Marcell Dareus was the third overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft Thursday night, going to the Buffalo Bills, who allowed an incredible 2714 yards and 18 touchdowns from opposing running games. Dareus, the top combination of skill and polish at defensive lineman in the draft, was the consensus pick for the Bills in most mock drafts of late, after it became clear they wouldn’t select a quarterback in the first round.
The Buffalo Bills, fighting a rough rebuilding effort while at the same time worrying about a potential relocation out of their small-town home, found themselves in an awkward position heading into the 2011 NFL Draft; they had a lot of holes, so drafting for need was either out of the question or missing the question entirely.
A relatively strong finish to the season after a terrible start promises good things for the Bills and former St. Louis Rams backup Ryan Fitzpatrick, their surprisingly dynamic starting quarterback.