Niner Noise
FanSided

2018 NFL Draft: Round 1 mock after flurry of NFL trade deadline deals

By Peter Panacy

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell annonces DeForest Buckner of Oregon as the #7 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell annonces DeForest Buckner of Oregon as the #7 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
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24. player. 16. . Inside Linebacker. Georgia. Roquan Smith

Adding wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin at the trade deadline took off a major position of need for the Bills this season and beyond. With quarterback Tyrod Taylor doing all he can do, and running back LeSean McCoy playing well, both of Buffalo’s first two NFL Draft picks should be used on the defensive side of the ball.

Georgia’s Roquan Smith is a playmaking linebacker probably best suited to play on the inside. Both rangy and with a knack for getting to the ball carrier, Smith’s 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame would be a nice upgrade over the incumbent, Preston Brown.

Smith is also the prototypical linebacker head coach Sean McDermott would love to have since boasting Luke Kuechly during McDermott’s days with the Panthers.