2012 NFL Mock Draft: Bills Make OT Mike Adams A Top 10 Pick

With the 10th pick in SB Nation's 2012 NFL mock draft, the Buffalo Bills select Ohio State OT Mike Adams.

The Bills let OT Demetrius Bell hit free agency which means they're in the market for an offensive tackle. Many people have Iowa OT Riley Reiff ranked higher than Adams but SB Nation's Bills blog, Buffalo Rumblings, rolls with Adams Instead.

Bills GM Buddy Nix is one of the most transparent personnel evaluators in the league, always willing to tell some degree of the truth when speaking with reporters. In discussing the draft this winter, two themes have emerged: Nix has a desire to pick up an extra draft pick if possible, and he's not particularly fond of the top of any positional group this year in terms of valuing those prospects worthy of a Top 10 pick.

Translation: the Bills seem ready and very willing to move down. Had I had that option in this here mock draft, I'd have most certainly explored it. I considered no fewer than 16 players with this selection. Every one of them felt like a reach.

In that light, knowing I'd be reaching, I decided to reach for a player that seemed like a Nix type of prospect. With Demetrius Bell looking like a sure bet as a free agent departure, the Bills have exactly one left tackle on the roster in second-year pro Chris Hairston - and the team admits that he's probably not ready to be handed a starting job yet. He needs a competitor for that job, and the 6'7", 323-pound Adams fits Buffalo's size requirement (the nine linemen Nix has acquired in just over two years are, on average, 6'6" and 331 pounds) better than other similarly-skilled prospects at the position.

Yes, Adams is highly inconsistent and has some red flags. No, he is not franchise-caliber. But he's experienced, had very strong performances against top competition, and would be playing in a Bills offense that emphasizes getting the ball out of Ryan Fitzpatrick's hands as quickly as possible. He's mobile enough to move around in the Bills' spread-type attack, get to the second level as a run blocker out of those alignments, and can be polished up into a quality starter by line coach Joe D'Alessandris.

Adams fits what the Bills are looking for at tackle better than the likes of Riley Reiff and Jonathan Martin, in my opinion. Could they get him lower? Absolutely - and again, a trade down is looking like the Day 1 goal for Buffalo. They may even be able to do better in a pinch if they're forced to stay at No. 10; Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright, Melvin Ingram, Luke Kuechly and Dre Kirkpatrick, among others, all make sense. But on a roster that suddenly looks like it could be playoff-competitive, finding quality depth at left tackle is an absolute must. The earlier they address it, the better their chances of finding a guy that can push to start.

For more analysis of the pick, visit Mocking The Draft. SB Nation's Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Pride, is now on the clock with the 11th pick.