The Bills hammered another nail into their defensive improvement project in round one of the draft Thursday night.
With the 10th overall pick, Buffalo chose South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore, the widely-regarded No. 2-rated cornerback on the draft board.Gilmore led the Gamecocks in interceptions in 2011 with four and amassed 46 tackles. Starting every game during his three years with South Carolina, he was chosen as first-team All-SEC in 2011 and third-team AP All-American in 2010.
Gilmore impressed scouts at the combine, especially for his size, running 4.40 in the 40-yard dash and a 3.94 in the 20-yard short shuttle. At 6-foot-1 and nearly 200 pounds, Gilmore is a rare breed of size and speed at the position and should be proficient playing both man-to-man and zone.
With inconsistency and aging corners abound in the backfield, it's no wonder the Bills were looking for some young talent that could step in and instantly start.
The addition of Gilmore will undoubtedly put pressure on the Bills' current corners, namely Leodis McKelvin, who is slated to make $1.5 million, and Terrence McGee, who recently signed a restructured contract for $1.35 million. Keep an eye out for veteran departures from the DB squad come training camp.
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