Bills Draft Utah OL Keaton Bills? Prospect's Last Name Sparks Pun-Filled Interview

The Buffalo Bills won't be drafting a new starter on their offensive line in the NFL Draft, but they could improve their depth between the tackles. Is there a better fit than Keaton Bills?

The Buffalo Bills are knee-deep in early-round discussions with the defense’s pending free agents and the departure of receiver Gabe Davis. But the NFL Draft is seven rounds long for a reason.

As such, the Bills will make several selections on the draft’s second and third day – stacking lottery tickets and filling out the bottom of the roster. These are often lower-stakes picks that may not see much playing time, but in the marathon of a season, anyone could play into the fate of their team.

Therefore, investigating the later rounds is a fruitful endeavor, and any indication of who Buffalo may draft is an interesting look at the roster's future.

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That may be too early to gauge for late-round offensive linemen, but for the sole purpose of being satisfying, Utah offensive lineman Keaton Bills needs to head to Buffalo.

Apparently, those interviewing prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine had a similar idea.

“I almost have never heard that question before,” Bills joked. “No, for sure, Bills and Bills I would love to see it happen. Let’s see where it takes us.”

However humorous the fit may be, there’s at least a chance the Bills and Bills make a good match. Backup guard David Edwards is a free agent, and teams rarely bring back full continuity of second-string linemen. Neither guard Ryan Van Demark nor Alec Anderson is irreplaceable and checking in on younger linemen as replacements for center Mitch Morse and guard Connor McGovern (in the long-term) isn’t crazy.

There shouldn’t be too much of a culture shock, either.

“So at the University of Utah we play in some snow, so I’m a little used to the cold, used to the snow,” Bills said. “So it wouldn’t be too much of a change for me.”

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It’s hard to speak with much certainty about the future of Day 3 prospects, but Bills figures to be a mid-to-late pick on the draft’s final day. Bates is particularly strong as a run blocker. He’s schematically versatile, and – while an unfinished product – seems to safely project as a backup lineman with some upside.

As a former defensive end, he has less experience than some of his Combine-bound counterparts and his athletic profile will be determined later this week, but his play strength leaves little doubt. There’s certainly some appeal, at least as much as a prospect with his projected stock can have.