ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- General manager Doug Whaley was ready to draft three players at No. 19 in the first round Thursday night. One was Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson, whom the Bills selected. Another was Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland. As it turns out, the Bills got both after they traded up to pick Ragland in the second round.
My take: The Bills paid a steep price to move up eight spots in the second round, giving up their No. 49 pick, their No. 117 pick (fourth round) and a 2017 fourth-rounder to select Ragland at No. 41. It was worth it. Ragland was widely considered a mid-to-late first-round pick, so selecting him in the early-to-mid second round is good value. Between Ragland and Lawson, the Bills have added two immediate starters to their front seven and addressed glaring needs on their defense following the departures of Mario Williams and Nigel Bradham.
Bills worked the phones Friday: Whaley said that the Bills wanted Ragland so badly that they started calling every team in the second round, starting with the Browns at No. 32, looking for a trade partner to move up and select Ragland. They found an eventual match with the Chicago Bears at No. 41. Part of the reason Ragland might have slipped into the second round was an enlarged aorta, NFL Network reported this week, although Whaley said the Bills have medically cleared Ragland and Ragland said on a conference call that a heart specialist told him that he is "fine."
More than a thumper: Weighing in at 247 pounds at February's combine, Ragland is considered a heavier, run-stopping linebacker. However, Whaley believes Ragland has potential to stay on the field on third downs to contribute in pass coverage. "He's athletic," Whaley said. "Don't let the size fool you." Ragland will step in Day 1 as the Bills' weakside linebacker next to middle linebacker Preston Brown, Whaley added. The team also signed speedy linebacker Zach Brown as a free agent this offseason, and Rex Ryan will need to figure out in the coming months which of his top three linebackers will stay on the field for passing downs. Whaley said Ryan's enthusiasm is a 10 on a scale of 1-to-10 about having both Lawson, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and Ragland, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, on his squad.
What’s next: The Bills gave up No. 49 and No. 117 in their trade with the Bears. They still own their original third-round selection, No. 80 overall, as well as their compensatory fourth-round selection, No. 139. The compensatory selection cannot be traded. The third-round pick could be a sweet spot to select a quarterback, but the team also has long-term needs at wide receiver, offensive line, defensive tackle and safety that could be addressed depending on which players are available.
