Grading the double-vision 2021 NFL Draft of the Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills draft grade: A-

Offensive line depth was another spot that I thought the Buffalo Bills needed to address. Their offensive line play has been okay, but not great, over the past couple of seasons. Bringing in a player like Spencer Brown provides depth right away, and could develop into a very viable future starting option.

Spencer Brown is a huge force at 6-foot-8 and 311 pounds. The big guy likes to use his body as a blanket for defenders that he shoves to the ground. He is a tenacious blocker that uses the defender’s momentum against them to get them on the ground.

For such a big frame that is slowly and steadily filling out, Brown is still a very athletic mover. He has quick feet and excels at getting to the next level in the run game. He could be a little more dominant in the run game, but that should come as he fills out his frame.

In pass protection, Spencer Brown is very effective, using his length and his athleticism to his advantage. He is quick enough to stay in front of edge rushers and blitzers and has the length and hands to keep them away from his quarterback.

For the Buffalo Bills, Spencer Brown should come in and be a valuable swing tackle option right away. Playing primarily right tackle at Northern Iowa, Brown has what it takes to play either tackle spot. He should also fit in perfectly in Buffalo, celebrating his draft selection the Bills way:

With some time to develop behind Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams, Spencer Brown could break into the starting lineup rather early in his NFL career. If he continues to fill out his frame with strength and refines his technique, Brown has what it takes to be a very good NFL player.

Buffalo Bills draft grade: C

Now I gave the Buffalo Bills some leeway with the doubling up on edge rushers to start the draft. I thought they really needed to revamp that position sooner rather than later if they want to compete in the AFC.

Now they go and double up on offensive tackles? I’m not totally bought into this one. While I was a big proponent of adding offensive line depth, I think the team should have gone in a different direction with one of these two picks. Whether it was here or in the third round, I would have sought out a cornerback option and just stuck with one big, dominant offensive tackle.

Tommy Doyle is a fine prospect coming out of Miami (OH). This is also a good spot in the draft to select him. But I think he is almost a little too similar to Brown to warrant this selection for the Buffalo Bills after taking Brown in the third.

Doyle is a very aggressive and powerful blocker with experience at both left and right tackle. He has a nasty, mean streak in the run game and even in pass protection. He seeks out contact and is always looking for his next target after finishing one off.

Where Doyle needs to improve is refining his technique. Sometimes he can be a bit too aggressive and gets beat easily by a simple move from the defender. He shows the potential to have quality footwork and hand placement, he just needs to exercise the discipline to be more consistent with that technique.

I do like Doyle as a player, and I would have loved this pick if the Buffalo Bills had drafted, say, Ifeatu Melifonwu in the third round. Individually, I like both players that the Bills selected at tackle, and they should provide great depth and a promising future at the position. However, collectively, as back-to-back picks, I don’t quite get the philosophy and would have loved to see the team grab some quality secondary help.