Depth of Edge Rushers Most Impressive at NFL Combine

Even after the top players go off the board long before the Buffalo Bills pick at 25, great value exists well into the middle rounds of Draft.

INDIANAPOLIS — Among the points Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane made abundantly clear during his Tuesday meeting with the media are that behavior that has included enormous recent draft capital expenditures on defensive linemen won't influence what he does this year; and the depth of overall player quality in this year's draft is extraordinary, even if there may be a shortage of elite players at the very top.

His exact words?

"I've been raised and it's just always been my thought as I've studied teams that you've got to be good up front, both sides of the ball," he said. "And you've got to have a quarterback. The next thing you've got to do is you've got to get the other team's quarterback down. And so it's a position every year, whether it's, again, free agency, the draft, trades, I think you've got to look and be as strong as you can.

"I mean, we we were pretty deep this year, but we ran into issues with COVID, and some nicks here and there. So we do have some guys that are unrestricted [free agents], and we'll see if we get some back."

"... there's a lot of depth. I don't know that there's the top guys [of] years past, especially maybe the quarterback position. But I do think there's a lot of depth in this draft. And I think the mid rounds, once you get out of Round 1, you know, 2-3-4, maybe even 5, I think there's going to be some good value."

What does this all mean?

Well, if we're reading the tea leaves correctly, just because the Bills used their first- and second-round draft picks last year, a second-round pick the year before and a first-round pick in 2019 on defensive linemen, Beane won't necessarily hesitate doing the same this year, especially because the quality of edge rushers may be the best of any position in this year's draft class.

But because of where they sit at No. 25 in the first round, they could well trade out of that spots for more picks later.

Against this backdrop, we present three pass rushers the Bills could be looking to add by trading down instead of up, which is the path Beane usually takes when he wheels and deals on draft day.

1. Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina

Though his height is just under 6 feet, 4 inches, Enagbare looks and plays much longer. This is because of his long arms, which he loves to use for leverage in his pass rush.

Kingsley Enagbare with the game-winning strip sack off the cross chop/club.

@_kingsleye is one of 324 prospects invited to the 2022 NFL Combine! #passrush #gamecocks #nfldraft @collyntaylor @Mike_Uva @BarstoolUofSC @TheSpursUpShow pic.twitter.com/OG83P8pFp5

— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) February 25, 2022

Enagbare told Bills Central on Friday that he will be "someobody who will come in and be a leader. Someone who can play defensive end and not only rush the passer but stop the run, set the edge and make plays, be a playmaker."

We tend to believe him.

Enagbare may come off the board before the Bills pick in the first round, but a more likely scenario would be that he's still there early in the second, where the Bills could land by trading down.

2. Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati

At 6-4 and 242 pounds, Sanders is lean and long with potential to add to his frame to better defend the run.

An excerpt from Bleacher Report's scouting report on him:

"Myjai Sanders is a mercurial prospect thanks in part to the scheme he played in. At 6'5" and 255 pounds, his lean build is best suited to be a traditional edge defender, but Cincinnati often aligned him at 4-tech and 5-tech. Sanders comes off the ball exceptionally well, both with his hand in the ground and when standing up, and accelerates with his following steps to win the edge right away.

"Though he can not dip low and bend very effectively, he has enough juice and ankle flexibility to run a tight corner from time to time. Sanders also plays with fast hands, made even more effective by his long arms and his ability to mix up his approach to attack either inside or outside. Sanders' twitchiness and light feet also allow him to make linemen miss in a phone booth, which comes in handy both versus the run and the pass."

Sanders could be a value pick where the Bills are in the second round (57 overall).

3. Sam Williams, Mississippi

By staying in school an extra year, the Williams is believed to have improved his draft stock dramatically.

The Draft Network's Drae Harris assigned him a third-round grade and wrote the following about him.

"He is a good athlete overall particularly when moving forward but can struggle with reactive movements as a rusher. He took a major step in 2021 and taking advantage of the extra year has seemingly done wonders for his game. In the run game, he is heavy at the point of attack and can set the edge. He has improved with regards to emotional endurance and pursuit when plays are run away from him. The passing game is where he thrives. He has improved his get-off from 2020 to 2021. He is good at converting speed to power to win in the edge and is strong enough to defeat double teams when he is in 4i or 5-technique. While he has also improved with regards to counters, he still isn’t the most loose-hipped athlete on the edge and it shows in these instances. I believe he has the schematic versatility to align in a 4-3 as a DE or play OLB in a 3-4."

The Bills may not draft any of these players this year, but it's almost a lock that they continue to try to bolster their defensive line one way or another, with five veterans set to become unrestricted free agents and Justin Zimmer about to become a restricted free agent.

Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.