AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia and Matthew Fairburn go in-depth on what the Bills still need in the draft, mentioning pass rusher as the top need and one Buffalo could look at in the first round at No. 30 overall. However, if they don’t use their first-round pick on the position, Buscaglia thinks Washington DE Joe Tryon could be a fit in the second round.
• The two point out Bills HC Sean McDermott has had success in the past with Day 2 corners, so the Bills could target someone like Stanford CB Paulson Adebo in the second or third round to fill their need at No. 2 corner.  
• The Bills’ interior is set for 2021 with Jon Feliciano, Mitch Morse and Cody Ford, but long-term there are questions, so Buffalo could spend an early pick on someone like Alabama C Landon Dickerson, per Fairburn. 
• Buscaglia and Fairburn write that the Bills will probably need a new nose tackle in 2022 and they could look ahead by drafting someone like N.C. State DT Alim McNeill or LSU DT Tyler Shelvin. 

Jets

Going from Los Angeles to New York City, former Chargers’ G Dan Feeney says that new Jets’ HC Robert Saleh is one of the main reasons he decided to sign with New York.

“When we were talking on the phone, it seemed like everything was going to click here with the new coaching staff and the guys they got here,” Feeney said, via Ethan Greenberg of NewYorkJets.com. “It seemed like the right decision. I just knew he was kind of a player’s coach and always for the guys. Having that culture that they had in San Fran, all the guys loved playing for him it seemed like. They loved how he was developing the team and engaged with players. It seemed like a great atmosphere and great working environment.”

Patriots

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes that the “different approach” Patriots owner Robert Kraft alluded to the other day in his comments about New England’s draft preparation could be a reference to getting the personnel department more involved. 
• Breer explains that in the past Patriots HC Bill Belichick and the coaching staff would take over the draft process from the scouts and personnel department earlier than usual, conducting scouting meetings in February instead of April.
• Per Breer, some in the scouting department feel like that contributed to some of New England’s poor drafting in recent years, citing first-round WR N’Keal Harry as someone who had a good visit with Belichick that gave him the edge over other players the scouting department liked more. That’s also led to the exodus from the personnel department the past couple of seasons as scouts and execs look for places where their voice might matter more.