Mock mocking or mock marveling: Ian Cummings gives Bills Mafia what they want

What’s the catch?

It’s the offseason again, and that means it’s time for the return of “Mock Mocking or Mock Marveling.”

Buffalo Bills fans understand that mock drafts are thought exercises. Very rarely are they intended to be predictive before the week of the actual NFL Draft is upon us, and mock drafts before free agency are especially volatile. They are intended to generate not just clicks, but also individual reactions to a multitude of different possibilities.

Mock drafts are also much better after free agency has slowed down. Prior to contracts being signed and trades being made, mock drafts can sometimes be exercises in fans yelling about which needs are more important using only their team’s first-round selection as ammunition. Thought exercises after needs have been partially or fully addressed can be of narrower focus. But that doesn’t stop the mock drafts from coming early in the offseason and in this instance, we’re reviewing a pre-free agency mock draft that’s sure to get some people in Bills Mafia buzzing with its potential impact.

Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network released a mock draft on Saturday, February 17 and here’s who he had the Bills taking in the first round:

28) Buffalo Bills: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

Josh Allen is capable of putting an offense on his back, but the Bills need to be proactive in giving him weapons, especially given the fact that Stefon Diggs faded late in 2023.

At 6’4″, 205 pounds, with elite explosiveness, speed, and lateral fluidity, Brian Thomas Jr. fits the WR1 physical profile, and he has the ball tracking and body control to convert.

This article series is titled “mock mocking or mock marveling” for a reason. It’s about the gut and initial reaction that I have to the player being selected for the Bills in the selected mock draft — and in this case, the coin lands on “marveling.”

When I outlined the needs for the Buffalo Bills going into the 2024 offseason on a recent pod, I didn’t say “wide receiver.” I said “wide receivers who can be explosive down the field and with the ball in their hands.” I interpret the need as much more qualitative than just a roster position. And Brian Thomas Jr. fits the Bill(s).

Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers are the next in a storied line of LSU receiver duos like Odell Beckham Jr./Jarvis Landry and Justin Jefferson/Ja’Marr Chase. Nabers is projected to go in the top 10 in most current mock drafts, but Thomas represents the skill set that a lot of Bills fans have been clamoring for.

At 6’4” and 205 pounds, Thomas gives the Bills a size component that they currently lack, though that size currently represents more potential than reality. His contested-catch abilities are still in development, so those anticipating jump-ball fades into the end zone as being wins because of his height will likely be disappointed. (Whether you should be throwing goal line fades at all as an offense is an entirely different discussion.) Where Thomas shines is with his blazing speed, ball tracking. and release package. Just being fast is not good enough to be a consistent vertical threat in the NFL; you need to be able to get off press coverage on the outside and threaten stacking defensive backs early in the route, and Thomas has shown instances of being able to do that — which gives you hope for his development. That same speed pays off on crossing routes where he can run away from coverage and get yards after the reception.

He’s much less of a complete player than his LSU running mate (signified by their projected draft spot differential), but he fits exactly the type of receiver I think the Bills could utilize. There’s potential for him to be an upgraded version of Gabe Davis, who also wins most often on routes that don’t require sinking of the hips (a tougher ask for taller players) and getting separation at the top of the route. Martavis Bryant, who averaged over 21 yards per catch as a rookie for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014, has been a noted player comparison that feels appropriate for their play styles.

…and that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I’m Bruce Nolan for Buffalo Rumblings. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @BruceExclusive and look for new episodes of “The Bruce Exclusive” every Thursday on the Buffalo Rumblings podcast network!