Three NFL Draft Moves for Each AFC East Team: Star Players, Trades, and Filled Needs

It's NFL Draft season! Nothing beats the real games, especially regular-season Sundays with a full slate, but the draft is the most fun part of the offseason. Free agency is cool, but the draft brings hope of superstar upside with every pick; we already know what the veterans are who are signing.

Teams have different goals in the draft depending on where their roster is and how close they are to competing. A successful draft for the Bills this year doesn't necessarily look the same as a successful draft for the Patriots.

Below are three draft moves for each AFC East team. It will include specific picks, positions to focus on, trades, and anything else that makes sense for the team in question.

Buffalo Bills – No. 30

1. Draft a defensive back in the first round.

Buffalo has often been linked to the cornerbacks in this class who line up with the late-first and early-second round. Christian Benford has one side locked down, but while nickelback Taron Johnson is a fine player, free agent signing Dane Jackson was below average in every facet last season.

No one else on the roster seems ready to lock down that other starting corner spot, so an early pick might be the favored player for the starting lineiup. The Bills will also likely add at least one more veteran corner.

There is also a need for a starting-level safety, as Damar Hamlin (back on a one-year contract) is a great story but just a middling player. Malaki Starks (Georgia) and Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) are seen as first-round talents at safety who could be available with the 30th pick and would likely be starters as rookies.

2. With two second-round picks (Nos. 56 and 62), get a defensive lineman and a wide receiver.

Buffalo had a strong defensive line last season and brought back many of the most important pieces. Many of those players are aging, though, including Joey Bosa, who was signed to a one-year contract after being released by the Chargers. While they don't need any more veterans up front, the Bills could use a little youth to go with the older guys.

Keon Coleman, last year's No. 33 pick, showed enough to prove he could be part of the solution. Khalil Shakir got a contract extension, but Curtis Samuel and Joshua Palmer, guys signed over the past two offseasons, aren't long-term answers. The Bills could upgrade their present and future with another weapon added on Day 2 in a class that's seen to have talented players.

3. Find players who are more likely to contribute with late-round picks.

There are two kinds of players that get drafted often in the late rounds: guys with high ceilings and low floors who might never contribute, and guys with high floors but low ceilings who can be backups or low-end starters on their rookie contracts.

With quarterback Josh Allen on a top-flight contract and other young players with extensions coming, Buffalo could use more guys in the late rounds who can contribute at least as backups to fill roster spots on the cheap while being picky with their lottery tickets.

Miami Dolphins – No. 13

1. Draft an offensive lineman in the first round.

This could come in one of several forms. LSU's Will Campbell was a left tackle in college who is seen as maybe a better guard in the NFL. He would have the ability to slot into one of several spots depending on if last year's second-round pick, Patrick Paul, is ready to take over at left tackle.

If Campbell is off the board, then Miami could upgrade on a bottom-10 offensive line with either a tackle (Missouri's Armand Membou, Texas' Kelvin Banks) or a guard (Alabama's Tyler Booker, North Dakota State's Grey Zabel, who might also be able to play center). The Dolphins could trade back if the value doesn't quite match up at 13.

2. Find offensive playmakers on Days 2 and 3.

Tyreek Hill is great, but he's 31. Jaylen Waddle  is a very capable WR2 who topped 1,000 yards every year until last season. De'Von Achane is dynamic, but he hasn't hit 1,000 rushing yards in a season.

We could nitpick all day; Miami is short on high-level skill players after their top few guys. Coach Mike McDaniel has shown that he is creative in getting talented players involved, so bringing in a playmaker at wide receiver and/or tight end would allow him to expand the playbook a little bit around the stars.

3. Get a few immediate contributors on Day 3.

This is the same idea as the Bills, where Miami has a lot of money tied up in their top players, and they could use four or five rookies who are either in the starting lineup or playing in the rotation.

While their defense was good last year, they could use contributors and depth at every level. The D-line needs numbers and has as many questions as answers at pass rusher with guys coming off recent significant injuries. The secondary could use a guy who is at least an average starter as a rookie, whether that's at cornerback or safety.

New England Patriots – No. 4

1. Draft edge rusher Abdul Carter (Penn State) or wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter (Colorado) if they are available with the fourth pick.

This is the scenario in which the two quarterbacks are picked in the top three, so one of the top two prospects, Hunter or Carter, would fall to the Patriots. It's a case of drafting the best player available regardless of position (while also filling a need).

2. Trade back from No. 4 if Carter and Hunter are off the board and target a left tackle.

If Carter and Hunter are gone by the fourth pick, though, that means at least one of the quarterbacks is available, and the Patriots could trade back and gain a little surplus value. Teams like the Raiders, Jets, and Saints pick in the top 10 and could be interested in moving up.

Left tackle is the most glaring hole on the depth chart. If the Pats moved down three to five spots and picked up an extra second rounder, they might still get the first choice of offensive lineman or at least could target a first-round LT prospect.

3. Take the best player available at every pick.

New England needs as much talent as any team in the league and could upgrade with picks in all rounds. On top of trading back for more picks, the Patriots would do well by taking the best player available with every pick and figuring out where they fit later.

New York Jets – No. 7

1. Draft Armand Membou in the first round.

The Missouri tackle has been rising up draft boards all season. He played right tackle in college, and while some analysts say he could switch to the left side, he could stay on the right in New York, as the Jets drafted left tackle Olu Fashanu 11th overall last year.

This would give the Jets two young players with star potential on the ends, three total first-round picks up front (with right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker), a second-round pick in center Joe Tippmann, and a former fourth-round pick in John Brown.

2. Draft a developmental quarterback, maybe one who fits the mold of Justin Fields.

I have Alabama's Jalen Milroe in mind, a player who is rated as around the fifth-best quarterback in the draft and a player with second- or third-round value. That could put him in range of their picks at No. 42 or 73, or the Jets might even feel the need to jump up the board, as there have been rumors about Milroe as a hot prospect rising up boards.

Having a similar QB would allow the Jets to lean into the style of the mobile quarterback who is a little better with his legs than his arm. Fields could start now, but with just a two-year contract, he could be replaced as early as 2025. Milroe isn't a guaranteed starter, but he fits the style of New York's quarterback room.

3. Find the most value with each pick.

This could mean taking the best player available, or it could mean trading down for more draft value. The Jets need to add young talent to a roster that spent a lot on old players recently, so good rookies and extra picks will do their rebuild well.