The 2019 NFL Mock Draft from the team bloggers at

SB Nation is up and running. With three picks posted per day Youth Tre’Davious White Jersey , the Buffalo Bills’ selection at number nine has come quickly. Here is a rundown of..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections NewsNotesOpinionAnalysisDiscussionPodcastNFL DraftSalary CapPodcastsOpinionNFL Draft2019 SB Nation NFL Blog Mock Draft: Buffalo Bills take Iowa TE T.J. HockensonNew,121commentsEDTShareTweetShareShare2019 SB Nation NFL Blog Mock Draft: Buffalo Bills take Iowa TE T.J. HockensonThe 2019 NFL Mock Draft from the team bloggers at SB Nation is up and running. With three picks posted per day, the Buffalo Bills’ selection at number nine has come quickly. Here is a rundown of the picks so far:1. Arizona Cardinals - Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma 2. San Francisco 49ers - Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State3. New York Jets - Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky4. Oakland Raiders - Quinnen Williams, DI, Alabama5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ed Oliver, DL, Houston6. New York Giants - Devin White, LB, LSU7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Dwayne Haskins, QB, OSU8. Detroit Lions - Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida StateWith the ninth pick in the 2019 SB Nation NFL Bloggers’ Mock Draft, the Buffalo Bills select Iowa Hawkeyes tight end T.J. Hockenson.Here is the short version of our rationale we shared with the other bloggers: I made the pick with the help of our draftniks, Dan Lavoie and Andrew Griffin. When four stud defensive players went off the board in the first five picks, we began to discuss other defensive prospects. We quickly dismissed Rashad Gary. Montez Sweat and Brian Burns entered the conversation, and Dan ranked Burns ahead of Sweat, but then Burns came off the board at eight.With every offensive tackle still on the board (fans rarely value the unsexy picks), Dan and Grif agreed that Jawaan Taylor was the best fit of that group. I asked Grif to make the case for Taylor:“Considering our o-line lacks definitive starters at tackle, Taylor would come in and be the final cog Tre’Davious White Jersey Stitched ,” said Grif. “He’s pro-ready. Protecting Josh Allen has been the goal of the offseason, and there will be fewer instant starters at RT later in the draft.”We ranked Taylor ahead of Sweat without any disagreement, but all of it was academic once we put the final two prospects next to each other. Dan and I both had Hockenson at the top of our big boards. Looking at the depth at tight end, Grif wasn’t sold on a top-9 pick at the position, but the ability to help quarterback Josh Allen in multiple ways was the deciding factor. “There are plenty of right tackles in the draft, but very few complete tight ends,” noted Grif when the decision was made.Hock can block very well, aiding the running game and staying in to max protect for Allen deep shots. He can also be the safety blanket underneath and on the outside. He has really good speed. He’s a dynamic player and at only 21, could still add some size to his frame. He’s super-competitive, a trait head coach Sean McDermott is sure to love. Speaking of McDermott, he’s been mentioning tight ends all offseason as a position that is valuable. Buffalo will look to add a right tackle, defensive tackle, and pass rusher using their next few picks, but with the addition of Hockenson, Buffalo’s offense will be completely revamped to help Allen succeed.You can hear more in my podcast reaction:Our scouting reports on Hockenson:T.J. Hockenson film analysis: the rare all-around tight endPotential Bills target: Draft analysts’ take on T.J. HockensonT.J. Hockenson 2019 NFL Draft scouting report: personal history, background Heading into the 2017 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills revamped their defensive secondary. They allowed former first-round draft pick Stephon Gilmore to sign a lucrative deal with the New England Patriots. They also traded their other starting corner, Ronald Darby, to the Philadelphia Eagles. At safety, they replaced veterans Corey Graham and Aaron Williams with a pair of free agents.While some free-agent acquisitions don’t pan out, Buffalo hit on both of its moves at safety that off-season. Micah Hyde, who had served as a jack-of-all-trades in the secondary for the Green Bay Packers over the duration of his rookie contract, was voted to his first Pro Bowl last season. His counterpart, Jordan Poyer, set career-highs in every statistical category the same year. In our second-to-last look at the state of the Bills roster, we profile the safety group White Star Lotulelei Jerseys , which has been the saving grace of the defense over the better part of the last two seasons.Micah HydeContract status for 2019: Signed; $6,618,750 cap hit ($4.8 million dead cap if cut)Age: 28 (29 on 12/31/19)Playing time: 15 games (15 starts), 881 snaps (86.88% of defensive total), 112 St snaps (25.51%)Key statistics: 58 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 1 fumble recoveryHyde’s 2018 season was not nearly as good statistically as his 2017 season, as he had fewer tackles, interceptions, and passes defended. However, Hyde seemed to perform just as well overall, and the defense was stronger as a group. Now entering his third season as a full-time starting safety, Hyde has developed into one of the league’s better all-around players. He and Poyer form a dynamic duo that should continue to play at a high level next year.Jordan PoyerContract status for 2019: Signed; $3.825 million cap hit ($1.75 million dead cap if cut)Age: 27 (28 on 4/25/19)Playing time: 16 games (16 starts), 1009 snaps (99.51% of defensive total), 101 ST snaps (23.01%)Key statistics: 100 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recoveryFor the second consecutive year, Poyer was arguably the better of the Bills’ two safeties, even if it is Hyde who receives more of the attention. Poyer’s per-16 game averages with Buffalo are excellent Star Lotulelei Jerseys 2019 , as his “average” 16-game season with the Bills includes 100 combined tackles, five interceptions, ten passes defended, a fumble forced, a fumble recovered, two sacks, and seven tackles for loss. His contract is an incredibly friendly one for the franchise, and while I don’t agree with reworking deals that have multiple years left on them, he is someone to watch for in terms of receiving an early extension, especially if he continues his solid play throughout the beginning of next season.Rafael BushContract status for 2019: Signed; $1.8 million cap hit ($300,000 dead cap if cut)Age: 31 (32 on 5/12/19)Playing time: 15 games (7 starts), 452 snaps (44.58% of defensive total), 136 ST snaps (33.26%)Key statistics: 45 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits, 1.5 sacksThe veteran came in via free agency, and he did a very good job this season. He was the team’s third safety, but he was also their backup slot cornerback. After rookie Taron Johnson was placed on injured reserve in December due to a shoulder injury, Bush took over as the team’s primary slot corner. His numbers indicate a player who is more comfortable playing in the box and hitting people than he is in coverage, and he did a very good job as a extra blitzer off the edge in pressure packages. While his contract would allow for the Bills to release him at next to no harm to the franchise’s overall cap, it would be wise to retain him for next season. Good depth is hard to find, and the Bills have found a much better R. Bush than the last person by that name to suit up for the team.Siran NealContract status for 2019: Signed; $641,504 cap hit ($214,512 dead cap if cut)Age: 24 (25 on 8/4/19)Playing time: 16 games (0 starts), 15 snaps (1.48% of defensive total), 249 ST snaps (56.72%)Key statistics: 11 tackles White Russell Bodine Jerseys , 2 tackles for loss, 1 QB hit, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recoveryThe first of Buffalo’s fifth-round draft picks in April made little impact as a rookie, serving as a core special-teams player but doing little on the stat sheet. His position is one to watch going forward, as the Bills could look to add more quality depth with greater potential in the defense. He could also spend another year learning the defense and playing special teams as a depth player.Dean MarloweContract status for 2019: Signed; $645,000 cap hit ($0 guaranteed)Age: 26 (27 on 7/25/19)Playing time: 2 games (1 start), 54 snaps (5.33% of defensive total), 19 St snaps (4.33%Key statistics: 5 tackles, 1 pass defendedMarlowe’s season certainly was interesting. Called up from the practice squad leading up to the Bills’ Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans, he was pressed into starting duty when neither Micah Hyde nor Rafael Bush were healthy enough to play. Marlowe responded by playing every snap on defense, making four tackles and breaking up a pass in a 13-12 Bills’ victory. While he is by no means a world-beater, he is the perfect player to have on the back-end of the roster: he knows the defense well enough to step up in a pinch, and he is on a low-cost contract.Positional OutlookBuffalo is good here. They could very well look to add another player, and they will definitely bring a few in at least for training camp and the pre-season; however, there is no need to allocate serious resources to improve what is already a strong unit. Poyer and Hyde are written into the starting lineup in Sharpie, and while the trio of Bush, Neal, and Marlowe should by no means be guaranteed a roster spot in 2019, they should definitely be given first crack at retaining their jobs.