Planning Ahead: Bills 'Best Fit' For Michigan DL Mazi Smith?

The Bills could draft Michigan's Mazi Smith as a depth piece add to one of its positions of strength, while also looking to the future.

The Buffalo Bills will enter the NFL Draft with the luxury of knowing they don't have any glaring needs, and that they can then opt to draft a key depth piece. 

One route the Bills could go as a result is to draft a piece that can serve as both depth and fill a potential future need. That line of logic is the exact reason the Bills are listed as one of the best fits for Michigan's Mazi Smith according to The Draft Network.

"The Bills recently hosted Smith on a Top 30 visit, per Ian Rapoport. Buffalo’s reported interest in Smith is rather straightforward. General manager Brandon Beane has a long-term need to address at defensive tackle."

While defensive line may not seem like an area the Bills should address with their first-round pick, the future within the position group could see it addressed when Buffalo is on the clock.

"Jordan Phillips re-signed with the Bills on a one-year contract. DaQuan Jones is entering a contract year and probably isn’t in Buffalo’s 2024 plans. Ed Oliver is scheduled to play out the 2023 campaign on the fifth-year option, and negotiations over a long-term extension continue to crawl at a snail’s pace.

Despite the current strength and depth of the defensive line for the Bills, just one year from now they could very well find themselves needing to add players. Drafting Smith this year could alleviate any potential needs well in advance. 

In his final season at Michigan Smith had a career year, recording 48 total tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss. Smith also forced one fumble and recovered another, serving as an anchor for a stout Michigan defense. 

Buffalo might not see the need to address the defensive line with one of its early picks, but if it does then Smith could be a name to keep an eye on when the draft rolls around.

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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