Jim Lang

Jim Lang is a Connected anchor and NFL reporter for Sportsnet. Also check out Jim's website, www.jimlang.ca

Like every other front office in the NFL this time of the year, sleep is at a premium at One Bills Drive.

On April 22nd, the first round of the NFL draft will take place in prime time. With the ninth pick in the first round, Bills general manager Buddy Nix is expecting big things. In a pre-draft media conference, Nix told us he expects any players the Bills take at number nine to be able to play for the team from day one.

Considering the Bills tepid first round track record the last decade, Nix better be right. In 1995, the Bills selected guard Ruben Brown in the first round and he ended up being selected to nine Pro Bowls. The next year the Bills chose receiver Eric Moulds and he went to a respectable three Pro Bowls. Since then, the Bills first round draft selections have been more miss than hit.

That’s why Nix and Director of College Scouting Tom Modrak have been burning the midnight oil in preparation for this year’s draft. Both men know that the Bills need to hit a home run this year in order to stay competitive within the AFC East. Nix understands that he and the rest of the Bills front office are under a lot of pressure to get it right this time. As he said, "we work day and night to get it right, to build for the long haul and to build a team that wins consistently." Now Nix also said he didn’t care what the Jets and the Dolphins have done recently. He might not care, but most Bills fans around North America care a whole lot.

Nix said that the entire Bills brain trust has been going through mock drafts on a daily basis to prepare for every contingency. With the recent trades of Brandon Marshall, Santonio Holmes and Donovan McNabb; the Bills realize that they must have a number of draft scenarios at the ready when it’s their turn to pick. Nix said that in the Bills draft “war room”, they rank their top 15 to 20 players. According to Nix, whoever is the best player available from their list when the number nine pick comes around is who they will take.

Of course what Nix or Modrak wouldn't say, for obvious reasons, is which players were on their ultimate wish list. That doesn’t mean we can’t speculate. Protecting a quarterback’s blind side in the NFL is vitally important and there are a number of huge offensive tackles that will still be on the board when the Bills pick at number nine. The Bills could end up taking someone like Brian Bulaga from Iowa, Trent Williams from Oklahoma or Anthony Davis from Rutgers in the first round. They still could end up taking a quality quarterback with their second round selection and end up saving themselves big money. The Jets took Mark Sanchez fifth overall last year and ended up giving him $28 million dollars in guaranteed money. A quarterback taken in the second round could save the Bills at least $15 million dollars in guaranteed money.

There are a lot of people who think the Bills should take Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen with their first round pick. If you draft a kid like Clausen and give him all that money, he’s going to have to play from day one as Nix said. I happen to believe that the current Bills offensive line just isn’t good enough to compete with the big boys in the NFL. Clausen will have a tough time adjusting to the NFL game if he spends half the season running for his life. The Bills would be better served taking one of the big stud offensive tackles that will still be available at number nine. Then, when they pick again in the second round (41st over-all), they could still take a decent quarterback. Guys like Tim Tebow or Colt McCoy will very likely still be on the board in the second round. Keep an eye out for Fordham quarterback John Skelton. Skelton is 6’ 5”, 245 pounds, scouts love his arm strength and his stock is rising fast on the draft boards on a lot of teams around the league.

The Bills could always make a deal with the Redskins for disgruntled quarterback Jason Campbell. He’s no Tom Brady, but he’s better than Trent Edwards or Ryan Fitzpatrick. At the end of the day, no matter who is playing quarterback for the Bills, if they don’t have a solid offensive line to protect him, they will be doomed to fail. Despite the fact that Nix shot down any rumours that Marshawn Lynch is on the verge of being traded, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Bills take a speed burner like Clemson running back CJ Spiller.

However, no one really knows what Nix and the Bills have up their sleeves. Then again, that’s another reason why NFL fans love the draft so much.