2024 WR Draft Class

[Buffalo_Stampede]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Throughout this thread, I’ve been of the belief that the Bills do not invest nearly enough in the offense. This is in terms of FA dollars and draft capital. This tweet was out there and it speaks volumes. Keep in mind that the Bills have already paid their QB:

 

https://x.com/nfl_dovkleiman/status/1771193535280169236?s=46&t=aIi6rXjE4r9_s--847m7fQ

Bills this year are:

$116 million offense

$102 million defense 

 

 

[Solomon Grundy]

6 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

I liken Leggette to Moulds because of his kick return ability. 

Any relation to former Bills LB, David White?

Coleman returned punts as well

[Solomon Grundy]

1 hour ago, DCOrange said:

I believe he's referring to his catch percentage on contested targets being very low this past season (though it was quite good the year before).

I think personality wise, and if you can get past the speed, athleticism wise, he's exactly the type that McB tend to like betting on. And I think in the past, his skillset would have interested them too, but it seems like they've maybe transitioned to a new type that they're looking for.

Wasn't Beane in Carolina when they draft Kelvin Benjamin? Coleman is a better version of Benjamin, athletically. 

[Warriorspikes51]

6 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Wasn't Beane in Carolina when they draft Kelvin Benjamin? Coleman is a better version of Benjamin, athletically. 

 

Ugh. Coleman scares me. As in I’d bet he’s either a franchise cornerstone within a couple years or he’s out of the NFL

[Dr. Who]

7 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

Ugh. Coleman scares me. As in I’d bet he’s either a franchise cornerstone within a couple years or he’s out of the NFL

I think you've got his floor right. I doubt that ceiling.

[Beck Water]

8 hours ago, Ga boy said:

You’re right.  I don’t deserve chicken dinner.  I was just toying with the idea of getting into top 10 back in January.  Now I’m intrigued about how to get into 10-20 range to get either Verse or Latu for some must needed rush on Mahomey.  With the haircut for Knox it seems Bills wanna keep him, but his contract now is more attractive to package to move up.  Maybe Shakir, Shorter or Isabella, and Knox, to move up to get a difference maker on D.  With that, I win the chicken dinner.  

 

I think we could probably manage to get up to 20 if we want.  But keep in mind we don't have a 3rd round pick because we traded it for Rasul Douglas.

 

I don't think 2 4ths has the same cachet, so it might cost us our 2nd rounder.

[Solomon Grundy]

1 minute ago, Beck Water said:

 

I think we could probably manage to get up to 20 if we want.  But keep in mind we don't have a 3rd round pick because we traded it for Rasul Douglas.

 

I don't think 2 4ths has the same cachet, so it might cost us our 2nd rounder.

Still waiting for the NFL compensation board to correct the pick for Edmunds

[Aussie Joe]

1 hour ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Bills this year are:

$116 million offense

$102 million defense 

 

 

Ralph is cheap …. 

[Kirby Jackson]

5 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Bills this year are:

$116 million offense

$102 million defense 

 

 

That’s crazy. They’re 20th in offensive spend and 13th in defense. When you’re paying a star QB, you’d expect that gap to be wider. I could see the 10th highest paid offense and 20th highest paid defense. When you factor in the draft capital used on defense vs. offense as well it’s insanity.
 

The focus NEEDS to be surrounding Josh with talent. He’s the reason that this team may win. 

[LabattBlue]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

The focus NEEDS to be surrounding Josh with talent. He’s the reason that this team may win. 

Agree 100%. 👍🏻

[Buffalo_Stampede]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

That’s crazy. They’re 20th in offensive spend and 13th in defense. When you’re paying a star QB, you’d expect that gap to be wider. I could see the 10th highest paid offense and 20th highest paid defense. When you factor in the draft capital used on defense vs. offense as well it’s insanity.
 

The focus NEEDS to be surrounding Josh with talent. He’s the reason that this team may win. 

The focus is surrounding Josh with talent. 

[GunnerBill]

On the investment thing there is no doubt they could have done more but at the same time I think they have started to move that dial a tad. Brown, Torrence, Kincaid and Shakir all being starters on rookie deals plays in a bit. The one area that they have clearly failed is prioritising WR in the draft. But I said it when he arrived that Beane came from a place where they had not prioritised big assets on receiver and that thinking that he was exposed to under Hurney and Gettleman has manifested itself in Buffalo.

[BillsFanForever19]

6 hours ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Still waiting for the NFL compensation board to correct the pick for Edmunds

 

I don't see that happening, unfortunately. It would have happened by now. They "corrected" Cincinnati fairly quickly and there's been nothing since. And you best believe Beane was on the phone immediately just like Cincinnati was.

 

It seems that Edmunds being hurt for a couple games hurt us. Wild that even on another team, Edmunds still found a way to disappoint us.

[Kirby Jackson]

1 hour ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

The focus is surrounding Josh with talent. 

It needs to be. This offseason may be where the dial starts to turn but we haven’t seen it yet. They’re limited in FA dollars so neither side was going to be a massive priority in March.

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

On the investment thing there is no doubt they could have done more but at the same time I think they have started to move that dial a tad. Brown, Torrence, Kincaid and Shakir all being starters on rookie deals plays in a bit. The one area that they have clearly failed is prioritising WR in the draft. But I said it when he arrived that Beane came from a place where they had not prioritised big assets on receiver and that thinking that he was exposed to under Hurney and Gettleman has manifested itself in Buffalo.

I tend to agree that it is turning some. The guys on the rookie deals is fair but the rank that I provided is 2024. That includes those large contract defensive players leaving (Floyd, Hyde, Poyer, Tre) and being replaced cheaper. It has been a reset across the roster.

 

I think Kincaid was a starting point. Obviously “X” receiver needs to be addressed by pick 60. The Bills cannot continue to invest top 100 picks and their bigger FA deals on the defensive side of the ball hoping that Josh will elevate whatever is left on offense.  

[DCOrange]

9 hours ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Wasn't Beane in Carolina when they draft Kelvin Benjamin? Coleman is a better version of Benjamin, athletically. 

It's not even close. Benjamin was a terrible athlete (ya know...relative to other WRs). He was bottom of the class in pretty much everything. Coleman is a very good, borderline great athlete. He just doesn't have the speed you ideally want, but even then, his speed score is above average.

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I think Kincaid was a starting point. Obviously “X” receiver needs to be addressed by pick 60. The Bills cannot continue to invest top 100 picks and their bigger FA deals on the defensive side of the ball hoping that Josh will elevate whatever is left on offense.  

 

While the lack of spend on receiver in the draft has been a frustration if, as we all hope, they address that at #28 in April, even allowing for the fact I expect #60 would go on defense, it gives Josh a starting offense with:

 

A 2nd round running back;

A 1st round tight end;

A 1st round trade and a first round pick at receiver;

Two 2nds and a 3rd rounder on the offensive line.

 

That only really leaves WR3, C, LG where they haven't invested decent draft capital. So while I agree that they have been slightly tilted towards defense and they have definitely undervalued receiver to a concerning degree I still say the single biggest issue with their talent evaluation and acquisition strategy has been their inability to find elite talent. They have found lots and lots of good and not much great. And we see it year after year in the playoffs not just in the Bills games but in the post season generally, it is the elite guys that very often are the ones making the critical plays in the critical moments. If they find an elite player at #28 that will make a huge difference (even if that isn't a receiver... though obviously that is my preferred outcome).

[Kirby Jackson]

31 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

While the lack of spend on receiver in the draft has been a frustration if, as we all hope, they address that at #28 in April, even allowing for the fact I expect #60 would go on defense, it gives Josh a starting offense with:

 

A 2nd round running back;

A 1st round tight end;

A 1st round trade and a first round pick at receiver;

Two 2nds and a 3rd rounder on the offensive line.

 

That only really leaves WR3, C, LG where they haven't invested decent draft capital. So while I agree that they have been slightly tilted towards defense and they have definitely undervalued receiver to a concerning degree I still say the single biggest issue with their talent evaluation and acquisition strategy has been their inability to find elite talent. They have found lots and lots of good and not much great. And we see it year after year in the playoffs not just in the Bills games but in the post season generally, it is the elite guys that very often are the ones making the critical plays in the critical moments. If they find an elite player at #28 that will make a huge difference (even if that isn't a receiver... though obviously that is my preferred outcome).

I don’t disagree. The lack of stars has been frustrating. The Bills ended up with 1 of the top 101 players from 2023 according to PFF. As good as Josh is, you need more. Hopefully with Milano returning you have another star. Taron Johnson, Ed Oliver, Diggs, Cook, Kincaid, and Dawkins can each be elite. 

[OldTimer1960]

1 hour ago, DCOrange said:

It's not even close. Benjamin was a terrible athlete (ya know...relative to other WRs). He was bottom of the class in pretty much everything. Coleman is a very good, borderline great athlete. He just doesn't have the speed you ideally want, but even then, his speed score is above average.

The speed is a concern, but I am as concerned about his quickness/lateral movement skills too.  He is very smooth with some agility for his size, but with that he has rarely gotten open in a good college conference.

[Kirby Jackson]

For those talking about Coleman there was some talk about WR separation last week on WGR. I take most of what they say with a grain of salt but they went over the WRs with the least separation over the last 5-10 drafts. I don’t remember the number. With the exception of Nico Collins, all of the guys were garbage. Coleman doesn’t get any separation. Take that fwiw but I am not interested in Coleman (and I’m team WR).

[Andrew Son]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

 I still say the single biggest issue with their talent evaluation and acquisition strategy has been their inability to find elite talent. They have found lots and lots of good and not much great. And we see it year after year in the playoffs not just in the Bills games but in the post season generally, it is the elite guys that very often are the ones making the critical plays in the critical moments. If they find an elite player at #28 that will make a huge difference (even if that isn't a receiver... though obviously that is my preferred outcome).

I think we all just want to make result based conclusions.

 

We are two "toss-up" finishes from winning 5 straight vs. KC.  What would be the talking points then?  Just like all this commentary about why all this spending on the defense doesn't work.  All I know is that it doesn't work when basically all those highly payed defenders get hurt.  Things probably go differently with a healthy Von/Tre/Milano/DaQuan and our banged up safeties.