Poll: How would you grade the Bills overall draft?

[JohnBonhamRocks]

Voted B+, but really I would give it an A-.

 

It appears Beane added legit talent and versatility at CB2, HB2, LB3, WR5, & P. Tough to argue with that. 
 

I also think this draft shows Beane continues to be aware of and value where the league is trending. Passing / defending the pass, and, again, versatility. 
 

Only reasons it is not an A or A+ is because the haul lacked anyone appearing to be a true blue chip star (although Cook has the bloodlines and reminds me a lot of Kamara…) and the depth picks toward the end do not figure to add much and may have been put to better use to move up again for a player who has a real shot of making the roster. 

[NewEra]

4 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Since when is adding an aging vet with shoulder problems doing a lot?

First off, dude didn’t say they did a lot.  He said good amount.  there’s a difference and that difference is why you decided to use “A lot” instead of good amount. Because they did a good amount…..but yes, not a lot.  I wish they would’ve done more too…..but the offseason isn’t over and I’m still confident that we’ve upgraded enough in other areas to compensate for not upgrading as much as we’d like on the OL. Whether you or I think Brown is good enough, is irrelevant.  Brown was going to be our starting RT regardless.  He’s part of their plan. 

 

good amount =

-They got rid of a meh OL coach and replaced him with one of the all time best OL coaches.  

 

- added an aging vet with shoulder problems.

 

-kept Bates-  that’s not addition….but it is.  He signed with another team and we decided to keep him.  We kept the guy that helped turn around our OL play last year. 
 

- nice upgrade with quessenberry.  Back Ot went from Tommy Doyle…..to a guy that has played some good football over the years and is a beast run blocker.  They can put him in as a TE2 in short yardage situations too.  Yes….I know he was bad in pass pro last year, but he was never THAT bad in pass pro before.  A team built around their RB, lost their rb….and it wasn’t a good fit for him. Tannehill has always held the ball too long and could be a reason for his poor grades.  Same goes for a Saffold.  He’s a huge upgrade over Doyle.  Our tackle depth is fine, regardless of what you think.  
 

-  Greg Mancz. IOL depth that has shown he can play meaningful snaps and not get obliterated.  
 

-Tenuta-  no clue-  won’t pretend to know anything of substance about the guy

 

Not a lot, but a good amount. 

[Boatdrinks]

Gave it a C for now. Looks to be pretty average and no big move for a top rated player in round 1. 

[BigAl2526]

It seemed to be solid though unspectacular, which is what I expect for a team in the 25 picking slot.  Picking a grade would make me a hypocrite after posting what I just did in another thread.

[frogger]

I don’t like the immediately post draft grades, “draft expert” decide where players should be valued.  But they are not scouts and they are almost never correct.  We don’t always know the circumstances either. A player might fit one system over another.  We will truly be able to grade these in 4 years.

that being Said, if Beane thought Elam was worth the pick, he was worth the pick…same for every round.

 

final grade A  🤷🏻‍♂️

[billsfan89]

7 hours ago, Ethan in Portland said:

I chose B-.

They got a starting corner to pair with Tre for several years.  Well done even if it cost a 4th round pick.  Cook adds a skill set the current RBs do not have. WR was addressed late with a guy that may be a steal. 

Hated the 3rd round pick.  

The 6'8" stiff should be comical to watch in camp. Tenuta may be first draft pick to get cut after OTAs.  Impressive to draft someone with less skills than Doyle.

 

 

Feeling the same way, although I didn't hate the third round pick I thought it would have been better to spend that pick on the O-line which is still pretty thin.

[QCity]

10 hours ago, Lost said:

I personally like our 1st rd pick in Kaiir Elam considereing how the board was falling though I feel we could have still gotten him 2 picks down without trading our rd 4 pick.

 

I suspected the Bills might try and move up a bit in the 2nd for a receiver but since they didnt move I'm okay with the Cook pick.  He will probably end up being a starter sooner rather than later.

 

If one pick pick from this draft has left me underwhelmed its the Bills 3rd rounder.  He'll probably be a journeyman backup but I feel there were better picks out there.

 

I Like the 5th round pick in Khalil Shakir.  Sad its our only WR pick but he should contribute some in this offense

 

 

Pretty much where I'm at. I like Elam, but trading that 4th didn't seem shrewd. I think we saw the consequences of that by overdrafting Bernard in the 3rd, something that might not have happened if we had that 4th rd pick.

[OldTimer1960]

10 hours ago, bdomdbomb said:

C+

Can't get over spending a premium 2nd round pick on a running back who cannot block and is not known for his running.

He was picked for his receiving ability and he can handle 10ish carries a game as well.  I like this pick better than dropping a 1st on Hall who is bigger, but a lesser receiving option.  

5 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Thanks for this.  I've been wondering about his blocking.  Clearly, his initial role on the team would be third-down back because of his receiving skills.  He's not getting on the field in that role if he can't handle the blitz - teams figure that out in a hurry.   If he spends this summer learning his pass pro assignments, he should be ready to go in September. 

They run empty backfield sets relatively frequently and Cook can play in that without worrying about his blocking.  Few, if any, RBs come into the league as good pass blockers.

[Floydboy12]

Like i said in another thread. Lazy draft for the Bills. Don’t think they added a starter besides maybe the punter. Elam should contribute but I don’t think he’s better than Jackson. Don’t think Cook is good enough to play. Bernard will help sub Milano and on special teams. Not sure any of the others make the team. 

Edited May 1, 2022 by Floydboy12

[OldTimer1960]

6 minutes ago, Floydboy12 said:

Like i said in another thread. Lazy draft for the Bills. Don’t think they added a starter besides maybe the punter. Elam should contribute but I don’t think he’s better than Jackson. Don’t think Cook is good enough to play. Bernard will help sub Milano and on special teams. Not sure any of the others make the team. 

You're kidding, right?  Jackson is a sub-par athlete by NFL standards and was a 6th (I think) round pick.  I *hope* that he is as good as you think, but I'm very skeptical of that.  Elam has better size and athletic ability, played in a better conference than Jackson did and has NFL blood-lines.  Best case, both Elam and Jackson are starting calibre and White returns to his previous form.  How is that bad?

 

I'm not the biggest fan of the Cook pick, but he can play and make an impact at the NFL level.  He is more receiver than RB, but he can for sure tote the rock a few times a game.  His hands and speed make him a threat.  Could they have found a WR there?  I don't think so - I think he is a better fit than Skyy Moore who went just a pick or two earlier and he does more, too.

Edited May 1, 2022 by OldTimer1960

[Floydboy12]

5 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

You're kidding, right?  Jackson is a sub-par athlete by NFL standards and was a 6th (I think) round pick.  I *hope* that he is as good as you think, but I'm very skeptical of that.  Elam has better size and athletic ability, played in a better conference than Jackson did and has NFL blood-lines.  Best case, both Elam and Jackson are starting calibre and White returns to his previous form.  How is that bad?

 

I'm not the biggest fan of the Cook pick, but he can play and make an impact at the NFL level.  He is more receiver than RB, but he can for sure tote the rock a few times a game.  His hands and speed make him a threat.  Could they have found a WR there?  I don't think so - I think he is a better fit than Skyy Moore who went just a pick or two earlier and he does more, too.

Hope you’re right and I’m wrong. I’ve watched Elam and Cook quite a bit. 

[hemma]

The only head scratcher for me was Tenuda, but who knows, he may end up being a solid addition.

I wasn’t wedded to any particular prospect which I think it makes it easier to be more positive.

B+

[turftoe]

10 hours ago, GreggTX said:

Good picks, but I just don't get the lack of attention to the OL. C, LG and LT starters are solid, but there's a HUGE dropoff after that. I sure hope Beane has another trick up his sleeve. I was decidedly underwhelmed by the Quessenberry signing. Great story, but still a backup caliber player. I sure hope Brown takes a gargantuan leap this year. Kromer really needs to earn his keep this Summer.

I agree that very few draft assets have been used lately for the OL. The last 2 Super Bowls are lessons in how a weak OL can doom you in the big game. There were some really good IOL on the board in round 3 when we picked. I felt the same way last year when we took Boogie when Creed Humphrey was sitting there. He went the next pick to KC, just like Parham and Rhyan went shortly after the pick. Mitch Morse is a little undersized and has injury concerns. Guard play is important. Kansas City rebuilt their OL last year and Cincy did the same this year. I don’t think our OL is any better. Beane misjudged Wyatt Teller’s talent and now says that he should have given him more time. He was in Buffalo only 1 year and the moved him since they drafted the great Cody Ford. Seems like Ford has had enough time to prove himself.

[JaCrispy]

B-

 

I feel our hand was forced because of the CB situation- and it caused us to lose value, out of desperation...

 

I feel that, had the Bills not been so desperate, they could have played the first 3 rounds better, instead of losing value...

 

Day 3 value saved this draft, for me...

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, OldTimer1960 said:

He was picked for his receiving ability and he can handle 10ish carries a game as well.  I like this pick better than dropping a 1st on Hall who is bigger, but a lesser receiving option.  

They run empty backfield sets relatively frequently and Cook can play in that without worrying about his blocking.  Few, if any, RBs come into the league as good pass blockers.

I don't think so.  You can't be running back in the NFL if you can't pass block.  

 

McDermott loves disguise.  He loves versatility.   He wants the opponent not to know what's coming until after the snap.  He's not putting a running back in the backfield who can't pass block, then the defense knows something about what's coming, because that guy is either getting the ball or running a pass route.  Why?  Because McDermott is not going to put the franchise at risk while his rookie running back whiffs on a linebacker.  

 

If they wanted the guy because he can run routes, they should have drafted a receiver.  

 

In his interview in Buffalo, someone asked Cook if he can block.  He said, "100%.  You don't play if you can't block."  So, he gets the concept.  I'm guessing that the Bills already have checked that box on him, but we won't know how well he can do it until we see him.  

[nucci]

11 hours ago, HOUSE said:

I didn't like the 4th round selection, this guy will never make the team

Beane missed on that one

[jethro_tull]

10 hours ago, KHAN said:

Grading drafts the day after the draft is about as useful the mock drafts everyone posts. Useless.

 

We'll know in a couple of years.

 

 

 

A common point of view but not true !  

Rating their selections and moves just after the draft tells us many things-

Did they reach for a player?

Did they squander picks to trade up?

Did they address team needs? 

Did they pick players with potential?  

Did they pick healthy, intelligent players?  

In other words how did they do at this STAGE of the process?  

[DCofNC]

13 hours ago, buffaloboyinATL said:

I am pretty sure that is the same sort of thing being said about Milano when we drafted him, and I’m pretty happy with how he turned out. In Beane We Trust. 

That’s a 5th round pick, where you are taking fliers and looking for ST players, 3rd round picks are still top 100 players, you are looking for starters, completely different.

[RyanC883]

15 hours ago, GreggTX said:

Good picks, but I just don't get the lack of attention to the OL. C, LG and LT starters are solid, but there's a HUGE dropoff after that. I sure hope Beane has another trick up his sleeve. I was decidedly underwhelmed by the Quessenberry signing. Great story, but still a backup caliber player. I sure hope Brown takes a gargantuan leap this year. Kromer really needs to earn his keep this Summer.

 

that’s why I had a B-plus.  OL is a concern.  

[SCBills]

1 hour ago, DCofNC said:

That’s a 5th round pick, where you are taking fliers and looking for ST players, 3rd round picks are still top 100 players, you are looking for starters, completely different.

We took a starter in RD1

 

After CB, the only places we had openings for starters were RB and OG.

 

The only RB1 that made sense for us was Breece Hall, and the Jets snagged him in the very beginning of RD2. 
 

Im not sure there were any late RD2 OG’s that could supplant Bates or Saffold.. perhaps. Definitely not in RD3, and we had a chance with Parham on the board and clearly weren’t interested. 
 

My only criticisms of this draft are that I don’t buy the whole “look at the group of pass catchers as a whole unit and not by position” line WGR folks keep telling us.  Perhaps that will work just fine, but I’m still worried about Diggs or Davis missing any time and all of a sudden it’s Kumerow/Stevenson out there or a Slot WR, of which we now have 3. 
 

Also, I feel like we simply threw away our only OL pick.  Dude is a less athletic, more awkward Tommy Doyle.  
 

Edited May 2, 2022 by SCBills