2024 WR Draft Class

[OldTimer1960]

54 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Because the Chiefs are smart, and have proven to be tactically clever. The price they paid us to get Mahomes was light, relatively speaking. And then they supposedly jumped us to grab McDuffie, though I agree with GunnerBill that Elam was our likely target. Regardless, KC wants the same type receiver as we do, and they would also like to prevent us from getting that player, so you have to be wary of that.

That’s all true, but KC is in much better shape cap wise.  As it stands currently, the Bills could not even field a starting DL.  Now, maybe they can find a way to re-up, say, Daquan Jones and Epenesa in FA.  If they can do that, they would have a DL of Jones and Oliver at DT with Eli Ankou the only reserve and Rousseau, Miller, Epenesa and Jonathan at DE.  That still leaves the team in need of a starting S and competent DT backup to find in the draft, 

 

I totally agree that they need WR help - very likely someone who can play at least the majority of snaps in Davis’ position, if not being the outright starter there, but I think the other needs preclude being too aggressive in trading up.  Outside of the top 3 (Harrison, Odunze, Nabors) who are way out of range, I think Coleman, Thomas, Leggette, Franklin, Mitchell, and maybe Rice and Polk could fill that role as well as Davis.  Obviously, they are not all on the same tier amongst that group, but they could fill that role.  Beyond them, there are other wr in this class that probably can’t fill that role, but would contribute to the offense.

 

I don’t think that any of the group that could fill Davis’ role are going to become top level #1 receivers, but then nobody thought Stefan Diggs, Amon Ra St. Brown and Cooper Cupp would ever be high volume dominant receivers.  
 

Long way around to say that I would not want to trade anything more than a 5th this year to move up in round 1 because they need cheap competent labor this year and may need starters at S, DT and might need depth there as well.
 

 

Edited February 18 by OldTimer1960

[Dr. Who]

4 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

That’s all true, but KC is in much better shape cap wise.  As it stands currently, the Bills could not even field a starting DL.  Now, maybe they can find a way to re-up, say, Daquan Jones and Epenesa in FA.  If they can do that, they would have a DL of Jones and Oliver at DT with Eli Ankou the only reserve and Rousseau, Miller, Epenesa and Jonathan at DE.  That still leaves the team in need of a starting S and competent DT backup to find in the draft, 

 

I totally agree that they need WR help - very likely someone who can play at least the majority of snaps in Davis’ position, if not being the outright starter there, but I think the other needs preclude being too aggressive in trading up.  Outside of the top 3 (Harrison, Odunze, Nabors) who are way out of range, I think Coleman, Thomas, Leggette, Franklin, Mitchell, and maybe Rice and Polk could fill that role as well as Davis.  Obviously, they are not all on the same tier amongst that group, but they could fill that role.  Beyond them, there are other wr in this class that probably can’t fill that role, but would contribute to the offense.

 

I don’t think that any of the group that could fill Davis’ role are going to become top level #1 receivers, but then nobody thought Stefan Diggs, Amon Ra St. Brown and Cooper Cupp would ever be high volume dominant receivers.  
 

Long way around to say that I would not want to trade anything more than a 5th this year to move up in round 1 because they need cheap competent labor this year and may need starters at S, DT and might need depth there as well.
 

 

A fifth might move you up one spot. I have Rice and Polk as second round targets. Seems like Legette may be available then, too. The rest you mention are probably first rounders. I am willing to pay more, including possibly something from 2025, to keep the Chiefs from grabbing Thomas, who I think is WR4 in this draft.

[TheBeaneBandit]

5 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

A fifth might move you up one spot. I have Rice and Polk as second round targets. Seems like Legette may be available then, too. The rest you mention are probably first rounders. I am willing to pay more, including possibly something from 2025, to keep the Chiefs from grabbing Thomas, who I think is WR4 in this draft.

I agree with this line of thinking as well. Not only keeping Thomas away from the Chiefs but I think his style of play also matches Allen's almost perfectly. Something like a fifth this year and even a second next year if that's what it takes to move up high enough where Thomas ends up being drafted would really help the long-term weapon situation around Allen.

[LEBills]

16 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

That’s all true, but KC is in much better shape cap wise.  As it stands currently, the Bills could not even field a starting DL.  Now, maybe they can find a way to re-up, say, Daquan Jones and Epenesa in FA.  If they can do that, they would have a DL of Jones and Oliver at DT with Eli Ankou the only reserve and Rousseau, Miller, Epenesa and Jonathan at DE.  That still leaves the team in need of a starting S and competent DT backup to find in the draft, 

 

I totally agree that they need WR help - very likely someone who can play at least the majority of snaps in Davis’ position, if not being the outright starter there, but I think the other needs preclude being too aggressive in trading up.  Outside of the top 3 (Harrison, Odunze, Nabors) who are way out of range, I think Coleman, Thomas, Leggette, Franklin, Mitchell, and maybe Rice and Polk could fill that role as well as Davis.  Obviously, they are not all on the same tier amongst that group, but they could fill that role.  Beyond them, there are other wr in this class that probably can’t fill that role, but would contribute to the offense.

 

I don’t think that any of the group that could fill Davis’ role are going to become top level #1 receivers, but then nobody thought Stefan Diggs, Amon Ra St. Brown and Cooper Cupp would ever be high volume dominant receivers.  
 

Long way around to say that I would not want to trade anything more than a 5th this year to move up in round 1 because they need cheap competent labor this year and may need starters at S, DT and might need depth there as well.
 

 

Chris Jones and LJarius Sneed are both free agents this year and both will require more than $20 million per year contracts so there is that for KC to deal with. None of the Bills FAs are as big of deals

 

But I agree, there is enough high end talent at WR this year to not get antsy and give up assets. We need to start getting younger and cheaper as a whole and that means having a lot of draft picks and developing them on the roster like the Chiefs have done and the Rams are doing. 

[TheBeaneBandit]

1 minute ago, LEBills said:

Chris Jones and LJarius Sneed are both free agents this year and both will require more than $20 million per year contracts so there is that for KC to deal with. None of the Bills FAs are as big of deals

 

But I agree, there is enough high end talent at WR this year to not get antsy and give up assets. We need to start getting younger and cheaper as a whole and that means having a lot of draft picks and developing them on the roster like the Chiefs have done and the Rams are doing. 

Yep. Add to that I believe three starting offensive lineman a linebacker or two and I think a safety are free agents for the Chiefs as well. A lot of that cap space could dry up pretty quickly.

[Ya Digg?]

13 minutes ago, LEBills said:

Chris Jones and LJarius Sneed are both free agents this year and both will require more than $20 million per year contracts so there is that for KC to deal with. None of the Bills FAs are as big of deals

 

But I agree, there is enough high end talent at WR this year to not get antsy and give up assets. We need to start getting younger and cheaper as a whole and that means having a lot of draft picks and developing them on the roster like the Chiefs have done and the Rams are doing. 

 

11 minutes ago, TheBeaneBandit said:

Yep. Add to that I believe three starting offensive lineman a linebacker or two and I think a safety are free agents for the Chiefs as well. A lot of that cap space could dry up pretty quickly.

Come on, that’s not how this works around here! Remember, according to some here only the Bills have cap issues, teams like the Chiefs and Bengals never have cap issues, guys to re-sign, everyone will sign with them for cheap. What you guys are saying is complete bull hockey! Get your heads out of your asses and add to the doom and gloom!

[John from Riverside]

35 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

That’s all true, but KC is in much better shape cap wise.  As it stands currently, the Bills could not even field a starting DL.  Now, maybe they can find a way to re-up, say, Daquan Jones and Epenesa in FA.  If they can do that, they would have a DL of Jones and Oliver at DT with Eli Ankou the only reserve and Rousseau, Miller, Epenesa and Jonathan at DE.  That still leaves the team in need of a starting S and competent DT backup to find in the draft, 

 

I totally agree that they need WR help - very likely someone who can play at least the majority of snaps in Davis’ position, if not being the outright starter there, but I think the other needs preclude being too aggressive in trading up.  Outside of the top 3 (Harrison, Odunze, Nabors) who are way out of range, I think Coleman, Thomas, Leggette, Franklin, Mitchell, and maybe Rice and Polk could fill that role as well as Davis.  Obviously, they are not all on the same tier amongst that group, but they could fill that role.  Beyond them, there are other wr in this class that probably can’t fill that role, but would contribute to the offense.

 

I don’t think that any of the group that could fill Davis’ role are going to become top level #1 receivers, but then nobody thought Stefan Diggs, Amon Ra St. Brown and Cooper Cupp would ever be high volume dominant receivers.  
 

Long way around to say that I would not want to trade anything more than a 5th this year to move up in round 1 because they need cheap competent labor this year and may need starters at S, DT and might need depth there as well.
 

 

The reason why the Chiefs are in better shape cap wise is because they went younger on defense. Last year they use draft picks and played them.
 

Something we are going to need to do

[OldTimer1960]

22 minutes ago, Ya Digg? said:

 

Come on, that’s not how this works around here! Remember, according to some here only the Bills have cap issues, teams like the Chiefs and Bengals never have cap issues, guys to re-sign, everyone will sign with them for cheap. What you guys are saying is complete bull hockey! Get your heads out of your asses and add to the doom and gloom!

Kind sir, my post was not about doom and gloom, but anyway you look at it, right now Chiefs have about $20M cap and Bills are about $40M over.  That is significant, but but my point was Bills have a lot of defensive holes to fill - and need players there that can play meaningful snaps.  I understand that the 2 5ths and 3 6ths won’t all make the team and I’m not against trading some of those to move up, but I’d rather do that in the 2-4th round where those 5ths and 6ths can move you up to target  a player at a position of need when the overall remaining talent in the draft is drying up.

 

The idea that if the Bills can add a potentially outstanding receiver, then holes on D don’t matter is appealing to us fans, but I remember watching horrible defense and that is terribly frustrating.  D matters- basically the top playoff teams had very good defenses, including the two SB teams.

[Dr. Who]

4 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

The idea that if the Bills can add a potentially outstanding receiver, then holes on D don’t matter is appealing to us fans, but I remember watching horrible defense and that is terribly frustrating.  D matters- basically the top playoff teams had very good defenses, including the two SB teams.

Sorry, but that's a straw man. I don't think it is a common argument that finding a WR with elite potential means the holes on D don't matter. What folks remember as terribly frustrating is that after spending a ton of draft capital and FA investment on D, the results were consistently disappointing in the post-season. Granted, injuries played a huge role, and I believe we could have a ring this year with better fortunes on that front. Nonetheless, my view is you are replacing largely mediocre players on the DL. Jones is good, but long in the tooth. Epenesa finally became a solid addition in his contract year. The rest can walk. It's not a great year for edge players, and usually isn't. Those are rare birds. Beane will likely bring in a vet Safety, they don't command high dollars in free agency, and it's a buyer's market at the position this year. If you are looking for serviceable DL, you can find them in the middle rounds.

 

There's enough wiggle room to move up. I don't think Beane should be so constrained by the cap that he needs to proceed as if he can't sign free agents, and also can't move picks to maneuver beyond the odd fifth or sixth rounder. And it's possible he won't have to move, or move much. The broader argument is that the WR room needs to be replenished for the overall flourishing of the team.  Our offense should be more potent with Josh Allen at qb, and if that happens, it makes the job of defense that much easier. The D can afford to be aggressive if the other team is frequently playing catch-up, and the opponent becomes much more predictable. The talent this year is stacked at WR, so need and opportunity make a serendipitous match.

 

[HappyDays]

3 hours ago, Green Lightning said:

Hoping for Franklin at 28. May have to hop KC to get him.

 

KC also badly needs a LT. I wouldn't assume they will draft a WR as obvious as it may seem.

[Dr. Who]

5 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

KC also badly needs a LT. I wouldn't assume they will draft a WR as obvious as it may seem.

Ah, well, I also don't want them to get Mims, who might be there for them. In fact, I don't think they should be allowed to draft any players.

[Aussie Joe]

2 hours ago, Dr. Who said:

Because the Chiefs are smart, and have proven to be tactically clever. The price they paid us to get Mahomes was light, relatively speaking. And then they supposedly jumped us to grab McDuffie, though I agree with GunnerBill that Elam was our likely target. Regardless, KC wants the same type receiver as we do, and they would also like to prevent us from getting that player, so you have to be wary of that.

So they supposedly jumped us to take a player we were never picking ? That sounds dumb,  not smart … if that’s the case 

[OldTimer1960]

45 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Sorry, but that's a straw man. I don't think it is a common argument that finding a WR with elite potential means the holes on D don't matter. What folks remember as terribly frustrating is that after spending a ton of draft capital and FA investment on D, the results were consistently disappointing in the post-season. Granted, injuries played a huge role, and I believe we could have a ring this year with better fortunes on that front. Nonetheless, my view is you are replacing largely mediocre players on the DL. Jones is good, but long in the tooth. Epenesa finally became a solid addition in his contract year. The rest can walk. It's not a great year for edge players, and usually isn't. Those are rare birds. Beane will likely bring in a vet Safety, they don't command high dollars in free agency, and it's a buyer's market at the position this year. If you are looking for serviceable DL, you can find them in the middle rounds.

 

There's enough wiggle room to move up. I don't think Beane should be so constrained by the cap that he needs to proceed as if he can't sign free agents, and also can't move picks to maneuver beyond the odd fifth or sixth rounder. And it's possible he won't have to move, or move much. The broader argument is that the WR room needs to be replenished for the overall flourishing of the team.  Our offense should be more potent with Josh Allen at qb, and if that happens, it makes the job of defense that much easier. The D can afford to be aggressive if the other team is frequently playing catch-up, and the opponent becomes much more predictable. The talent this year is stacked at WR, so need and opportunity make a serendipitous match.

 

Straw man?  Come on.  Yes, free agency is yet to happen, but even if they resign Jones they still need a young DT, young S, young DE.  They are not all coming with their 5th round picks on.

 

Further to your point, I didn’t say don’t use their 1st on a receiver.  They NEED a receiver to replace Davis - I think we agree on that.  I’m mainly saying I don’t want to trade 2, 3 or 4 to move up in the 1st.

 

I don’t think any of us knows who will be the best among Thomas, Franklin, Coleman, Legette, Mitchell and I don’t think it is wise to draft to block the Chiefs or any other team.

Edited February 18 by OldTimer1960

[Don Otreply]

1 hour ago, John from Riverside said:

The reason why the Chiefs are in better shape cap wise is because they went younger on defense. Last year they use draft picks and played them.
 

Something we are going to need to do

Agree, Actually hitting on the right drafted players and using them with regularity from the beginning of the season onward needs to happen for our defense  going forward. 

Edited February 18 by Don Otreply

[TheBeaneBandit]

43 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Ah, well, I also don't want them to get Mims, who might be there for them. In fact, I don't think they should be allowed to draft any players.

We could blow up their draft room?😂😆😂🤷

[KOKBILLS]

On 1/27/2024 at 2:31 PM, NewEra said:

Pretty much this.  I think 1-3 of those guys will be gone by the time we pick.  Most likely Thomas and Franklin are gone imo.  Leggettes combine/pro day could push him up too.  Is it worth trading up for one of them?  Or sit and take Mitchell?  Is he ok trading up like we did last season for one of them.  Those 3 are legit speedsters, while Mitchell is not.  

 

It's still REAL early... But if Thomas and Franklin are gone by 28, and I think Thomas will be for sure... Franklin I would put at about 65% probable... I think the guy the Bills take will be Worthy... Just a feeling I have... 

[OldTimer1960]

15 minutes ago, KOKBILLS said:

 

It's still REAL early... But if Thomas and Franklin are gone by 28, and I think Thomas will be for sure... Franklin I would put at about 65% probable... I think the guy the Bills take will be Worthy... Just a feeling I have... 

Worthy’s speed is enticing, but wouldn’t he almost have to play in the slot to be most effective?  I think he will struggle big time out wide at 170lbs.  To me, they would be pushing Shakir out of the lineup and still have nobody to play where Davis did.

[Dr. Who]

1 hour ago, Aussie Joe said:

So they supposedly jumped us to take a player we were never picking ? That sounds dumb,  not smart … if that’s the case 

Well, that is just a surmise. We both apparently wanted a CB. McDuffie has short arms,  and his metrics don't match up with what McD's defenses typically look for. 

[Aussie Joe]

Just now, Dr. Who said:

Well, that is just a surmise. We both apparently wanted a CB. McDuffie has short arms,  and his metrics don't match up with what McD's defenses typically look for. 

i suspect the Bills wanted McDuffie.. i was watching a podcast last week with Joe B from the Athletic, Matt Parino, Sal Cappaccio … and they said that was the reality .. think those guys might know 

[Dr. Who]

1 hour ago, OldTimer1960 said:

Straw man?  Come on.  Yes, free agency is yet to happen, but even if they resign Jones they still need a young DT, young S, young DE.  They are not all coming with their 5th round picks on.

 

Further to your point, I didn’t say don’t use their 1st on a receiver.  They NEED a receiver to replace Davis - I think we agree on that.  I’m mainly saying I don’t want to trade 2, 3 or 4 to move up in the 1st.

 

I don’t think any of us knows who will be the best among Thomas, Franklin, Coleman, Legette, Mitchell and I don’t think it is wise to draft to block the Chiefs or any other team.

The straw man is the claim that lots of folks who are clamoring for an elite WR believe that acquiring such are saying that holes on D are nullifed by that fact. It's literally the first sentence. 

 

If you think that after the tier 1 top 3 WRs, that all those others are in the same grouping, then it doesn't matter which of them you get, and there's no point in blocking the Chiefs from a "tier" with numerous players in it. For certain, one of them is likely to be there for the Chiefs, no matter what you do. My view differs, so the strategy differs. I specifically think Thomas is better than the rest, and I would calculate on that basis.