NFL
9 NFL Veterans Whose Jobs Are Safe From 2017 Rookies
Each season, the rookie draft displaces some veteran starters, but these vets are safe...for now.

​Tyrod Taylor

I never understood why the Buffalo Bills were trying to run quarterback Tyrod Taylor out of town after he turned their passing attack around upon arriving in 2015.

Taylor posted the 10th-most Passing NEP per drop back (0.17) in 2015 among 46 quarterbacks to drop back at least 100 times. He regressed a bit in 2016, coming in at 19th-most (0.12), but that was still exactly league-average among quarterbacks. Give the guy another receiver (a la rookie Zay Jones) and fix his offensive line, and you have the potential for a very good starter.

The Bills eschewed the chance to draft an early-round quarterback after trading down with the Kansas City Chiefs -- who selected Patrick Mahomes 10th overall. They did nab developmental guy Nathan Peterman in the fifth round, but in a league where the passer is king, you can’t beat having two very different prospects behind a strong starter.

Peterman is an accuracy and timing maven, and Cardale Jones has a cannon arm, but neither is a near-term threat to Taylor.

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