Bills Draft Needs - From the Athletic

[GASabresIUFan]

https://theathletic.com/5252981/2024/02/06/buffalo-bills-nfl-draft-needs-holes-positions/

 

Primary Needs

1) 1, maybe 2 explosive receivers.  Need to replace Davis and could use a legit downfield threat.

 

2) Defensive End - Lawson, Floyd, and Epenesa are all FAs.  They think it will be a challenge to bring both Floyd and Epenesa back.  I don't think either will return.  Regardless, they suggest getting someone this draft to split time with Miller and takeover for him in 2025

 

3) Defensive Tackle - Jones, Settle, Ford, and Phillips are FAs, leaving only Oliver as a returning starter (or contributor for that matter).  They think a Day 2 or early day 3 draft pick will help fill the void.

 

4) Safety - They should have drafted someone last year to learn from Hyde and Poyer.  Could this be the place they spend some FA $?  Even if they sign someone, Hamlin is the only depth behind Poyer.  They need to draft someone.  I think they need to spend 2 draft picks on safeties. 

 

Secondary needs

1) Offensive Tackle - Brown & Dawkins are FAs after next season.  They need better depth here even with Van Denmark on the roster.

 

2) Center - Morse is an FA after next season as well.  He is also 32.  Time to draft his possible replacement.

 

3) RB - Beane likes to draft RBs.  Cook is all the team has right now.

 

Tertiary needs (need depth only)

1) Cornerback - Benford and Douglas are the starters.  Neal, Elam, Taron Johnson, and White are under contract for next season.  They like the idea of bringing back Dane Jackson or Levi Wallace as cheap FAs for added depth depending on what happens with White.  Also drafting someone late.

 

2) Linebacker - 4 LBs under contract.  They need a 5th LB and that can come from a Day 3 pick or getting an FA for special teams. 

 

3) Punter - Do they bring back Martin? They have to decide well before the draft.  The article suggests signing a priority UDFA getting him on the practice squad for 2024 and replacing Martin in 2025.  Why not just re-sign the Punt G-D? 

[Marcus Aurelius]

Place kicker?

[Bruffalo]

I don't see anything surprising about this list.  Makes sense, just get those receivers before you do anything else. 

[LabattBlue]

Not in this order, but as of today if the Bills keep all 9 picks…

 

WR(2)

S(2)

LT(1)

OC(1)

DE(2)

DT(1)

 

Of course, FA could turn the list upside down. 

 

 

[BuffaloBillyG]

Nothing in this list is drastically wrong. But a bit early to project it IMO. Let's see what the roster looks like after FA. List will certainly be addressed there in parts as well.

[balln]

So…. Basically need everything 

[SoonerBillsFan]

They are spot on that WR needs to be the first priority and we need at least 2.  Address Defense after that.

[boyst]

14 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Not in this order, but as of today if the Bills keep all 9 picks…

 

WR(2)

S(2)

LT(1)

OC(1)

DE(2)

DT(1)

 

Of course, FA could turn the list upside down. 

 

 

FA is looked at wrongly by too many. sometiems i fear i team does it wrong, too.

 

the draft builds a team. the free agency fills holes you can't close.

 

free agents should not be brought in to fix this team.

[Allen2D̶i̶g̶g̶s̶TBD]

I really think Beane will try to move some players for draft picks in the offseason.  We have a lot of needs and not enough cap room to address them in free agency.  

[billsfan89]

Hard to say as its going to depend on what the team does in free agency. Who is retained and if they can maybe make this year's "Connor McGovern" mid-level free agency addition? I assume Gabe is gone which is going to make WR a big need especially with Diggs being older they need an heir apparent and immediate impact which makes that first-round pick ripe to be used at WR. On defense, the D-line as well as safety are likely needs. Kicker and Punter along with maybe a special teams "specialist" are also possible needs. 

 

Offensively outside of WR the team is solid a bruising RB behind Cook is a possible need if it is not addressed in free agency and offensive line depth (or a center heir apparent if Mitch hangs it up) and a possible third-string TE are smaller needs. But overall outside of finding a dynamic WR2 and depth at WR its not many "glaring" needs on offense. 

[LabattBlue]

1 minute ago, boyst said:

FA is looked at wrongly by too many. sometiems i fear i team does it wrong, too.

 

the draft builds a team. the free agency fills holes you can't close.

 

free agents should not be brought in to fix this team.

I agree, but FA comes first, and even a couple of bargain basement FA signings could change draft needs. 

[billsfan89]

2 minutes ago, balln said:

So…. Basically need everything 

 

I would say the Bills are fairly "good" at linebacker, corner, starting offensive line, QB, RB1 and TE. A lot of the other needs will get sorted out in free agency either resigning this teams free agents or adding other free agents. The Bills should go into the draft with 2-3 "urgent" needs (likely WR, safety, and possibly D-line) and then the other needs will be depth and youth which can be addressed heavily in the mid to late rounds. 

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

32 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Not in this order, but as of today if the Bills keep all 9 picks…

 

WR(2)

S(2)

LT(1)

OC(1)

DE(2)

DT(1)

 

Of course, FA could turn the list upside down. 

 

 

I mostly agree, especially with the bolded I expect that with some moves the Bills have enough for a journeyman S and/or DT (injury discount of DaQuan). I also expect that part of cap being freed will be Dawkins getting an extension for a few more years. He's just about to turn 30, so I don't think it's unreasonable to think that he's got a few more years in the tank and in general it's good practice to retain your LT.

22 minutes ago, boyst said:

FA is looked at wrongly by too many. sometiems i fear i team does it wrong, too.

 

the draft builds a team. the free agency fills holes you can't close.

 

free agents should not be brought in to fix this team.

My philosophy: functional pieces can (and should) be acquired in free agency. Outside of QB, #1CB and outside WR there are usually day 2-3 players who can hold their own and not be a major liability. Sometimes, they turn out better than hoped (DaQuan, Poyer, Hyde) but your goal is plugging a short term hole. The draft is where you look for impact, swing for the fences on a Pass Rusher, dynamic WR, lockdown corner.

[boyst]

23 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

I agree, but FA comes first, and even a couple of bargain basement FA signings could change draft needs. 

i was blown away yesterday looking at what we could do if we could cut miller. 1 floyd. or rapp, lawson, jackson, sherfield, and dobson.

[The Firebaugh Kid]

RE: safety

I can see Kyle Duggar being signed by Buffalo. 

I know they were enamored with him before. 

[ngbills]

Well luckily my latest mock on profootballnetwork addressed these needs.

 

28. Brian Thomas Jr. WR LSU

60. Bralen Trice EDGE Washington

99. Braden Fiske DT Florida State

128. Tanor Bortolini OC Wisconsin

158. Luke McCaffrey WR Rice

161. Demani Richardson S Texas A&M

197. Josh Proctor S Ohio State

201. Marist Liufau LB Notre Dame

205. Jha'Quan Jackson WR Tulane

245. Jase McClellan RB Alabama

[NastyNateSoldiers]

1 hour ago, Marcus Aurelius said:

Place kicker?

They don't get rid of Bass he just signed a massive extension for a kicker and would cost more to cut then to keep.

[colin]

i think we will sign a vet Safety and a vet DL or two (likely more heavy on tackle) because there is no way mcclappy will roll with rooks in 2 DL positions and 2 S positions.

 

i expect our first rounder, or our second rounder perhaps w a trade up, to be on a WR.  i also expect another WR later on.

 

i really think it's been proven that you can fill out a roster in a draft given the players we are losing are much closer to replacement level than studs, if we can get a bit of juice out of the DL and not completely flop at safety, our D should be about what it was last year, but some wr talent and kinkaid and cook and shakir growing will make our O pretty much the best.

 

[BuffaloBill]

Every draft matters but this one will say a great deal about the Bills future.  The Bills have worked themselves into a bit of a cap corner. Yes, they can and will rework contracts but that can’t go on forever.  The Bills need a good youth movement with a smattering of good 1 year contracts.  If they whiff in this draft the Bills will have a tough time breaking out of the cap crunch they are in.

[mushypeaches]

WR in the 1st round is almost an absolute must

 

I will lose my lunch if we take a safety or DL in that spot