After hours of watching workouts, conducting interviews and studying game film of prospects, the Buffalo Bills are winding down their preparations for the April draft.

The Bills went into last year’s draft still getting a handle on their personnel with a new head coach and general manager. But this time around, they know what they have and what they need.

“Yes, we’re in a more advantageous position than a year ago,” General Manager Marv Levy said. “At least there’s a much more firm sense of what has to be addressed. Now we still have to put in a lot of work, but the work and energy we put in can be more focused than it was last year when we were trying to get things tied together.”

The Bills have already addressed some of their needs (offensive and defensive lines) through free agency and trades, so that narrows their draft focus a bit. Here are some positions the Bills will target in the draft:

Linebacker

The Bills have to replace London Fletcher in the middle and Takeo Spikes on the strong side. Mississippi’s Patrick Willis is a strong possibility in the first round. He has good size (6- foot-2, 240 pounds), speed and range to excel in the middle or outside. There is talk of moving Angelo Crowell to the middle. With Willis in the mix, the Bills would have a lot of flexibility.

If the Bills wait until Round Two for a linebacker, a few names to consider are Florida’s Earl Everett, Penn State’s Paul Posluszny, Florida State’s Buster Davis and Miami’s Jon Beason. Everett is an athletic outside backer who can run and cover a lot of ground. Posluszny is very smart, instinctive and the kind of high character player the Bills love. Davis, a Fletcher clone in terms of size (5-10, 239), fits the Bills’ defense because he’s tough, instinctive and attacks the line of scrimmage. Beason was highly productive in college and has the skill to play inside or outside.

Running back

The trade of Willis McGahee makes this position a high priority. Fans can fantasize about Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson, the best in the draft, but the Bills would likely have to trade up to a top-five spot to get him. If they stay at the No. 12 spot, California’s Marshawn Lynch would make sense. He has the size, speed and receiving skills to be an every-down player.

There are plenty of other choices beyond the first round. Ohio State’s Antonio Pittman, Auburn’s Kenny Irons, Louisville’s Michael Bush and Florida’s DeShawn Wynn are potential workhorse backs who can run. Also keep an eye on Arizona’s Chris Henry, a surprise early entry who wowed scouts at the combine by running the 40 in 4.4 seconds at 5-11 and 230 pounds, bench-pressing 225 pounds 26 times and showed quickness and agility in drills.

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