rounders, seven sixth round-to-priority free agents. Players worked out by round in 2018: four first-rounders, one second-rounder, three sixth round-to-priority free agents.

*Top workouts by position: three wide receivers, two running backs, two tight ends. Top workouts by position in 2018: four quarterbacks,  one player at each of the following positions: C, WR, TE, CB, S.

*Only two out of 14 players (14%) are underclassmen. Two out of eight players (25%) were underclassmen in 2018.

*Players with only a private workout and pro day meeting: LB Curtis Akins, RB Devin Singletary. Players with only a private workout and pro day meeting in 2018: QB Sam Darnold.

*Players with only a private workout and a Combine meeting: TE Noah Fant. Players with only a private workout and a Combine meeting in 2018: TE Dallas Goedert, C Frank Ragnow.

*Players with only a private workout, pro day meeting and Combine meeting: G Dru Samia, T Kaleb McGary. None in 2018.

*Only one player was drafted in 2018 who had a private workout, and that was QB Josh Allen.

Pro Day Meeting or Workout

Team personnel are allowed to meet with prospects during their scheduled pro days. The Bills conducted a meeting or workout with the following players:

1. Blessaun Austin, CB, Rutgers
2. Christian Miller, DE, Alabama
3. Curtis Akins, LB, Memphis
4. Damarkus Lodge, WR, Ole Miss
5. Devin Singletary, RB, FAU
6. Diontae Johnson, WR, Ole Miss
7. Dru Samia, G, Oklahoma
8. James Williams, RB, Washington St.
9. Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech
10. Kaleb McGary, T, Washington
11. Kyi Hester, S, Rutgers
12. Kyle Phillips, DE, Tennessee
13. Tae Haynes, CB, Appalachian St.

Notes:

*Pro day meetings or workouts by round: two second-rounders, two fourth-rounders, two fifth-rounders, and seven sixth round-to-priority free agents. Pro day meetings or workouts by round in 2018: four first-rounders, one second-rounders, one third-rounder, one fourth-rounder, two sixth round-to-priority free agents.

*Top pro day meetings or workouts by position: three defensive ends, two running backs, and two wide receivers. Top pro day meetings or workouts by position in 2018: five quarterbacks, one player each at RB, WR, DT, LB.

*Only five out of 13 players (39%) are underclassmen. One out of nine (11%) players were underclassmen.

*Only one player was drafted in 2018 who had a private meeting or workout, and that was QB Josh Allen.

Combine Meeting

Another event where the team can get to know prospects is at the NFL Scouting Combine held in Indianapolis, Indiana every year. Buffalo reportedly met with the following prospects at that event:

1. AJ Brown, WR, Ole Miss
2. Alec Ingold, FB, Wisconsin
3. Bobby Evans, T, Oklahoma
4. Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida St.
5. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
6. Cody Ford, T, Oklahoma
7. Dalton Risner, T, Kansas St.
8. DK Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
9. Drew Sample, TE, Washington
10. Dru Samia, G, Oklahoma
11. Erik McCoy, C, Texas A&M
12. Isaac Nauta, TE, Georgia
13. Jawaan Taylor, T, Florida
14. Jonah Williams, T, Alabama
15. Kaleb McGary, T, Washington
16. Kelvin Harmon, WR, NC State
17. Kevin Givens, DT, Penn St.
18. Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
19. Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
20. Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
21. Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan
22. Yosh Nijman, T, Virginia Tech

Notes:

*Combine meetings by round: eight first-rounders, six second-rounders, one third-rounder, two fourth-rounders, one fifth-rounder, and four sixth-round-to-priority free agents. Top combine meetings by round in 2018: six first-rounders, two second-rounders, two third-rounders, two fifth-rounders, two sixth round-to-priority free agent.

*14 out of 22 combine meetings were underclassmen. In 2018, four out of 14 combine meetings were underclassmen.

*Top combine meetings by position: seven offensive tackles, four wide receivers, three tight ends. Top combine meetings by position in 2018: five offensive tackles, three quarterbacks, three running backs.

*Players who the Bills met with at the Combine and Senior Bowl: T Dalton Risner and TE Drew Sample. Players who the Bills met with at the Combine and Senior Bowl in 2018: QB Baker Mayfield, RB Jaylen Samuels.

*Of the 14 combine meetings on record from 2018, the Bills drafted zero players.

 

Senior Bowl Meeting

If there is one event that is an indicator of who the Bills may draft, it is the Senior Bowl. The event is held in Mobile, Alabama every January, and the Bills reportedly met with the following seniors:

1. Chris Lindstrom, G, Boston College
2. Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas St.
3. Drew Sample, TE, Washington
4. Mike Edwards, S, Kentucky

Notes:

*Senior Bowl meetings by round: two second-rounders, one fourth rounder, and one fifth-rounder. Top Senior Bowl meetings by round in 2018: two first-rounders, one second-rounder, two third-rounders, one fourth-rounder, six sixth round-to-priority free agents.

*Senior Bowl meetings by position: one G, one OT, one TE, one S. Senior Bowl meetings by position in 2018: four quarterbacks, two cornerbacks, then one each of the following positions: RB, WR, DT, LB, CB, S.

*Of the 12 Senior Bowl meetings in 2018, the Bills drafted four players: QB Josh Allen, DT Harrison Phillips, CB Taron Johnson, S Siran Neal. 

*The Bills drafted four Senior Bowl participants in 2017 (GM Beane hired AFTER the draft), they are QB Nathan Peterman, WR Zay Jones, OT, Dion Dawkins, CB Tre’Davious White.

*Senior Bowl draftees during General Manager Brandon Beane’s time in Carolina: three in 2017,  two in 2016, two in 2015.

*Between GM Beane’s time in Carolina and in Buffalo, 16 out of 31 (52%) draftees have participated in the Senior Bowl. Since Head Coach McDermott took over, nine out of 14 (64%) draftees have participated in the Senior Bowl.

 

East/ West Shrine Game

This college football All-Star game is played every year, and it features seniors from the Eastern and Western regions of the United States. This year, the Bills met with the following prospects down in St. Petersburg, Florida:

1. Andrew Wingard, S, Wyoming
2. Blace Brown, CB, Troy
3. Bunchy Stallings, G, Kentucky
4. Damarkus Lodge, WR, Ole Miss
5. Daniel Wise, DT, Kansas
6. Derik Roberson, DE, Sam Houston St.
7. Ethan Greenidge, T, Villanova
8. Lamont Gaillard, C, Georgia
9. Terry Godwin, WR, Georgia
10. Tyler Jones, G, NC State

Notes:

*Notable draftable players: C Lamont Gaillard (4th), CB Blace Brown (5th), DT Daniel Wise (5th).

 

So what does this all mean? Who are the Bills going to draft? Continue to the next page . . .