Leodis McKelvin

James Hardy

Buffalo went into day two with eight picks. (#72, #114, #132, #147, #179, #219, #224, #251).

3rd pick - 72nd overall - DE Chris Ellis - 6'4" 263 - Virginia Tech
Buffalo addressed their defensive front with third-round pick (#72 overall) Chris Ellis. The Virginia Tech product is an edge rusher that also has the ability to hold the point against the run. He had 22 sacks in his college career including 8.5 his senior season and had an impressive 82 quarterback pressures along with 35.5 tackles for loss. One of his better games came against Boston College when he harassed QB Matt Ryan all day. He had 1.5 sacks, two pass deflections and a career-high seven pressures. Some teams viewed him as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but for Buffalo he will be a defensive end.

What they're saying about Ellis
"I really like Chris. A three-year starter for Virginia Tech. He's an excellent pass rusher and good against the run. He's an instinctive player. He uses his hands well to get off of blocks. Offensive linemen just don't get into him very much. He uses his hands well to elude. Great effort, he's always running to the ball. He's a good kid. I'm very happy we got him."
--Bills scout Tom Roth

What Ellis said
"I'm so excited. I'm looking forward to being a Buffalo Bill. I get to stay at defensive end, so I'm just going to let it all hang out. The Bills need some pass rushers so hopefully I can come in and be an addition to what they already have. They play the same defense we did in college which is get to the football and apply pressure and make a play when it comes to you. That's the same thing I'm looking to do for Buffalo."

4th pick - CB Reggie Corner - 5'9" 181 - Akron
The Bills further fortified their secondary and more specifically the cornerback position with Akron standout cornerback Reggie Corner. A three-year starter, Corner had eight interceptions in his career and 23 PBUs in 34 starts. The Bills really feel they have a good find on their hands who flew under the radar. Despite being just 5'9" he has the vertical leap to compete effectively with bigger receivers.

What they're saying about Corner
"First off he plays a lot bigger than his size. He's very, very good in his run support. Good instincts, good coverage ability, very good ball skills. Really there aren't many negatives. They played Ohio State, Indiana and he covered Hardy and that was a split. They both did well (Hardy had just 4 catches for 65 yards and a TD). He rose above the competition in those games. You turn on the film and he's an exciting player. He's a 4.5 guy that plays like a 4.4 guy."
Bills scout - Tom Roth

What Corner said
"Honestly, from talking to teams I thought I would go in the third round, but the draft is unpredictable. But I visited with the Bills and I loved my visit and I like the coaches and feel it's definitely a place where I can help out and improve my game."

5th pick - TE Derek Fine - 6'2 5/8" 251 - Kansas
Fine is considered a versatile tight end that can be put in the slot or out wide, but does not have the speed to stretch the field in the passing game. He runs about a 4.8 and is considered very tough and intelligent. But he's a fundamentally sound prospect that will likely spend most of his time on the line with his hand on the ground as a blocker and be used on special teams.

What they said about Fine
"Of the tight ends I did this year he was the most complete tight end. He's not a flashy guy, but he does everything very well. He's an excellent blocker in the run game. He has a great feel for the zone blocking scheme there. He plays with leverage. In terms of the pass game he's more of a short area type receiver, but he's a better athlete than people give him credit for. I like his toughness, his versatility, extremely smart guy and a special teams guy. A high end character guy that you want on your team."
--Bills Scout Brad Forsyth

What Fine said
"I think my game is really complete. I've had a couple of mishaps where I've had a drop, but even the best receivers drop balls. You have to let that go. Other than that I feel like I'm really complete. I run good routes, I'm a really hard worker and I take a great amount of pride in all my blocking. I think my blocking is what has got me this far. I feel really confident with my game and on special teams too. I think I can be a four-unit special teams guy."

6th pick - 132nd overall - OLB Alvin Bowen - 6'1" 223 - Iowa State
A weak side linebacker prospect with aggressiveness and great instincts. Considered a solid tackler with a knack for forcing fumbles and decent in coverage. Needs to get a bit stronger, but is expected to be an immediate contributor on special teams.

What they said about Bowen
"He's a guy that obviously has great range. He's the kind of guy we like to play the position with his athleticism to not only defend the run, but also do a lot of things in the passing game. Right now he's going to fill our outside linebacker needs. He can play either outside position. And we expect him to contribute on special teams as well."
--Bills assistant special teams/linebackers coach DeMontie Cross

What Bowen said
"I'm very grateful and thankful right now. I just can't wait to help out and do whatever my part is. I just spoke to coach Cross, who was here with me at Iowa State before he left to coach with the Bills and I thanked him for everything because while he was at Iowa State he pushed me the hardest and let me know that he wasn't going to take any slack from me. So I already know what to expect from him."

7th pick - Round 6 - 179th overall - RB Xavier Omon - 5'11" 228 - NW Missouri St.
A two-time Division II Offensive Player of the Year, Omon is the only back in NCAA history to rush for over 1,500 yards in all four collegiate seasons. In his college career the thickly built Omon rushed for over 7,000 yards on 1,271 carries (5.56 avg) and 92 rushing touchdowns. He also had six receiving touchdowns. A power runner without breakaway speed Omon also offers some pass catching ability with 90 receptions in his college career.

What they said about Omon
"This guy when you saw him on tape was definitely a man among boys in the games you saw him play. You have to take his body of work for what it was and he had to dominate at that level and he did. How that translates to us we'll have to wait and find out. We think he's a talented guy. He's a physical guy that plays hard and tough. He's a decisive cutter, he doesn't waste time cutting and a big guy at 228 pounds."
--Bills RBs coach Eric Studesville

What Omon said
"Whatever they ask me to do. I know to get in the NFL especially being from a small school I'm going to have to work my way up the food chain with special teams. I don't care, they gave me the opportunity I wanted and I'll do whatever they want me to do."

8th pick - Round 7 - 219th overall - OT Demetrius Bell - 6'5" 303 - NW St.
Bell is a developmental prospect from Terrence McGee's alma mater. Has been a two-year starter at left tackle and has some athleticism in terms of lateral mobility and initial quickness.

What Bell said
"I'm young at football, but willing to work hard and willing to get things done on the field. I think my strongest point is pass blocking, but I'm getting stronger by the moment and that's a plus on my side for stopping the bull-rush. The run blocking is always getting better when I'm adding bulk and getting stronger too. Technique-wise it's all about the technique the coach wants. I think it's all on the upside."

9th pick - Round 7 - 224th overall - WR Steve Johnson - 6'2" 210 - Kentucky
Johnson is a former junior college transfer that had a big senior season with 60 catches for 1,041 yards and 13 touchdowns in the wide open Kentucky offense. A receiver that's not afraid to go over the middle and makes plays on jump balls. Johnson has a knack for making big plays at big times, so with some development on his route running he could find a niche in Buffalo's receiving corps.

What they said about Johnson
"They throw the ball a lot so he had a lot of numbers, but he deserved them because they had other people on the field. We liked him for a number of reasons, number one because he caught the ball well and he's a tough receiver. We thought we got him where we should get him and we wanted to get a receiver in that area."

What Johnson said
"I'm excited to be picked by the Bills. I'm just happy that the franchise took me. It doesn't matter that it was the seventh round. They put some trust in me, some faith in me and I'm ready to work for them."

10th pick - Round 7 - 251st overall - CB Kennard Cox - 6'0" 192 - Pittsburgh
Buffalo addressed their secondary a third time with Pitt CB Kennard Cox. Cox played cornerback at Pitt, but some teams projected him to safety as he ran 4.45 on the clock for a 40 time at his pro day. No word yet from the Bills as to where they see him fitting.

What they said about Cox
"Cox is going to be a corner for us and we see him competing on the outside. A little bit bigger than the average corner and that's why some project him to safety, but he'll come in and be a corner for us."

What Cox said
"I think it's a great thing. I'm just blessed that they decided to use a pick on me. I wasn't expecting the weekend to be this long, but you've got to be patient sometimes. You've got to wait your turn and Buffalo was my turn."

"Honestly when the schedule came out the first thing I looked for was to see if we had another Monday night game," said Bills defensive end Chris Kelsay. "The players love playing in prime time in a nationally televised game so we're excited."

"Our Monday night game having Cleveland here will be a great experience for our fan base." said Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon. "Last year was a tremendous atmosphere in this building and we're looking forward to replicating that again."

That doesn't figure to be a problem as the game will be a rematch of last season's 'snowstorm game' in Week 15 that largely determined the playoff fate of both teams. The two teams played in blizzard conditions with the final AFC playoff seed on the line. The Bills will be highly-motivated after dropping an 8-0 decision to the Browns last year.

Buffalo hosted Dallas last year as part of the Monday Night Football schedule.

"Obviously our fans who came to the game made it a special event last year," said Kelsay. "The NFL obviously recognized that and thought it would be a great venue to host another game."

The Bills season begins at home on Sun. Sept. 7 as Buffalo hosts the five-time NFC West division champion Seahawks. A perennial playoff team, Seattle will be playing its last season under head coach Mike Holmgren who announced he will retire at the conclusion of the 2008 campaign.

"It's great to open up at home against the Seahawks," said Brandon. "And overall the schedule lays out pretty well for us."

In Week 2, Marcus Stroud will lead the Bills revamped run defense against his former team on Sept. 14 as Buffalo aims to slow Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew in another rematch from the 2007 slate.

Buffalo returns to the Ralph the following Sunday (Sept. 21) when former number one overall pick JaMarcus Russell could be quarterbacking the Raiders as Oakland faces the Bills for a 1pm kickoff.

The Bills will log significantly more air miles this season than last year as they face the AFC and NFC West divisions in 2008. The Bills begin to rack up those miles when they take a two week tour of the NFC West beginning with St. Louis on Sept. 26. It will be the first time the Bills have played the Rams in the Gateway City since 1995.

That's followed by what could be a renewed Pac-10 quarterback rivalry when Trent Edwards leads the Bills against Matt Leinart's Cardinals Oct. 5.

Both of those games will have late starts at 4:05 and 4:15 respectively.

Buffalo then gets a break from two straight trips west with a bye week in Week 6 (Oct. 12).

And the Bills will be glad they have two weeks to prepare for the defending AFC West champions. San Diego comes to Ralph Wilson Stadium Oct. 19 with a pair of premier NFL running backs the main feature as LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshawn Lynch butt heads.

Buffalo finally opens division play facing all three AFC East opponents in succession beginning in Week 8 with a road contest at Miami (Oct. 26). That's followed by a home tilt with the revamped Jets on Nov. 2. New York has lost three of their last four to the Bills in Orchard Park.

Then it's back on the road to face the defending AFC champion New England Patriots (Nov. 9) as the Bills look to end their division rival's nine-game series winning streak.

The Monday night matchup with Cleveland is next on the docket followed by a road date at a difficult venue. Buffalo faces Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 23 as linebacker Kawika Mitchell squares off against the team that made him a second-round pick in 2003.

For the first time since the 1998 season, the San Francisco 49ers pay a visit to Ralph Wilson Stadium on Nov. 30 with the featured matchup expected to be Lee Evans and former Bills cornerback Nate Clements.

Then it's the rematch with Miami on Dec. 7, but that home game will be the one designated for the Rogers Centre in Toronto (4:05pm). Buffalo swept the season series from the Dolphins last year and has not lost to Miami at home since 2003.

"The schedule is determined by the National Football League," said Brandon when asked about Miami being the opponent chosen for the Toronto game. "They determine the schedule for all 32 member clubs and we have zero input into the process. That being said we're excited to play up in the Toronto marketplace and continue that rivalry up north. As we've said all along this series is about regionalization."

A second straight AFC East clash follows with the Bills scheduled to face the Jets at the Meadowlands for a 1pm kickoff on Dec. 14.

Buffalo completes their intra-conference slate with the AFC West on Dec. 21 when they take on the Broncos at Invesco Field for a 4:05pm kickoff. The Bills will be carrying a bitter memory with them into that contest after Denver stole the season opener from Buffalo last season on a last second field goal.

The Bills' most important matchup could potentially come in the season's final week (Dec. 28), as the Bills host the Patriots in what could be a game with major AFC playoff implications.

As a reminder Buffalo's final six games of the regular season (Nov. 23-Dec. 28) are subject to flexible scheduling. That means Buffalo's home games against San Francisco (Nov. 30), Miami (Dec. 7 in Toronto) and New England (Dec. 28) could be moved to Sunday night as part of the league's flexible scheduling initiative. The NFL will provide notice 12 days prior to the date of the game as to whether such a change will be made.

Game tickets can be purchased by calling 1-877-BB-TICKS, online at www.buffalobills.com or at the Bills ticket office at One Bills Drive. Individual game tickets go on sale July 19.

"We've defined our numbers and we've balanced the roster moving forward," said Bills Vice President of College Scouting Tom Modrak.

Buffalo also added four players who will participate in the rookie minicamp this weekend on a tryout basis. Orchard Park native Jon Corto was a player that made the most of a three-day tryout last year as he served time on the Bills practice squad last season, and is currently on the roster.

Below is a thumbnail sketch on the nine rookies that were added after the draft with comment from members of the Bills scouting department.

LB Jonathan Banks - 6'1 ½" 233 - Iowa State
A teammate of Bills fifth-round pick Alvin Bowen, Banks is a converted safety making the switch his junior season in 2006. A rangy, chase down player Banks does better out in space than in traffic as he's still working on his strength at linebacker to take on blocks more effectively.

"He had a lot of production," said Bills Coordinator of College Scouting Doug Majeski.

"He's a smart kid with good character and he can really run. He's one of the faster linebackers we worked out this spring. He ran a 4.57 at 233 pounds so that's pretty good."

LB Joe Brockington - 6'0" 245 - Notre Dame
Brockington is a reliable tackler that is pretty sound fundamentally. He's just a little shorter and a tad slower on the clock than most NFL scouts would like (4.91). But with 108 tackles, four sacks, five pass breakups as a senior Brockington has proven he can put up numbers. He also offers good special teams ability as he had three blocked kicks last season.

"He's just a tough inside linebacker," said Majeski. "He's productive and instinctive and a solid free agent choice."

LB Marcus Buggs - 5'11" 224 - Vanderbilt
A converted safety, Buggs is undersized, but a punishing tackler that offers versatility having played on both the strong and weak side. Finishing third on the team with 76 tackles last season, Buggs led the team in tackles for loss (12) for the second straight year.

"He made a lot of plays for them," said Bills scout Tom Roth. "He was always showing up on film. Buggs is rushing the passer, he's in coverage, he's tackling. Yeah he's 5'11", but his athleticism makes up for it I think. When you look at him he has all the attributes of a solid special teams player."

QB Luke Drone - 6'1" 216 - Illinois State
A cerebral signal caller with very good athleticism, Drone had a big junior year in 2006, but couldn't duplicate it 2007 after losing top receiver Laurent Robinson to the NFL (Atlanta Falcons). Drone tried to make too many things happen as a senior and had 18 touchdowns passes against 17 interceptions, though he still completed better than 60 percent of his passes while throwing for over 2,200 yards.

"He's athletic with a good arm," said Majeski. "He has tools, he just didn't take care of the ball as well his senior year, but part of that was because they put in a new offense with a new offensive coordinator and he missed some of his better receivers from the year before."

G Robert Felton - 6'3 ½" 322 - Arkansas
A versatile offensive lineman, Felton played all five line positions during his college career for the Razorbacks though guard is considered his most natural position. He's not an elite athlete and needs to improve his conditioning and strength, but Felton is a very efficient lineman that could challenge for a depth role at guard and center.

"There's upside there because he's so technically sound," said Bills Scout Shawn Heinlen. "He doesn't always look pretty, but he's always very effective with what he does. And his versatility of playing all the positions on the offensive line gives us a great opportunity to have him be a backup at several different spots."

RB Bruce "TC" Hall - 5'10 ½" 206 - Mississippi
A former JUCO quarterback, Hall originally signed with Wake Forest, transferred to Troy and eventually wound up at Ole Miss where he was converted to running back. Hall lacks breakaway speed (4.79), but was effective as a rotational back for the Rebels averaging almost five yards per carry over two seasons.

"The thing that attracted me to him was he's got a great feel for holes and a great initial burst," said Heinlen. "He's not going to be a guy that's a burner and takes the ball the distance for you, but he's got great burst in terms of getting to the second level. Since he's only been doing it for a little over a year we thought he'd be a guy worth taking a shot on to see if he could develop."

WR Jason Jones - 6'0 ½" 184 - Arkansas Pine-Bluff
Despite only three seasons of play, Jones was one of just two players in Southwestern Athletic Conference history to have more than 2,000 yards receiving (2,227) and more than 20 touchdown receptions (22). Despite a lean build, Jones became just the fifth NCAA Division 1-AA player to average more than 20 yards a catch in a career with a 20.8 average.

"I went down to Arkansas and worked him out this spring and he showed the ability to adjust to the ball, has incredibly soft hands and the ability to get in and out of breaks pretty well," said Heinlen. "He's got a lot of upside to him, he just needs some physical development because he's coming from a smaller program."

DT Teraz McCray - 6'0 ½" 288 - Miami
McCray is a strong, high-energy player known for his ability to penetrate and disrupt things in the backfield. As a senior he was second on the team in tackles for loss with 10.5 and tied teammate and second-round pick Calais Campbell (Arizona) for the team lead in sacks last season with six. His primary position is the three-technique defensive tackle spot.

"Teraz has very good initial quickness and he has the versatility to play inside and out," said Heinlen. "He's played both tackle and end there and that's the kind of thing we're looking for. He's a 100 miles per hour guy that's got a great motor and chases the ball all over the place."

FB Michael Viti - 5'9" 241 - Army
A rock solid lead blocker, Viti is a bit short for fullback by NFL standards, but can go toe-to-toe with linebackers in the hole. He's not as good blocking out on the edges, but is pretty good picking up the blitz. Viti has fantastic intangibles. A born leader.

"He's a classic isolation fullback that will go up there and hit somebody in line," said Majeski. "He's a good pass protector. He's maxed out in terms of size and strength. There is no place left for him to get any bigger. His legs have muscles, his torso has muscles. Everything is muscle on him."

Bills tryout players

S Matt Hewitt - 6'3" 205 - Arkansas
Hewitt was a reserve player in the Razorbacks secondary, but made the most of his playing time as he had two interceptions in the two games he played as a senior.

FB Onyi Momah - 6'1" 230 - Hofstra
A blocker by trade, Momah's last collegiate season was 2005. He has spent time in NFL camps.

DE Jared Naylor - 6'2" 284 - New Mexico St.
Naylor played both defensive tackle and defensive end for the Aggies finishing last season with a career-high 35 tackles.

SS Stacey Thomas - 5'10" 209 - Texas Southern
Thomas was a rookie free agent signing of the Bills last year, but did not make the cut and is getting a second chance this spring. Known as a hard hitter, Thomas was the 2006 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year.