Buffalo Bills NFL Draft 2021: 5 late-round sleepers to target

2. Aaron Banks, Guard, Notre Dame

As I have often mentioned throughout my 2021 NFL Draft coverage of the Buffalo Bills, they need to take some swings at improving their offensive line. Landing a starting-caliber guard would go a long way to improving the offense as a whole.

Bringing in a player like Aaron Banks would significantly help reshape the Buffalo Bills stagnant running game. Despite their late playoff run, the Bills really struggled to run the ball down the stretch.

Banks is a 6-foot-5, 335-pound mauler who can bulldoze his way through a defense. He has a powerful base and dominant hands that could knock back and move aside nearly any defender that stands in his way. As a mover, Banks shows some flashes of being an effective puller.

In pass protection, Banks uses his quick feet, strong hands, and powerful core to keep the pocket clean. As our own Dan Schmelzer notes in this scouting report, Banks was a three-year starter and mainstay at left guard for one of the best offensive lines in the country. Banks even earned All-American honors this past season.

Banks has been flying under the radar and falling way back in many 2021 NFL Draft mocks. If he is still on the board come the fifth round when the Buffalo Bills are on the clock, they would be smart to make him their selection and have him compete for a starting job right away.