The Buffalo Bills were expected to draft a quarterback on Thursday or Friday, maybe Tim Tebow or Jimmy Clausen.
As it turned out, the Bills waited until the seventh round on Saturday to pick a passer, going with Levi Brown of Troy with the 209th overall pick.
Brown is a 6-foot-3, 229-pounder who started two years at Troy and is described as a raw physical talent with a strong arm and quick release who needs a lot of work before he’s ready for the NFL. The Bills say they like him as a project.
“He has a lot of tools to work with,” said Bills scout Shawn Heinlen. “He has good size and is a good enough athlete. He’s got good arm strength and was a winning quarterback there for them after transferring from Richmond.”
Mike Mayock of NFL Network, whose sore throat caused him to go from TV to an online chat, wrote that he thinks the Bills made a wise pick.
“I believe he’s been undervalued all along,” Mayock wrote of Brown. “He was invited to the Combine, but only as a throwing QB, not a participant. I liked him on tape, and feel like he has a chance to be a very solid backup QB.”
For now, Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm are slated to compete for the starting job in Buffalo. Brown’s presence on the roster means that whoever comes in last in that competition isn’t likely to make the team at all.