Hello Bills fans. The 2008 NFL Draft brought some extra talent to an up and coming Buffalo Bills team. I thought the Bills would select a wide receiver with their first round selection. As the draft unfolded, not one cornerback came off the board before the 11th pick. Many mocks had either the Patriots or the Saints picking a corner with either the 7th or 10th pick in the draft. The Patriots ended up trading their #7 pick to the Saints, who ended up selecting defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. The Patriots selected linebacker Jerod Mayo with the 10th overall selection. It was now time for the Bills to make their pick. I still thought that I would be hearing Devin Thomas’s name called by commissioner Roger Goodell. Instead the Buffalo Bills selected cornerback Leodis McKelvin from Troy. I heard many good things about McKelvin. Many had him as the top cornerback in this class. He ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash and is very physical in run support. He is also a tremendous return man running back a total of eight kicks in his college career. We know have another tremendous cornerback on this roster. McKelvin will start on the opposite side from Terrence McGee. I expect huge things from McKelvin and feel that we made the right move taking him with the 11th pick. It was said before the draft that there was not a receiver that warranted the 11th pick. Many said the class was deep but there was no clear-cut #1 guy. The first receiver was not drafted until the beginning of the second round when the Rams selected receiver Donnie Avery from Houston. The Bills had the 41st pick and held their ground. When Devin Thomas went of fthe board to the Redskins, I knew the Bills were going to select James Hardy from Indiana. Hardy spoke with Coach Jauron at the combine and had good things to say. Hardy was very productive in the big ten conference catching 36 touchdowns in 36 career games. He is almost 6’6” and ran a 4.49 with a 39-inch vertical. This is the answer to my prayers. We need someone with Hardy’s ability and size in the red-zone. He has tremendous athleticism for a receiver his size. I was extremely happy the way our first two rounds went. We drafted our shutdown corner and tall wide receiver. Here are the Bills picks from rounds 3-7.
Third Round-72 overall-Chris Ellis, Defensive End, Virginia Tech
Ellis had a tremendous senior season with 8.5 sacks and 38 quarterback pressures. Something tells me he will turn out to be a solid pro. One of the greatest players of all times was drafted from Virginia Tech. Can you say Bruce Smith? I hope he turns out to be half the player Bruce was for us.
Fourth Round-114 overall-Reggie Corner, Cornerback, Akron
Corner grabbed 15 interceptions in his college career and is said to have very good ball skills. He will challenge for the nickel corner position.
Fourth Round-132 overall-Derrick Fine, Tight End, Kansas
Fine is said to be a great player and extremely hard worker. He caught 46 passes for 394 yards and four tds this past season. He is also a great special teams player and will challenge for the backup tight end spot.
Fifth Round-147 overall-Alvin Bowen, Linebacker, Iowa State
Bowen was a tackling machine with 254 tackles the last two seasons. He has major upside and will contribute right away on special teams
Sixth Round-179 overall-Xavier Omon, Running Back, NW Missouri State
Omon ran for over 7,000 yards and scored 92 touchdowns during his four-year college career. He will challenge for a backup role and could be a force on special teams.
Seventh Round-219 overall-Demetrius Bell, Offensive Tackle, Northwestern State
Bell is a project lineman that brings tremendous size to the team. He will have to play well to make the team as a backup.
Seventh Round-224 overall-Steve Johnson, Wide Receiver, Kentucky
Johnson is a pick that I really like. He had a tremendous season last year with 60 catches for 1,041 yards. He is 6’2” 210 lbs and could make this team if he shines during the preseason.
Seventh Round-251 overall-Kennard Cox, Cornerback, Pittsburgh
Cox is another project but has great size at 6 feet tall 192 pounds. He will have an uphill battle with many cornerbacks on the Bills roster.
Overall I thought the Bills had a great draft. Russ Brandon, Tom Modrak, Dick Jauron and co. really did their homework and set this team up for a successful 2008 season. With the young talent on this team, I see the Bills making the playoffs this coming season. Go Bills.
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Hello Bills fans. I was extremely happy on Saturday when the Bills used their second round pick to select wide receiver James Hardy. I came across a video of Hardy on draft day. After watching this video, Im really impressed on how Hardy carries himself. It looks like he comes from a great family and is ready to show us what he can do on the football field. The Bills have never had a receiver as tall as Hardy and it will only help solve our redzone woes. I know its early but I cant wait for September. Go Bills. 
