AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills GM Brandon Beane told reporters that CB Kaiir Elam was the last player with a first-round grade on the team’s board, which is why they made the move to select him late in the round.

“We had a good grade on Kaiir and we were down to one player in the first round on our board,” Beane said, via Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com. “At that point it just made sense. Not sure what those teams would have taken but there was a lot of trade action going on too. . . . I was worried more about someone else trading in in front of us knowing that a lot of people had us pegged for potentially as a corner.”

Jets

Jets QB Zach Wilson had high praise of GM Joe Douglas and said that everyone in the organization is “on the same page” this offseason. 

“I feel like the organization as a whole, everybody is very tied together as far as being on the same page with everything,” Wilson said, via D.J. Bien-Aime of the New York Daily News. “I trust the ownership and [GM Joe Douglas] as well and what they’re doing. I feel like they have a really good plan.”

Wilson added that he’s excited to see who the Jets select in the 2022 NFL Draft. 

“I’m excited for what they’re going to bring in for us. I can’t wait to see draft day, some more free agency stuff, whatever it is. I have full trust in everything that they’re doing, so I’m excited for it.”

Wilson thinks the organization showed confidence in him with the additions of G Laken Tomlinson, TE C.J. Uzomah, and TE Tyler Conklin.

“I appreciate their confidence in me,” Wilson said. “I think they understand that quarterback efficiency in this league it’s just how you win games. It’s how you get explosive on offense. And I need to do my part. I need to get better. I need to let the guys around me make the plays that they were brought in for. So I’m excited. We’re in that process of building it together and we all get to kind of ride the waves together.”

Wilson believes their offensive signings this offseason are “very high character guys” and provide a strong presence in the locker room. 

“I think we got some ballers, some really good players between those two coming in. I’m excited,” Wilson said. “They’re very high character guys. They’re easy to talk to they want to be great. They’ve done it for a while now. What a great addition to our locker room. … When we were talking about tight ends, those were the guys I wanted to bring in as well. So I’m glad that we made that happen. They did a great job with that. I think it’s just gonna help take our offense to the next level.”

• According to the Athletic’s Matt Barrows, the Jets offered the No. 10 overall pick and a fifth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft in exchange for WR Deebo Samuel and a second-round pick. 
• ESPN’s Dianna Russini writes the Jets also poked around with the Titans on a potential trade for WR A.J. Brown but talks never picked up steam. 
• ESPN’s Rich Cimini talked with scouting sources to figure out why Jets first-round DE Jermaine Johnson slipped to the end of the first round. They cited players at other positions being viewed as better, skepticism about Johnson as a one-year wonder and reports that he didn’t interview well with some teams: “He was a divisive prospect among scouts. But I’m glad the Jets were able to get back into the first and get him. Some scouts feel he could end up being one of, if not the best edge rusher in the draft.”
• Cimini mentions the Jets were so high on second-round RB Breece Hall that they tried to move back up into the end of the first round to take him. 
• Jets HC Robert Saleh said Johnson was the most “pro-ready” pass rusher in the 2022 NFL Draft: “He is the most pro-ready of all the pass rushers this year.” (Connor Hughes)

Patriots

• Patriots owner Robert Kraft commented on criticism of the team selecting G Cole Strange in the first round of the draft.: “I know a lot of people sometimes question when we take a (guard) in the first round. The last time we did it was ‘05 with Logan Mankins, and that turned out pretty well… we solidified the middle of the line in front of Mac (Jones).” (Zack Cox)
• Strange said he hasn’t modeled his game after any players and is hopeful to create a name for himself: “I wouldn’t really say that I modeled my game after anyone … I guess I’ve always kind of just wanted to play my own game and make it to where people are saying, ‘I’d love to be able to play like Cole Strange,’ you know?” (Mike Giardi)
• The Patriots put an emphasis on athleticism with their draft class this year, including second-round WR Tyquan Thornton who had the second-fastest 40-yard-dash time in NFL Combine history. (Mike Reiss)
• Patriots scouting director Matt Groh commented on the pick: “This isn’t just a linear guy. You see him really be able to get off the line. And for as fast as he is, to be able to see him get in the red zone and do some things, it’s not just speed, it’s 6-2, ability to get up and really pluck the ball out of the air.”
• The Patriots didn’t address their need at inside linebacker in the draft, but Reiss points out the team re-signed Ja’Whaun Bentley, traded for Mack Wilson, and still has 2021 fifth-rounder Cameron McGrone after what amounted to a redshirt year. 
• Safeties Jabrill Peppers, Kyle Dugger, and Adrian Phillips can also play linebacker roles in certain packages, per Reiss. 
• Patriots RB James White won’t be ready for OTAs as he continues to work back from last year’s hip injury: “I still have a little while to go [after] a pretty rough injury.”