2023 Buffalo Bills Overall Draft Grade

[RoyBatty is alive]

On 4/30/2023 at 9:08 AM, JMM said:

THIS!! People need to understand that Frazier and that D is GONE. It's going to be different type of D this year. Maybe it will be better maybe not, we shall see.

There is a lot of wild Arse speculation in this comment.

 

All you can say for certain is the Frazier is gone, as much as we know, Frazier was effectively ruining what McDermott wanted him to run,  It maybe the exact same thing and the selection of Dorian Williams as a potential MLB is another indication of more of the same, "undersized" faster quicker to react LBers good in coverage a la Milano.

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I spent the morning listening to press conferences and interviews, post-draft.

 

I think when you put the draft and free agency together, the Bills hit a home run.   

 

McGovern, Edwards and Torrence, in some combination, probably are taking over guard duties.   Bates fits perfectly as the interior backup.   And that's not ignoring others, like Broeker, who has a great grid-it-out attitude and may stick on the PS for a year before becoming more of a factor.   

 

Kincaid has the potential to be a seriously good addition to the offense. 

 

Shorter has amazing upside, and a great attitude. 

 

Latavius Murray will solidify the running back room, mentor Cook, and probably get some serious touches, too.  

 

Don't sleep on Dorian Williams, because he clearly has some special things about him too.  

 

Beane's trade up for Kincaid and recovery to get some picks was well-thought out.  

 

Where do I worry?  Offensive tackle.    LInebacker?  Not so much.   I'm trusting McDermott.   The fact that they didn't chase a more traditional mlb tells me that McDermott is comfortable where they are.   The Bills easily could have taken a linebacker in the second round; they had free agent guards, but McD and Beane clearly decided that they wanted a real keeper there, and that they didn't really need a true mlb.   Instead, they waited for Williams to fall. 

 

I think it all was masterful.

 

 

Sorry to quote myself, but let's add in Poona Ford.   This is a great, great job by Beane.  

 

In the UDFA there's discussion about the locks on this roster.   The count is up to 49 locks.   Whether that's exactly right or not, it's evidence of how solid this roster is.  And a lot has to do with what Beane has done in the past two months. 

[JMM]

3 hours ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

There is a lot of wild Arse speculation in this comment.

 

All you can say for certain is the Frazier is gone, as much as we know, Frazier was effectively ruining what McDermott wanted him to run,  It maybe the exact same thing and the selection of Dorian Williams as a potential MLB is another indication of more of the same, "undersized" faster quicker to react LBers good in coverage a la Milano.

Some speculation,  which is kind of what this board is about. Wild? Dramatic much?

[HappyDays]

12 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I spent the morning listening to press conferences and interviews, post-draft.

 

I think when you put the draft and free agency together, the Bills hit a home run.   

 

McGovern, Edwards and Torrence, in some combination, probably are taking over guard duties.   Bates fits perfectly as the interior backup.   And that's not ignoring others, like Broeker, who has a great grid-it-out attitude and may stick on the PS for a year before becoming more of a factor.   

 

Kincaid has the potential to be a seriously good addition to the offense. 

 

Shorter has amazing upside, and a great attitude. 

 

Latavius Murray will solidify the running back room, mentor Cook, and probably get some serious touches, too.  

 

Don't sleep on Dorian Williams, because he clearly has some special things about him too.  

 

Beane's trade up for Kincaid and recovery to get some picks was well-thought out.  

 

Where do I worry?  Offensive tackle.    LInebacker?  Not so much.   I'm trusting McDermott.   The fact that they didn't chase a more traditional mlb tells me that McDermott is comfortable where they are.   The Bills easily could have taken a linebacker in the second round; they had free agent guards, but McD and Beane clearly decided that they wanted a real keeper there, and that they didn't really need a true mlb.   Instead, they waited for Williams to fall. 

 

I think it all was masterful.

 

 

 

I would describe this offseason as surgical. Perhaps out of necessity due to tight cap space and limited draft capital, Beane has had to spend every last dollar and draft pick appropriately. Every move has made a lot of sense and every addition has a reasonable likelihood of measurably improving the roster. Beane finally, FINALLY, made some concessions on defense in order to devote more resources to the offense. He hasn't made any wacky Vernon Butler type deals.

 

Some people need to max out their credit cards before they learn how to spend responsibly. I think we've seen Beane go through that transition this offseason.

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by HappyDays

[Shaw66]

9 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

I would describe this offseason as surgical. Perhaps out of necessity due to tight cap space and limited draft capital, Beane has had to spend every last dollar and draft pick appropriately. Every move has made a lot of sense and every addition has a reasonable likelihood of measurably improving the roster. Beane finally, FINALLY, made some concessions on defense in order to devote more resources to the offense. He hasn't made any wacky Vernon Butler type deals.

 

Some people need to max out their credit cards before they learn how to spend responsibly. I think we've seen Beane go through that transition this offseason.

 

Happy -

 

This is great.   You say it a bit critically, as though it took Beane a while to learn this lesson.  I'm not sure that's what happened.   As I said, I think the Bills roster keeps getting better and better, which is what McBeane said the objective was when they started.   Getting better and better means from year to year you have fewer holes to fill, or smaller problems to deal with in the lineup.   Surgical is the right word, but the job three years ago didn't require such precision.   For example, I was thrilled when they signed Beas and Brown a few years ago, a clear upgrade.   But that wasn't "surgical," that was just trying to get to decent.  They signed Beas and Brown and I thought, "Just what they needed."  A big step forward.   Beas and Brown gave Allen targets.

 

Once they got Diggs, Davis, and Knox, the Bills receiving corps was way more than decent; it just needed some precise improvements to get to elite.   Kincaid looks like that kind of addition.

 

And Torrence.   Protect Allen better, and run better, both with added power on the line and added power (Harris and Murray) in the backfield.   Surgical.  

 

And Rapp and Poona.   McDermott clearly wants to play with speedy linebackers, and to be able to do that you need to sandwich them between a tough defensive line and a tough defensive backfield.   

 

Everything they do has a purpose.   It's really impressive. 

[HomeTeam]

This has been a masterclass of an off season by Beane and company. After the Cincinnati, we were all wondering how this team could address all of its issues with lack of cap space and draft picks. I have to commend McDermott and Beane for their ability to honestly look at themselves (and the team) and make the necessary adjustments.  Areas where they lacked; from defensive playcalling/scheming, protecting Allen, adding more offensive playmakers, and getting bigger/meaner have all been addressed.

 

I know it's early but I am so happy with the state of this team. I believe that we've taken the right steps to get us over the edge. Can't wait for training camp to start, it's going to be a lot of fun!

[dpberr]

I gave an A.  I think you have two, possibly three players who will start multiple games in 2023, and they all appear to be legit football players, not athletes learning how to play football.

 

I really like the Kincaid and Shorter picks.  They are both talented at route running, and that's the key skill you want in a pass catcher.  

[Warriorspikes51]

B+   I wanted Dawand Jones in the 3rd. Risky pick, but if he hits...him and Torrence would have locked down the right side and mauled a lot of defenders together for years. 

[starrymessenger]

Must say I've been very impressed with Beane and the whole front office this off-season. They have clearly taken stock of what transpired the last couple of years and have correctly decided to change, or perhaps modify is the better word, their approach on both sides of the ball. I expect greater diversification and less predictability even in schemes they run. To me Beane has pretty much done everything right and he's looking like a top GM imo. He didn't have a top 5 player fall into his lap much later like the guy in Philly did. He did as well as he could given what was available and his draft position and really seems to have exceeded expectations. There seems to be a good understanding of what needed to be done and a coherent plan has taken shape. I'm especially impressed with his stock piling picks for next years draft. We can use those to move up for Marvin Harrison JR (I wish). 
Beane has done and continues to do his job. The ball is now pretty much in the coaches hands. How they wind up performing this coming year will have everything to do with how they are perceived, especially the OC imo. Not that I think this will be easy. What I'm hoping to see is gradual improvement as the players execute their assignments and peaking as we enter the playoffs (hopefully).

2 hours ago, SUNY_amherst said:

I gave it a C. I dont really see any big impact coming from anyone. They all seem like depth pieces only but I will say depth pieces are important to have and they have some high floors.

 

To get a B or A, you'd want to land some future (good) starters

 

 

 

Their first two picks should be exceptional starters.

[ColoradoBills]

On 5/1/2023 at 11:55 AM, No_Matter_What said:

Just a random though I don't want to start a thread about and probably no one cares but still - anybody saw confirmed somewhere which 2024 6th round picks we actually got?

 

We dealt with Texans and Rams, and were happy since we expect them to suck, but both team actually had MORE 6th round picks at that time.

 

Rams also had Broncos pick.

Texans also had Cowboys pick, and Tankathon thinks that we got that one (which is presumably worse).

 

I googled and didn't find confirmation. Anybody knows?

 

It's all "unconfirmed" from everywhere I have looked.  The only assumption I read is that the Texans 6th rounder is probably the Cowboys one.

[somnus00]

On 4/29/2023 at 5:06 PM, Success said:

2 instant starters/upgrades.  Kincaid will be a match-up problem for DC's, and Torrence really upgrades the line.  Our running backs may finally have some holes to burst through.

 

3rd round is the wildcard - but let's see how McD's new scheme is.

 

Some guys late that are proverbial "high ceiling."  I could see Shorter making the roster, and even being a contributor his rookie year.  We don't have a WR like him.

 

Both 7th rounders could be surprising, imo.  I love that Broeker can play anywhere. I saw a few pundits saying that they had him going much earlier.

 

Gave this an "A."

 

This is such an odd draft for me. I'm intrigued by the top 3 picks, but I think there are real questions about how they will be used. They don't really seem to fit unless we see a change in philosophy on offense and defense (which I'm thinking we'll see this coming season). So I'm nervously excited to see them in action.

 

The last 3 picks I really like as depth guys. I think Austin is a better prospect than Dane Jackson was coming out of Pitt. And this coaching staff is just excellent at developing secondary.

[BillsFanSD]

Like other people have said, the first two picks were both very good and also pretty lucky.  I have a variety of opinions regarding the other picks, but honestly none of us really know how any of those later selections are going to play out.  The main thing is that we drafted two players who should theoretically be competing for starting positions right away, along with a bunch of players who have viable paths to making our roster.  Looks good to me.

 

My only disappointment was not drafting a RT in round 1 or 2, but that position just wasn't an option with the way the board broke.

[Shaw66]

15 minutes ago, SUNY_amherst said:

 

I think you are gonna be disappointed. A small tight end on a team that already has a tight end they don't use. And a big guard that struggles with pass blocking in a finesse, passing offense. Both are rotational now and likely into the future.

 

The linebacker might end up being the best pick

Really?

 

Kincaid will play WITH Knox, not replace him. And PFF has Torrence tied for first as the best pass blocking guard in the class.  

 

Maybe you need to read up on these guys a bit more. 

 

 

 

 

[starrymessenger]

36 minutes ago, SUNY_amherst said:

 

I think you are gonna be disappointed. A small tight end on a team that already has a tight end they don't use. And a big guard that struggles with pass blocking in a finesse, passing offense. Both are rotational now and likely into the future.

 

The linebacker might end up being the best pick

Well he may be a small TE but he's a very big receiver. TBH I wanted Addison but Kincaid is not just a consolation prize. He's a stand alone premium pick. He should be very impactful in the passing game, just in a different way than a WR 2.

I take it that your displeasure with the Torrance pick is more scheme related than based on a want of skill. But although Gator's O-line was big and aggressive Napier's scheme is not a pure power/gap system. His is a spread offence that is replete with zone concepts. In Torrance's case that admittedly probably means more inside rather than outside zone, but the player is no doubt completely familiar with zone concepts. And while the Gators were run first they did that to set up the pass and I think when you consider suitability you have also to take into consideration that we are now looking at a Bills offence that will be doing a lot more running on early downs than they did last year. Torrance will be completely familiar with that approach as well. And with regard to blocking in the passing game looks to me like Torrance will be very effective in stabilizing the pocket for Josh. 
One question that I have is how well and how quickly will Josh drive his new offence. It will require some adjustment to his hair on fire approach to things. 

Edited May 3, 2023 by starrymessenger