ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Offensive lineman Wyatt Teller doesn’t need a scouting report to see what’s happening with the Buffalo Bills.
He knows his newest team made a splash to open the draft, with a potential franchise quarterback and defensive game-changer arriving in the top half of the first round.
Wyatt got a first-hand look at former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, whom the Bills selected seventh overall, while blocking for him on the North team at the Senior Bowl. Tremaine Edmunds, taken 16th overall by Buffalo, was Wyatt’s teammate in college at Virginia Tech.
“Tremaine, in my opinion, is an absolute stud. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played against,” Teller said. “(Allen’s) deep ball is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. He can chuck a ball and he’s a smart kid. I see an identity coming. You’re getting both sides of the ball and this is a place I wanted to go.”
Teller joined that duo on Saturday as part of Buffalo’s youth movement.
Selected 166th overall, the fifth-round pick may help to fill an unexpected hole along the offensive line. Center Eric Wood abruptly retired at the end of last season after doctors uncovered a career-ending neck injury at his exit physical.
Veteran guard Richie Incognito stunned the team by announcing his retirement earlier this month.
At 6-foot-4, 314 pounds, Teller has the size and power to make an impact in the NFL. He bench presses 420 pounds, squats 600 pounds and is known for his ability to handle defenders in the run game. He has already made one successful transition, moving from the defensive line in high school to the offensive line at Virginia Tech.
Some projections had Teller going as high as the third round, and he’ll likely compete for a starting job at guard as a rookie.
“Everything comes down to competition,” Teller said. “Everything comes down to working as hard as you can. If I want to make that transition from college to the NFL, it’s basically like switching a position. It’s going to be difficult and it’s all about competing.”
Here are some observations about the Bills’ draft.
KEEPING THEIR EDGE: One key for the Bills was landing two top-end prospects at premium positions without mortgaging the future or giving away their surplus of picks.
The Bills entered the week with a bounty of draft capital and were able to trade up twice in the first round without surrendering their second first-round pick or any 2019 selections.
“I have got to be honest, I did not expect to be able to get a quarterback and Tremaine,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said.
“I thought we were going to have to give up the 22nd pick. Tremaine would have been in our conversation at 12 if we did not move up and we did not have a quarterback we liked. When he was there and he fell a little bit, we just felt it was such a good fit that we had to go up and get him.”
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON? : Buffalo’s final pick of the draft was North Carolina wide receiver Austin Proehl, son of former NFL wideout Ricky Proehl. Buffalo chose Austin Proehl with the second-to-last pick of the draft at 255th overall. Ricky Proehl played in the league for 17 seasons, making 669 receptions for 8,878 yards and 54 touchdowns while winning a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams. Austin Proehl had 91 receptions for 1,265 yards and five touchdowns in four years with the Tar Heels.
Beane has known Austin Proehl longer than any other prospect given his relationship with Ricky Proehl. Beane was with the Panthers when Ricky played for Carolina from 2004-06, and Ricky was a member of the Panthers’ coaching staff from 2011-17.
“I’ve known him since he was eight, so I’ve known him for a long time,” Beane said of Austin. “We were still looking for competition at the slot position and he was on the board. He’s a great young man obviously. We know what kind of person (he is). He’s a really polished route runner, refined. He was schooled up by a guy who played 17 years in the league.”
MORE DB DEPTH: Buffalo’s best position group got even deeper on Day 3 with the selections of cornerback Taron Johnson (121st overall) and safety Siran Neal (154th overall). Johnson is the early favorite to land Buffalo’s nickel cornerback role. Neal will have a hard time earning playing time to open his career with standouts Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer ahead of him on the depth chart.
STILL NEED: The Bills chose two receivers late in the draft with Ray-Ray McCloud (sixth round) and Austin Proehl (seven round), but they still desperately need help after fielding one of the worst receiving groups in the league in 2017.
Buffalo does have Kelvin Benjamin returning after playing through much of last season with a knee injury. More speed and experience would be a plus, especially with unproven talent at quarterback in Josh Allen and AJ McCarron.
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