NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock doesn’t think the Buffalo Bills would be wise to draft Geno Smith with the eighth overall pick.
“I don’t think Geno Smith makes sense in Buffalo,” Mayock said Thursday. “I saw him play in cold weather in the bowl game and I saw him play in cold weather at Iowa State, and I don’t see him fitting in in an outdoor arena in Buffalo.”
West Virginia split those two games Mayock referenced, losing the Pinstripe Bowl 38-14 to Syracuse and edging Iowa State 31-24. On each occasion, Smith finished well off his 323-yards-per game passing average, but he wasn’t abysmal. He completed 16-of-24 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns at Yankee Stadium and was 22-of-31 for 236 yards two scores in Ames. Smith did not throw an interception in either game.
With the Bills desperately seeking a quarterback, what does Mayock recommend?
“If it’s not (Smith), do you want Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib or EJ Manuel at No. 8? That’s way too high for me,” Mayock said. “I’d rather get a positional player at No. 8 that’s going to help me immediately.
“Hopefully it’s an offensive lineman. I’m going to get somebody at No. 8, whether it’s (Alabama guard) Chance Warmack or an edge player to pressure the quarterback. I’m going to get somebody at eight that I can plug in and make our team better.”
Mayock suggested Buffalo could package lower-round picks to trade back into the bottom of the first round, perhaps landing Barkley, Nassib, Manuel or Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson between slots No. 26 to 32.
SCOUTING THE SPREAD
The proliferation of college spread offenses has complicated the quarterback scouting of NFL clubs. Mayock said spread QBs like Smith — players of the “catch, rock and throw” ilk — are riskier to project.
“(Smith’s) footwork, posture and movement in the pocket is poor,” Mayock said. “Now, you can’t ding the kid on that because that’s what he’s been taught. His job is to win college games.
“You can’t ding the kid for it, you just to have to be able evaluate beyond that. Years ago it was a heck of a lot easier when everyone was in I-formation with five-step drops and play-action. Now it’s much more projection-based. Can this kid, once we get him in the classroom and on the field, become what we need him to become?”