In under two months, the Buffalo Bills will get to work at St. John Fisher College for training camp and the 2016 season. And this year, with how the team ended things in 2015, is extremely important to not waste the talent that exists on the roster.
So, as offseason workouts continue at One Bills Drive, WKBW will preview the roster — and more specifically, the top talent that exists on the roster that can help the Bills to putting an end to the playoff drought. You’ll be introduced to the Bills’ ‘Top 20 Talents.’
It's a bit of a different 'most talented' list, because it also takes other factors into consideration. The countdown criteria:
- Overall skill level
- On-the-field performance
- Projection based on film study over the past several years
- Age, and improving/declining ability
With that written, on to the countdown:
No. 11 - EDGE Shaq Lawson
Age: 21 (6/17/94)
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 270
Last year’s rank: NR
Why he’s here
- In a year that lacked a lot of depth in the draft as far as edge rushers were concerned, the Buffalo Bills scooped up one of the most talented of the group in the first round of the draft in Shaq Lawson. Lawson is extremely young, and quite obviously hasn't played a down in the NFL just yet. However, when he does get some plays in, the Bills will be getting an explosive and powerful option to rush on the opposite side of Jerry Hughes. Lawson's best asset is his brute strength, and combining that with quickness off the snap, he could stand to push the pocket, give offensive tackles some trouble, and even contribute as a competent run defender. The future is bright for Shaq Lawson.
2016 outlook
- The immediate future of Shaq Lawson is a little dimmer than his long-term potential. Lawson underwent offseason shoulder surgery that will keep him out of action likely into the start of the regular season. The Bills boasted that Lawson was an immediate starter for their team, but a flare up of his shoulder during the team's rookie minicamp was enough evidence for them to shut him down for the short-term and get the long-term corrective surgery. When Lawson gets back on the field, he'll need to have only a small learning curve in order to get on the field immediately. The hope, when he does get back, is that they'll have even a better player than they did when they first drafted him in April. More realistically, it's a wait-and-see approach as to how effective he'll be in 2016.
Top 20 Talents Countdown
11) EDGE Shaq Lawson
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