Revisiting 2024 draft

[The Jokeman]

Just now, GunnerBill said:

 

Not exactly. I don't think Keon is gonna become Worthy or McConkey just through more targets. Worthy and McConkey were used quite differently to each other. McConkey was used largely from the slot as a matchup piece vs linebackers and was used in the intermediate game. Worthy was mainly outside and generally caught either gimmicky bubble screens at the line or deeper balls with not much in between.

Point being both were thrown short and again heavily targeted. From a statistically stand point if you give Keon 55 more targets his stats increase, right? I will agree he isnt a MCConkey or Worthy but that IS THE POINT WE DIDN'T NEED THEM we needed an outside WR that could hit down the sideline which Coleman showed he can do on occasion, he still needs to improve no doubt and am sure he will. Now I get you view Coleman as a big slot but time will tell on that. 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

1 hour ago, MikePJ76 said:

Are you saying the Bills are not a talented good team?  

 

I simply do not understand the mindset of most fans.

Which moments was he sulking?  Josh just missed him on what would have been a big play td vs denver, he ran a great route and was wide open.  Then he drew a huge PI flag.

 

When was he sulking and not playing hard?

 

If he gets hit in stride here and fights off the corner and scores its a great play.  kind of similar to plays he had started to make earlier in the season before the injury.

 

https://www.veed.io/view/5cba3bf0-d127-46d8-b14c-4d56d2346ea6?panel=share

Sorry Mike the stakes are high now.

 

Beane stopped himself short of saying they were happy to be in the AFCCG game in 2020 and just said he felt the game “slip away”. 
 

But there is going to be a high level of scrutiny now. A 4th-loss in a row to the Chiefs? 

 

I think it’s reasonable for fans to get past being happy about culture, trust the process, a Playoff birth, a Playoff win, a Divisional win, and two AFCCG appearances.

 

The team traded out of the first round with their arch enemy, justified it, selected Coleman and told the fans that he could play X.

 

Despite whatever good progress statistically he was making early on, he never graded well against man coverage, and worse against press. 
 

Beane can’t afford slip ups at 33rd overall. 
 

He’s been given time for Cody Ford (2019), Boogie Basham (2021) and AJ Epenesa being an alright player. 

 

Allen is in his prime now. 
 

 

[oldmanfan]

We all of course realize that in the history of recorded sports there has never been one example of a guy improving from his rookie year

[Nihilarian]

This Buffalo Bills team is already a playoff team with some top talent on it and not some rebuilding crap team. How difficult do any of you think earning a roster spot on an already playoff team might be?

 

Those rookies would need to be nearly superstars at their position to make a starting spot on the team. AND McD doesn't like to start rookies because they usually tend to eff up at some point and might cost a game simply because they don't know what they don't know. 

 

As others have pointed out, evaluating players properly takes time, so start with the draft from three seasons ago. 

[MikePJ76]

1 minute ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Sorry Mike the stakes are high now.

 

Beane stopped himself short of saying they were happy to be in the AFCCG game in 2020 and just said he felt the game “slip away”. 
 

But there is going to be a high level of scrutiny now. A 4th-loss in a row to the Chiefs? 

 

I think it’s reasonable for fans to get past being happy about culture, trust the process, a Playoff birth, a Playoff win, a Divisional win, and two AFCCG appearances.

 

The team traded out of the first round with their arch enemy, justified it, selected Coleman and told the fans that he could play X.

 

Despite whatever good progress statistically he was making early on, he never graded well against man coverage, and worse against press. 
 

Beane can’t afford slip ups at 33rd overall. 
 

He’s been given time for Cody Ford (2019), Boogie Basham (2021) and AJ Epenesa being an alright player. 

 

Allen is in his prime now. 
 

 

where did the terrific offensive line come from?  The great group at rb?  A very good group at Tight end?  

 

These guys just magically appeared and Beane is responsible for the guys that under performed.

 

Do you realize the ignorance and hypocrisy of what you are saying.

 

I too am not a fan of losing to the chiefs again in the playoffs however I am pretty well aware that the 23 team was completely compromised on defense and the 24 team 5 minutes into the game were playing without their number 1 corner and safety which affected what they could do and how well they could do the basics.

 

It sucks but, missing short field goals and having major defensive injuries are the reason the Bills lost the last two games to the chiefs in the playoffs.  

 

This is part of the reason why I am convinced they are going to attack the defense this offseason with young players and a couple new coaches, they hired the coaches already.  Just like they attacked and changed the offense after the bengals loss.

 

I have full confidence this front office is going to continue bringing in good players and the soon to be overhaul on defense will pay off.  I think they know they need a centerfielder and I think they will address that at the mid level of free agency and then do the same at the wr position allowing them to bring in players on defense, the strength of the draft. 

 

Tight ends seemed to be abundant this year and the wr seem to be 2nd and 3rd round guys so it could play out well for buffalo.  I imagine a handful of good defensive players fall into the area where the bills have their first 3 picks because the amount of tight ends who will go high will probably a better way to use a 1st or 2nd round pick instead of on a dt.

[BillsVet]

The average drafts are starting to hurt the franchise now.  When you've got needs at DE and WR, both now and in the future, yet insist on taking development WRs, safeties, and DT's with your top picks it'll catch up with you.  Especially one trying to improve from perennial playoff team to SB appearance. 

 

Even last year, when they fell short of the 2023 WR's, they had to settle for Kincaid, then went guard and LB.  Year before that they missed on Elam, which, OK, but then took a RB and LB.

 

It's easier to hit on those positions, but that's almost mitigated by still having question marks at the premium positions.  And it looks like they'll shift to more M2M coverage, so CB carries added importance this year.  

 

How they address WR and DE this off-season is pretty much the tale of the tape.  And perhaps at CB.  The rest is just fluff.  

[Straight Hucklebuck]

1 minute ago, MikePJ76 said:

where did the terrific offensive line come from?  The great group at rb?  A very good group at Tight end?  

 

These guys just magically appeared and Beane is responsible for the guys that under performed.

 

Do you realize the ignorance and hypocrisy of what you are saying.

 

I too am not a fan of losing to the chiefs again in the playoffs however I am pretty well aware that the 23 team was completely compromised on defense and the 24 team 5 minutes into the game were playing without their number 1 corner and safety which affected what they could do and how well they could do the basics.

 

It sucks but, missing short field goals and having major defensive injuries are the reason the Bills lost the last two games to the chiefs in the playoffs.  

 

This is part of the reason why I am convinced they are going to attack the defense this offseason with young players and a couple new coaches, they hired the coaches already.  Just like they attacked and changed the offense after the bengals loss.

 

I have full confidence this front office is going to continue bringing in good players and the soon to be overhaul on defense will pay off.  I think they know they need a centerfielder and I think they will address that at the mid level of free agency and then do the same at the wr position allowing them to bring in players on defense, the strength of the draft. 

 

Tight ends seemed to be abundant this year and the wr seem to be 2nd and 3rd round guys so it could play out well for buffalo.  I imagine a handful of good defensive players fall into the area where the bills have their first 3 picks because the amount of tight ends who will go high will probably a better way to use a 1st or 2nd round pick instead of on a dt.

You’re right we’re all good.

 

Of course Beane is not batting 0.000 but every thread you respond with we have a good team, and yes that’s true. 
 

Sorry, but the heat is being turned up on Beane (and to a less extent McDermott) for a roster that has weak positional groups across the board - as you point out weak on the defensive line, weak at safety, I would argue weak at WR. 

 

Let me guess - this is where you tell me you can’t have All Pros everywhere.

 

Yes we know that - but we also know that you can’t bungle R1, R2 picks. And it’s been hit and miss to be nice. 
 

Even homers like Joe Marino are finally starting to point this out.

 

Now it will be a cold day in hell if Sal Capaccio ever manages a criticism but that’s par for the course.

[MikePJ76]

4 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

The average drafts are starting to hurt the franchise now.  When you've got needs at DE and WR, both now and in the future, yet insist on taking development WRs, safeties, and DT's with your top picks it'll catch up with you.  Especially one trying to improve from perennial playoff team to SB appearance. 

 

Even last year, when they fell short of the 2023 WR's, they had to settle for Kincaid, then went guard and LB.  Year before that they missed on Elam, which, OK, but then took a RB and LB.

 

It's easier to hit on those positions, but that's almost mitigated by still having question marks at the premium positions.  And it looks like they'll shift to more M2M coverage, so CB carries added importance this year.  

 

How they address WR and DE this off-season is pretty much the tale of the tape.  And perhaps at CB.  The rest is just fluff.  

I would say the secondary is the first area to be addressed.  They need a starting corner opposite benford and they need a starting safety that is a centerfielder.

 

The defensive line is going to get players in the draft and free agency but at least the D line has Groot, Oliver, AJ and Carter.   The secondary is screaming for help as we currently sit here.  

 

When the league year opens I expect they will sign a safety or a corner depending on how they view those positions in the draft.  

 

Basically 3 years in a row in the playoffs they have had serious injuries in the secondary which have really hurt them in those games.

[MikePJ76]

6 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

You’re right we’re all good.

 

Of course Beane is not batting 0.000 but every thread you respond with we have a good team, and yes that’s true. 
 

Sorry, but the heat is being turned up on Beane (and to a less extent McDermott) for a roster that has weak positional groups across the board - as you point out weak on the defensive line, weak at safety, I would argue weak at WR. 

 

Let me guess - this is where you tell me you can’t have All Pros everywhere.

 

Yes we know that - but we also know that you can’t bungle R1, R2 picks. And it’s been hit and miss to be nice. 
 

Even homers like Joe Marino are finally starting to point this out.

 

Now it will be a cold day in hell if Sal Capaccio ever manages a criticism but that’s par for the course.

The heat is not being turned up on beane or mcdermott.  Sorry to burst your rage balloon.  

 

Those guys are safe in their jobs and are in control of the organization.  They had a good plan over the last two years with what they wanted to do on offense.  Now they are going to turn the plan to the defense.  They need a blue chip player either in the secondary or on the defensive line.  That is the hope out of those three top 100 picks they have in the first two rounds.  Find a blue chip player at one of those positions.  

 

also spare me your homer comments.  Its just boring.

 

I remember just a few weeks ago when the broncos and ravens rolled into orchard park with their future hall of fame coaches, mvp players and all pro's and pro bowlers all over their lineups and the bills beat them with what you call a non talented team.  Pretty weird how that happens.  You would think all those great players on those two teams would just win the game.  Guess not

Edited Wednesday at 06:01 PM by MikePJ76

[Straight Hucklebuck]

4 minutes ago, MikePJ76 said:

I would say the secondary is the first area to be addressed.  They need a starting corner opposite benford and they need a starting safety that is a centerfielder.

 

The defensive line is going to get players in the draft and free agency but at least the D line has Groot, Oliver, AJ and Carter.   The secondary is screaming for help as we currently sit here.  

 

When the league year opens I expect they will sign a safety or a corner depending on how they view those positions in the draft.  

 

Basically 3 years in a row in the playoffs they have had serious injuries in the secondary which have really hurt them in those games.

Carter is not a plan.

 

He graded terribly in 2024 and not just PFF.

 

AJE is an okay rotational edge rusher. 
 

It’s Rousseau and Oliver, and it’s fair to say both of them come and go, these are not elite players. 
 

No hard feelings on Beane from me for Rousseau, that’s a 30th overall pick - you’re not typically getting Myles Garrett there.

 

But Oliver at 9? They passed on much better DTs. Do you just pin that on McDermott’s scheme? Telling Beane what to do?

1 minute ago, MikePJ76 said:

The heat is not being turned up on beane or mcdermott.  Sorry to burst your rage balloon.  

 

Those guys are safe in their jobs and are in control of the organization.  They had a good plan over the last two years with what they wanted to do on offense.  Now they are going to turn the plan to the defense.  They need a blue chip player either in the secondary or on the defensive line.  That is the hope out of those three top 100 picks they have in the first two rounds.  Find a blue chip player at one of those positions.  

 

also spare me your homer comments.  Its just boring.

 

I remember just a few weeks ago when the broncos and ravens rolled into orchard park with their future hall of fame coaches, mvp players and all pro's and pro bowlers all over their lineups and the bills beat them with what you call a non talented team.  Pretty weird how that happens.  You would think all those great players on those two teams would just win the game.  Guess not

Rage balloon - yes that’s it rage. 

The media actually asked so more pointed questions than the usual how does it feel to have Josh Allen on the team, or what does Taron Johnson mean to you.

 

Beane actually had to field a couple of questions about why Von hasn’t worked, why is Kincaid struggling, do you regret the Worthy trade because Coleman disappeared.

 

So it’s not all “rage balloon”.

 

By the way - these are not lifetime appointments. 
 

This is professional sports. 
 

Yes given Beane and McDermott’s track record and current cap situation I am stoked about who they are going to add to this defensive line. 

 

[Jrb1979]

Reading through a bunch of these threads I feel the reason for the big difference of opinion is how you view the team.

 

I'm on the side, that yes they have been very good to almost great every season. They are missing that blue chip talent to get them over the hump on both sides of the ball.  

 

IMO they need that dominant pass catcher regardless if its a WR or TE. They need a dominant Dline man, and either a true shutdown corner or an elite LB that makes plays.  IMO they need to get at least 3-4 of those to win. I'm off the belief that they should go all in to either move up in the draft or trade picks to get that. 

 

Where many differ is there is no guarantee that works and that one of these seasons the Bills will make that play or get the call and get to the Super Bowl. 

 

 

 

[GunnerBill]

27 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

The average drafts are starting to hurt the franchise now.  When you've got needs at DE and WR, both now and in the future, yet insist on taking development WRs, safeties, and DT's with your top picks it'll catch up with you.  Especially one trying to improve from perennial playoff team to SB appearance. 

 

Even last year, when they fell short of the 2023 WR's, they had to settle for Kincaid, then went guard and LB.  Year before that they missed on Elam, which, OK, but then took a RB and LB.

 

It's easier to hit on those positions, but that's almost mitigated by still having question marks at the premium positions.  And it looks like they'll shift to more M2M coverage, so CB carries added importance this year.  

 

How they address WR and DE this off-season is pretty much the tale of the tape.  And perhaps at CB.  The rest is just fluff.  

 

Yea and hitting on the non-premium positions (RB, LB, slot WR) when you don't have answers at the premium positions (outside WR, DE, CB) eventually gets you to where the Bills are now. Where you are looking at possibly needing to bring in expensive vets at the premium positions that will cost you keeping a couple of your drafted non-premium position guys on reasonable contracts. Take Shakir. If the Bills had traded up, taken BTJ last year and now knew they had a true outside #1 receiver under a rookie deal for 3 years plus the option, then signing your slot receiver to a decent 3 or 4 year contract is a no-brainer and you have two reliable guys for Josh to go to. But part of the calculation on whether to pay Shakir now is "wait do I need that money to fill the more important spot on the boundary with a vet contract guy?" 

 

So bad positional value decisions plus a couple of whiffs ends up risking you having to lose some of your more successful picks. It all plays into the puzzle.

[CapeBreton]

Bills rookies are notoriously unhelpful to the team. Never know in year 2 though, look at Terrel Bernard, I wrote him off after one dud rookie season.

[NastyNateSoldiers]

On 2/18/2025 at 2:49 PM, Pete said:

Round 2 • Pick 1 (33) • WR Keon Coleman

Round 2 • Pick 28 (60) • SAF Cole Bishop

Round 3 • Pick 32 (95) • DT DeWayne Carter

Round 4 • Pick 28 (128) • RB Ray Davis

Round 5 • Pick 6 (141) • C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

Round 5 • Pick 25 (160) • LB Edefuan Ulofoshio

Round 5 • Pick 33 (168) • EDGE Javon Solomon

Round 6 • Pick 28 (204) • OT Tylan Grable

Round 6 • Pick 43 (219) • CB Daequan Hardy

Round 7 • Pick 1 (221) • OT Travis Clayton

how do you feel about this draft now?

 

2-Keon- I hated the pick at the time.  Keon played decent pre-Poyer hit.  But was almost useless after.  Keon was first player selected Day 2.  So Beane has all night to contemplate that pick and turn down draft picks.

 

2-Cole - an ok selection.  Hopefully he can make big progress this season.

 

3- DeWayne big fat F.  2% pass rush win rate is horrendous.  Horrible pick Beane.

 

4-Ray Davis- finally a solid draft selection.  Ray will be a productive Bill for years.

 

5- Ed- hardly saw the field- TBD

 

5–Solomon looks like a good situational pass rusher.  Beanes second decent pick.

 

6-Tylan - best pick of the draft.  Tylan sounds like a great find!

 

6-Hardy- undersized, good practice squad depth, return ability.

 

7- Clayton- potential.  
 

so one lukewarm hit in the first 3 rounds.

 

Keon was awful in playoffs, and Cole has potential.

 

Ray, Solomon, and Tylan look like Bills going forward.

 

All those draft picks, and your 6th round draft pick looks to be best pick.  Way too many whiffs, again.

 

I rate this draft a D-

 

 

Another underwhelming Beane draft with no difference makers attached. 

On 2/18/2025 at 4:23 PM, GASabresIUFan said:

We should re-title this thread, I hate Beane thread no. 147.

 

None of the early picks were reaches. None.  For example Kiper had Coleman at 33 (He was pick 33). Kiper had Bishop 61 (He was drafted 60th).  Kiper had Carter at 93. (He was drafted 95th).  Davis wasn’t a reach either and SVPG was a bargain pick.  
 

With the exception of Bishop and Coleman, none of these guys were expected to start.  They were nearly all drafted to be developmental depth, but nearly all played.  Grable and SVPG were effective OLine depth.  Solomon shows spurts on good play as did Carter until he got hurt.  Coleman, despite everything had decent rookie stats but the concerns on draft day about separation came true and we’ll see if he progresses in year 2.   Bishop was fine.  I’m not sure what people expected?  He was in a competition for the starting job with Edwards and Hamlin.  Bishop and Edwards got hurt and Hamlin won the job, but by season’s end he has pushing to be the starter.  We’ll see what happens in year 2. 
 

I honestly find in hilarious that this board is trying to evaluate last year’s draft class after one season.  It often takes 3 years before guys become starters or significant contributors.  We also didn’t have starting slots available  to be won by rookies outside of WR and S.  Even there Beane brought in vets to have adequate depth in case the rookie wasn’t ready such as keeping Hamlin, and signing Edwards at S, and signing Hollins, Samuel, and all the other WR spaghetti he threw at the wall.  

@Pete Did you really expect rookie OL to supplant any starter on the OL?  Did they expect a 5th rd draftee  to supplant Milano, Bernard or Williams at LB, or Davis to supplant Cook at RB after Cook had a 1500 yard season?  Was Carter expected to push Groot, Oliver, Jones or AJE out of the lineup?  I don’t think so.   
 

I think we all hoped that Bishop and Coleman would have done better as rookies, but it’s hardly surprising they struggled.   Remember Shakir and Cook had about 150 yards each as rookies.   

The moral of the story is we Shouldn't be following Kiper projections, 😂 

[NastyNateSoldiers]

On 2/18/2025 at 5:18 PM, Augie said:

It’s too soon to tell, and it’s harder to make an instant impact on a good team. (Despite the sentiment here, we ARE a good team.) I think we should wait a year or two before judging. 

Are we really a good team? Take Joshie off this team we might not win 4 games all season

[Augie]

18 minutes ago, NastyNateSoldiers said:

Are we really a good team? Take Joshie off this team we might not win 4 games all season

 

Josh is very important, obviously,  but it takes a good team to come within 3 points and some sketchy calls of the Super Bowl. I love Josh, but he can’t do it alone. Yes, we have a pretty darn good team. 

 

With a middle of the pack QB we win more than 4 games. 

 

.

Edited Wednesday at 07:26 PM by Augie

[SoTier]

19 hours ago, Pete said:

Adonai Mitchell is a player I liked for the Bills.  He is a true X WR.  He would make much more sense imo 

 

Did you actually check on what Mitchell did as a rookie before you claimed he '"would make much more sense" than Coleman?

 

Adonai MItchell: 17 games, 7 games started, 55 targets, 23 receptions, 312 yards, 0 TDs, 36 long

Keon Coleman: 13 games, 12 games starter, 57 targets, 29 receptions, 556 yards, 4 TDs,  64 long

 

19 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

You might have jumped in late. The response was to the poster that suggested that the Eagles 1st 3 picks look better than the Bills 1st 3 picks because they picked earlier. The response was, “if the Bills picked McConkey and Bullock instead of Coleman and Bishop” we wouldn’t be using when in the round they picked as an excuse. 
 

To be clear for the late comers, NO ONE IS SAYING THAT THE DRAFT IS DEFINITELY A FAILURE AT THIS POINT. At the same time, there were guys picked at the same positions, that were available to the Bills, that are off to better (in some cases much better) starts.

 

Covering your butt, are you?    IMO, there MIGHT some posters here who aren't declaring the 2024 draft a definite failure but there sure are numerous ones absolutely tarring and feathering the the Bills FO.

 

13 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

Would have been a much better pick for KC too using your same logic. But it's much easier to find WRs that can win from the slot than WRs that can win vertically, so it's hard to blame them yeah? We paid Cole Beasley $7.2M AAV and got basically the same effect with a little less juice. So yeah I'm happy saving my 1st round picks for players that can't be replaced with low-mid-tier FA contracts.

 

Let's not forget that there were other WRs we passed on in favor of Coleman - Pearsall, Legette, Polk, Mitchell. Not exactly the greatest show on turf as rookies. So our choice was a really good slot, or one of the outside WRs with upside that wasn't likely to contribute in year one. I'll take the outside WR with upside every time because the pay off if you hit is so much larger.

 

Beane's sin was not a single decision made in last year's draft. His sin was waiting this long to make a major investment. KC is a great example - they threw away high picks on Hardman, Moore, and Toney before finally hitting on Rice (pending his ability to stop being a dumbass off the field). They didn't find a #1 WR through expert scouting, they found it by throwing a lot of darts. Beane needs to keep throwing darts in rounds 1-3. And after he gets a hit, keep throwing them.

 

I thought that Beane's sin was not investing enough in defensive tackle.   Teams have finite resources -- draft picks, cap space, roster spots, etc -- that have to be juggled.  FTR, the Bills did make a major investment in WR ... they spent a first round pick in 2020 to acquire Stefon Diggs.  They didn't count on him only lasting three years with the team before he went looking for greener pastures.  Moreover, if the Bills continually spent their limited draft resources on WRs or DTs or whatever position wanna be GMs on this MB wanted, they would not have been able to build one of the best OLs in the NFL to protect their MVP QB.

 

9 hours ago, Pete said:

Nope, because first round HR would then be rare 1st round success for Beane

 

Josh Allen says "hi".

 

1 hour ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Carter is not a plan.

 

He graded terribly in 2024 and not just PFF.

 

AJE is an okay rotational edge rusher. 
 

It’s Rousseau and Oliver, and it’s fair to say both of them come and go, these are not elite players. 
 

No hard feelings on Beane from me for Rousseau, that’s a 30th overall pick - you’re not typically getting Myles Garrett there.

 

But Oliver at 9? They passed on much better DTs. Do you just pin that on McDermott’s scheme? Telling Beane what to do?

Rage balloon - yes that’s it rage. 

The media actually asked so more pointed questions than the usual how does it feel to have Josh Allen on the team, or what does Taron Johnson mean to you.

 

Beane actually had to field a couple of questions about why Von hasn’t worked, why is Kincaid struggling, do you regret the Worthy trade because Coleman disappeared.

 

So it’s not all “rage balloon”.

 

By the way - these are not lifetime appointments. 
 

This is professional sports. 
 

Yes given Beane and McDermott’s track record and current cap situation I am stoked about who they are going to add to this defensive line. 

 

 

Since you are so down on the Bills, I think you should raid your piggy bank to buy into an NFL team.  I understand the Giants are looking for some minority owners -- and with they're such a talent-laden team, all of their Day 1 and Day2 draft picks should be able to start from Day 1, especially if their GM -- and yours -- listens to you.

Edited Wednesday at 07:35 PM by SoTier

[Billl]

1 hour ago, oldmanfan said:

We all of course realize that in the history of recorded sports there has never been one example of a guy improving from his rookie year

The assumption is that all will rookies improve over time.  That doesn’t mean they can’t be major contributors in year one, especially late in the season and in the playoffs.  Coleman had 1 catch for 5 yards in the WC round, 1 catch for 5 yards in the Divisional, and 1 catch for 12 yards in the CCG.  If he’d put up 6 catches for 85 yards and a TD against KC, Buffalo likely would have been in the Super Bowl.  Even if he becomes a stud in year 3, that doesn’t change the past.

[finn]

In this thread about the 2024 draft, people keep saying you can't judge a draft until it's three years out. So let's look at the 2022 Bills draft: 

 

1. Kaiir Elam           

2. James Cook       

3. Terrel Bernard  

4. (Traded to move up for Elam)

5. Khalil Shakir       

6. Matt Araiza 

6. Christian Benford            

6. Luke Tenuta       

7. Baylon Spector

 

Elam is shaping up to be one of the bigger busts in Bills history. Cook, Shakir, and Benford are home runs for where they were taken. Bernard is an adequate starter who can be a playmaker at times but also disappears for whole games. Araiza is KC's meh punter. Tenuta has been a waiver-wire guy. Spector is not good, but at least he was never cut. 

 

Would have been an A+ draft if he had hit on the first-round pick (e.g. if he had traded up for McDuffie before KC beat him to it). Otherwise, it's the Cook-Bernard-Shakir-Benford draft. Four very good starters, but no blue chippers. Better than 2021's Rousseau-Brown-Hamlin draft and arguably on par with 2020, when he traded his number one for Diggs and picked up Epenesa, Zach Moss, Gabe Davis, Bass, and Dane Jackson.

 

Easy to spot the trend: Allen is the only blue-chip player Beane has drafted, Diggs the only free agent blue chip player (aside from 8 games from Von Miller). 

 

Good enough to be a runner up year after year after year. 

[Kirby Jackson]

1 hour ago, SoTier said:

 

 

Covering your butt, are you?    IMO, there MIGHT some posters here who aren't declaring the 2024 draft a definite failure but there sure are numerous ones absolutely tarring and feathering the the Bills FO.

 

Nope, just proactively addressing it so that people can’t twist words. Does the draft look good as of today? No. Is it definitely a failure? No. Were there better options than Coleman and Bishop available at those spots? Yes. All of that is true. That shouldn’t be hard to understand.