The Buffalo Bills finally addressed the offensive line with the No. 122 overall pick in the fourth round in the 2011 NFL Draft, selecting Clemson offensive tackle, Chris Hairston.
Bills running back, C.J. Spiller must be pleased with being reunited with the tackle that allowed him to become a top ten pick in last year’s draft.
At 6″6″, 323 pounds, Hairston has an intriguing
combination of long arms, explosiveness, and athleticism. Starting for three years at left tackle as a Clemson, he missed just four games due to a moped accident….Why a 323 pounder is on a moped in the first place is beyond me.
Anyways, this guy has the ability to move the pocket forward, but needs to get a little muscle on him to compete with the more athletic defensive linemen in the National Football league.
I don’t see him being a day one starter, but if he works hard in OTA’s, he has a significant chance of overtaking the Bills’ inconsistent right tackle position.
An ESPN Insider Scouting Report featured here: http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27040 had this to say about Hairston’s toughness.
“Plays with an edge and can throw smaller defenders to the ground. Killer instinct and finishes blocks when gets defender off balance. Can block through the whistle but would like to see it more consistently. Endurance may be issue and mental toughness is an issue at times. Flagged for false start in 3rd QTR of 2010 Florida State game. Flagged for personal foul on the first play of the 2010 North Carolina game.”
Basically, its easy to see that the Bills front office wants big, tough and nasty linemen on both sides of the ball, and while Hairston isn’t the greatest tackle on the board, Buffalo got him at a great value, and will have a solid option at right tackle within the next year.
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