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#11: What Draft Picks Will Make An Impact As Rookies?
by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 7/17/2006 12:15 PM ET
#10: Will Spikes Be 100%?
#9: Special Teams Three-Peat?
#8: Challenge for Anderson at NT?
#7: Who Will Be Punt Returner?
#6: Solve Red Zone Problems?
#5: Will Donte Whitner Start?
#4: Who Will Be #2 WR?
#3: Who Will Start at Left Guard?
#2: Will TE's Be More Involved?
#1: Can Lindell Repeat Top Year?
As training camp fast approaches buffalobills.com prepares you by trying to answer the top 20 questions facing the Bills in 2006. Monday through Friday until the day before training camp, buffalobills.com will present each of the poignant issues facing the team daily in an effort to have you the fan primed for all the action at St. John Fisher. Don't stray far from buffalobills.com!
Sure there are draft picks that see playing time on special teams or hold down sub-package roles on offense or defense in their rookies seasons. But with Buffalo's alarming lack of depth on the defensive side of the ball prior to the NFL Draft, the Bills had to plug some holes in their lineup. And the Bills did heavily address defense committing their first five draft picks to that side of the ball for the first time in franchise history.
"We knew that the corps of our defense had to be addressed in the middle," said Bills GM Marv Levy. "That's where most of the slant went."
And those same players who were drafted to refortify the middle of Buffalo's defense will also be responsible for playing a large role in the team's fortunes as rookies.
Obviously top picks Donte Whitner and John McCargo will be charged with playing prominent roles on the defensive side of the ball, as they help to fill the voids left by the departures of Lawyer Milloy, Sam Adams and Ron Edwards.
Whitner is likely to start at strong safety from Day One of his NFL career provided the knowledgeable and physically gifted defensive back lives up to his 'wise beyond football years' billing.
The fit isn't quite as simple for McCargo, a player the Bills coaching staff will likely use at each of the interior positions on the defensive line.
"I think he gives us some flexibility which is good, but we're just going to take it step by step with him," said Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. "Hopefully he can come in and contribute."
Ashton Youboty, Buffalo's third round pick comes from a long line of cornerbacks out of Ohio State. The Bills have established their own pipeline with the likes of Antoine Winfield and Nate Clements. And both of them produced early in their careers.
Winfield earned the nickel corner job as a rookie and eventually the starting left cornerback role after Kenny Irvin went down with an injury. Clements started at right cornerback in his very first game and hasn't missed a start since.
The transition may not be as smooth for Youboty, as Winfield and Clements were both first round picks. Youboty however, was considered by some scouting services to be a first round talent, and is confident he can be just as effective as the corners who came before him.
"At Ohio State we keep producing corners and putting them in the league," said Youboty. "I think for the most part if you look around they're all producing. I hope to follow that tradition."
The interesting similarity about all three top picks of the Bills is they're all juniors. That might concern some coaches that they might have a bit more to learn when it comes to the finer points of the game. Fewell doesn't have those worries.
"I don't mind coaching young players and our coaching staff doesn't mind coaching young players," said Fewell. "It's going to be fun for us. We'll probably take some lumps here and there, but it's going to be fun to take these young guys out and go to battle with them and let them know what the National Football League is all about."
One other player who will likely see a lot of time as a rookie is fifth-round pick Kyle Williams. The defensive tackle is also capable of playing both interior positions, as he did at LSU. He's primarily expected to be a reserve at the nose tackle spot for the Bills.
"Despite being an undersized tackle he plays with great leverage," said Bills scout Shawn Heinlen. "A lot of undersized guys gets washed out, but Kyle has exceptional lower body strength. He can stick his foot in the ground and hold his place even against bigger offensive linemen."
And playing in the SEC he faced a lot of players he'll face in the NFL, so he could make a good transition to the pro game as well. Williams could be the fourth defensive tackle behind Tim Anderson, Larry Tripplett and McCargo, and in this defensive system, which requires heavy rotation, that would mean a lot of playing time.
Fewell doesn't worry about the possibility of having up to four rookies on the field in a handful of situations each week. He has confidence that their major college seasoning will carry them through.
"We've got some young guys that we can build with and I think these players come from programs that have had success and played in bowl games," said Fewell. "They've done things that have warranted success and we want them to bring that success with them to Buffalo."
Regardless of how great their impact may be in 2006 it appears the coaching staff is figuring that all four will be on the field in some capacity on Sundays.
"We have expectations that these guys will help us in some kind of way, be it first and second down, or on third downs in a sub package," said Fewell. "In some type of way some of these guys are going to have to come in and contribute and make our defense better."
