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          Bills' 2016 draft haul a near-perfect marriage of value, need

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          Bills capitalize on 2016 draft, deserve 'A' grade (1:24)

          ESPN Bills reporter Mike Rodak wraps up Buffalo's 2016 draft by assigning them an 'A' grade for their selections of Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland, who were both projected to come off the board ahead of the Bills' first pick at No. 19. (1:24)

          • Mike Rodak, ESPN Staff WriterApr 30, 2016, 06:05 PM ET
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            • Previously covered the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com
            • Providence College graduate
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          ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Here’s a wrap-up of the Buffalo Bills' draft.

          Best move: It's a close call between Shaq Lawson (first round) and Reggie Ragland (second round). Even though the Bills gave up their original second-round pick and two fourth-round picks (in 2016 and 2017) to move up for Ragland, the steep price was worth the reward of landing one of the draft's top linebackers. The Bills' linebacker depth chart was one of the thinnest at any position for any NFL team entering this weekend. Ragland provides Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan with a physical presence in the middle of a run defense that ranked 25th last season. Ragland was No. 4 on ESPN NFL draft expert Todd McShay's list of the 10 best value picks on Day 2.

          Riskiest move: Nothing stands out in this category. The closest pick to a "risk" was selecting quarterback Cardale Jones, who started only 11 college games and was benched last season. Jones is considered a raw prospect, and Bills player personnel director Jim Monos said Saturday that the QB must improve on "reading defenses, getting rid of the ball [and] footwork." General manager Doug Whaley said Jones has "got a lot of work and a lot of ways to go" until he becomes a proven NFL quarterback. Even so, I don't want to overstate the risk of taking Jones; investing in his development with the final pick of the fourth round was good business.

          Most surprising move: This was actually a very predictable draft. The Bills addressed their front-seven needs early and later made good on their word to select a quarterback by taking Jones in the fourth round. There was never a moment during this draft when I was surprised with the Bills’ selection. The most surprising aspect of Buffalo's haul might have been that Ragland was still available at No. 41.

          File it away: Of the Bills' first four draft selections, the one that hasn't gotten much attention is their third-round pick, Ohio State defensive lineman Adolphus Washington. Don't write him off, though. Washington should contribute as an interior rusher on passing downs, and he could compete for a starting job as a 5-technique defensive end in the base defense. He has some limitations, and as a prospect he isn't on the same level as Lawson or Ragland, but Washington gives the Bills more depth at a position where they’ve needed it.

          Thumbs-up or thumbs-down: The Bills hit on both value and need with their first-round selection of Lawson (No. 19 overall) and their second-round selection of Ragland (No. 41 overall). In fact, neither Lawson nor Ragland was on the board when I made the Bills’ pick at No. 19 in our NFL Nation mock draft earlier this week. Rex Ryan told me Friday that he was thrilled with the selection of Lawson, and picking up Ragland must have put an even bigger smile on his face. His defense needed reinforcements. Thumbs-up.