Pre 2025 Draft - Review of 2023 and 2024

[ColoradoBills]

I see comments on the 2022 draft being a good draft (exception of Elam).  At the start of 2023 I remember a lot of concern over Cook, Bernard and Shakir.

I'd like to hear what the board thinks of 2023 and 2024.  I will comment later so other can use this post for comments.

 

2023

1 Dalton Kincaid

2 O'Cyrus Torrence

3 Dorian Williams

5 Justin Shorter - On LV Roster

7 Nick Broeker - On HOU Roster

7 Alex Austin - On NE Roster

 

2024 (All players are currently on the 2025 Buffalo Bills Roster)

2 Keon Coleman

2 Cole Bishop

3 DeWayne Carter

4 Ray Davis

5 Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

5 Edefuan Ulofoshio

5 Javon Solomon

6 Tylan Grable

6 Daequan Hardy

7 Travis Clayton

[ColoradoBills]

The 2023 Draft Class

 

Big, big year for Dalton Kincaid.  He needs to stay healthy; that's for sure.  I have commented he needs some more muscle and

a tougher attitude.  I know he can play better.  I hope he believes that too.

 

O'Cyrus has had some ups and downs.  Big year coming up for him too.  A big year gets him into contract considerations in 2026.

A bad year...........?

 

Williams seems to have to stay in the wings again this year.  Really tough situation for him.  If needed he has to perform.

[Steve Billieve]

Still seems like most of our higher picks have a bit of a question mark on them atm. So it could be quite a bit worse and there's a lot of guys there who are contributing, so I'm just going to trust the process.

[FireChans]

4 hours ago, ColoradoBills said:

I see comments on the 2022 draft being a good draft (exception of Elam).  At the start of 2023 I remember a lot of concern over Cook, Bernard and Shakir.

I'd like to hear what the board thinks of 2023 and 2024.  I will comment later so other can use this post for comments.

 

2023

1 Dalton Kincaid

2 O'Cyrus Torrence

3 Dorian Williams

5 Justin Shorter - On LV Roster

7 Nick Broeker - On HOU Roster

7 Alex Austin - On NE Roster

 

2024 (All players are currently on the 2025 Buffalo Bills Roster)

2 Keon Coleman

2 Cole Bishop

3 DeWayne Carter

4 Ray Davis

5 Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

5 Edefuan Ulofoshio

5 Javon Solomon

6 Tylan Grable

6 Daequan Hardy

7 Travis Clayton

2024 looks like a complete disaster.

 

The first 3 picks don’t look like full time starters any time soon and they had very limited competition ahead of them. Ray Davis is fine. The rest of them are total question marks but maybe one of them shows something. SVPG may make things easier for the IOL decisions in the future at least. 

 

2023 is disappointing but fine?
 

Kincaid is like a league average pass catching TE. Sort’ve Edmunds type disappointment where he’s not the worst ever bust but the expectations were at least “really good player.” I think the odds the Bills decline his fifth year option are -400 right now. 
 

OCT is a starter. He may be the worst starter on the Bills OL but that’s not saying a lot with 2 excellent OT’s and the other IOL guys playing some of the best ball of their career. Biggest concern I have with him is consistency. He was kinda bad down the stretch as a rookie which isn’t uncommon and started off slow in 2024. Seemed to improve as the year went on, but then much like other Bills, was kind of bad in the AFCCG. 

 

Dorian is fringe starter/backup but after a shaky year 1 played a bit better in year 2 imo. If he continues to improve, I have no problem with him competing to replace Milano in a starting capacity in 2026 vs a rookie or mid-tier vet. It’s very rare teams pay 2 linebackers anymore so I would expect Bernard’s running mate to be a rotating cast of characters.

 

Alex Austin may actually be a legit player. He was solid in NE from the brief I’ve seen. Kinda in that Dane Jackson tier where if you get a guy that can get on the field and not be a complete disaster and noticed right away, that’s the best you can reasonably expect. 

Lots of time left though. Lights can come on for lots of these guys. I just find 2024 disappointing because the opportunities were there for Coleman and Bishop to take. They weren’t playing behind entrenched starters. It was the perfect season for them to get experience and grow.