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With the 10th pick of Pride of Detroit's 2012 NFL mock draft, the Buffalo Bills select Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd. CLF is serving as the Bills' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.
It's real simple. The Bills have had a very loud and productive free agency. The addition of Mario Williams and Mark Anderson has shored up the defensive line and will surely improve the production of the defense, particularly the rush defense. One could assume that a DT/DE is out as a potential pick.
So what's next for the Bills? It's well known that there is only one elite "plug and play" OT, and he is now a Viking. Do the Bills stay conservative and reach for an offensive tackle at No. 10? Can Riley Reiff, Jonathan Martin or Cordy Glenn make an impact the first year? If so, which one? To me, as a Lion fan, taking one of these OTs would put the Bills in a "Gosder" situation. Fans will feel spiteful because he'll never live up to expectations and/or the FO keeps having to bring in competition to get production. With so much uncertainty, the FO will look to the second round for an OT.
Michael Floyd shows off his athleticism
As the Bills showed in 2010 by selecting C.J. Spiller at No. 9, they draft playmakers in the first round, and Buddy Nix loves sexy picks. Looking at the board of available playmakers, at 6'3", 220 lbs., and with a 40 time of 4.47, Michael Floyd is as sexy (no homo) as they get and he has gifts from God to instantly become Stevie Johnson's yang. Not only will Floyd help extend the field and dare defenses to leave him single covered, but with a vertical of over three feet, he will also bring a "Calvin Johnson" type threat to the red zone. The FO has heard the Bills' fans loud and clear, and they agree.
On a side note, I believe the Bills will have a chance to move down if they want to, as the talent available at the D-line positions could entice some movement. More and more it is becoming important for NFL defenses to have the ability to apply pressure with four, as seven are needed in coverage against the pass-happy trends of the NFL as offenses continue to evolve.
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Check out the 2012 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.
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