Under The Radar Draft Prospects At The NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine here, it is time to look at some prospects that might be flying under the radar for the Buffalo Bills.

Jalen McMillan-Wide Receiver

Wide receivers have been a hot topic surrounding the Bills, and a player who is certainly flying under the radar is Washington’s receiver Jalen McMillan.

In college, McMillan was part of an elite receiving core that included potential top-ten pick Rome Odunze and potential draft pick Ja’Lynn Polk. This past season at Washington, McMillan had 45 receptions for 559 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games. The season before, in 13 games, McMillan posted a fairly better stat line with 79 receptions for 1098 yards and nine touchdowns.

Regarding strengths, McMillan plays mostly in the slot but can also flex outside if need be. Something that the Bills have lacked in their receiving corps is someone who can separate in the middle of the field, and when you look at McMillan’s tape, that is something he has excelled at in his last couple of years in college. The Bills have been missing someone outside the main guys who can create separation due to leverage, and McMillan, through the years, has used his smarts and his body to create leverage against defenders.

McMillan isn’t known for his speed or burst but has become a very fluid route runner who uses his strides to get open in the middle of the field. One thing he needs to work on at the next level is his play against physical coverage. At times, he has easily pushed off his routes due to coverage, and in the NFL, the coverage will only get tougher.

Jordan Jefferson-Defensive Tackle

The Bills defensive tackle room is far from complete, and they could be in the market for some reinforcements on the interior of the defensive line.

Jordan Jefferson, a former West Virginia and LSU product, had an excellent year this past season, posting 36 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in 13 games at LSU.

Jefferson, currently listed at 323 pounds, might be the size the Bills are looking for in the trenches. Scouts across the board have been raving about his first step, calling it “cat-quick.” His ability to get into the backfield and disrupt the other team’s run game has to be noted as something the Bills could be looking for. Jefferson has yet to show the ability to be an elite pass rusher, but his intangibles insist that he can grow into one.

Scouts believe that Jefferson needs to hone in and develop his technique and footwork at the next level and use his size to his advantage, which, at times, he struggles to do.

Tykee Smith-Safety

With Micah Hyde becoming a free agent and Jordan Poyer reaching the last year of his contract, the Bills could be looking to add multiple safeties in this upcoming draft, and a prospect everyone should be keen on is West Virginia and Georgia product Tykee Smith.

This past season at Georgia, Smith had the best season of his career, posting 70 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 4 interceptions.

Smith, a tremendous open-field tackler, has the burst and the instincts to sniff out a play and blow it up. Also, while in college, I was known for being a ball hawk. According to a handful of scouts, he has a mindset similar to some NFL linebackers with his knowledge and instincts. One final thing that the Bills front office might like is his ability to play special teams, something he did very well at Georgia.

Smith’s size does raise some concerns as he tends to struggle with bigger receivers and their ability to make a play on the ball at the point of attack. He also struggles against running backs that possess elite speed out of the backfield.