Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady
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Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady
The Buffalo Bills may have fallen short in their attempt to land star edge rusher Maxx Crosby, but could soon have another chance to land a young prospect to take his place.
The Bills have already addressed their spotty pass rush this offseason, signing veteran Bradley Chubb after the Las Vegas Raiders turned down their bid to trade for Crosby. Analyst Pete Prisco of CBS Sports believes the Bills will take another crack at the position in this month’s NFL draft.
Bills Grab Athletic Pass Rusher in First Round
In his mock draft published on April 6, Prisco predicted the Bills would take UCF pass rusher Malachi Lawrence with the No. 26 overall pick. Prisco suggested that Lawrence could learn from Chubb while working his way into the lineup for the Bills.
“They need a young edge player to come in and supplement what they have there,” Prisco wrote. “Bradley Chubb isn’t a kid, and they are seemingly in never-ending pursuit of speed off the edge.”
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein predicted that Lawrence would grow into a strong NFL starter.
“An NFL-caliber edge rusher with prototypical size and length, Lawrence moves with the suddenness of a smaller player,” Zierlein wrote. “Explosive get-off and a deep bag of moves/counters fuel his pocket disruption. He can win inside or outside but his speed-to-power conversion is average. His hands are subtle but skilled to quickly unlock openings and his secondary rush. He closes with burst and has the motor to hound scrambling quarterbacks.”
The Bills had been named as a top suitor for Crosby when he hit the trade block and reportedly made an offer, but the Raiders decided to go with the Baltimore Ravens as their first-round pick is higher than Buffalo’s one at No. 26. The trade ultimately fell apart when the Ravens balked at the results of Crosby’s physical, but it appears the Bills have since moved on.