After selecting a pair of defensive backs with their previous two picks, the Bills turned to the other side of the ball and selected guard Wyatt Teller from Virginia Tech with their second 5th round pick, the 166th overall selection.

At 6’5″ and 314 lbs, the former Hokie is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s class, in my opinion. Teller has the size, balance and strength (30 reps at the combine bench press) to be a good NFL starter at his natural left guard spot. He has experience playing OT, too, and was another guy that participated in this year’s Senior Bowl. He’s an aggressive run blocker and even better in pass protection. Pro Football Focus had Teller leading the nation in pass blocking efficiency last year, with an impressive 99.8 rating. In 396 pass blocking snaps, he didn’t allow any sacks or QB hits, and just one QB hurry. He was voted by the coaches as 1st team All-ACC and was expected to be a 3rd or 4th round pick.

The major knock on Teller and the biggest reason for his fall to the end of the 5th round was a drop of production in his senior year. It’s the general consensus among NFL scouts that he didn’t play at the same level he did in the 2016 season, making his desire and effort level big question marks. In a recent interview Teller defended himself, saying he was asked by his coaches to cut down the penalties from the previous season and trust more in his technique and less in his nastiness, and that made him look less aggressive than before. Soon, we will figure out if it was the true reason for his regression.

At the end of the day, the Bills were able to select a really promising prospect late in the draft at a position of huge need, after the unexpected retirement of Pro Bowl LG Richie Incognito. If motivated, Teller surely has the tools to come in and compete for a starting spot from day one and can become one of the biggest steals by GM Brandon Beane in this year’s rookie class.