Buffalo Bills Consensus Draft Grades

[Big Turk]

Well, the pundits seem to by and in large really like it overall. 

 

Fox Sports: A

AZ Sports: A-

NFL.com: A-

CBS Sports: A-

Field Level Media: A-

PFF: B+

AP: B+

NBC Sports: B+

PFSN: B

SI: B

B/R: B

Yahoo: B-

USA Today: B-

 

Edited Sunday at 06:41 PM by Big Turk

[PayDaBill$]

I see what and why they did what they did; it’s not rocket science opposing qbs are getting too much time and come

3rd down / getting off the field is an issue .

 

The Bills  sack rate and pressure rate fall below the league average. I believe they rank 21st in sacks and 19th in pressure rate. 

 

Pressure metric; The Bills' pressure rate is below average, they aren't consistently putting pressure on opposing QBs. 

Sack metric:  The Bills' sack rate is also below average, indicating they aren't consistently getting to the quarterback for sacks.

One other area of concern lingering from the regular season was their third-down defense. Only three teams (Carolina, Atlanta, Indianapolis) in the NFL were worse in the regular season than the Bills, 

We surely threw a lot of bodies at the problem (fa & draft).  I’ll give it a solid B and stay tuned to see if it worked.

Edited Sunday at 08:42 PM by PayDaBill$

[Saint Doug]

2 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

If high picks don't play a lot in 1-2 years, you've kind of already failed since (except for first rounders) they're only under team control for 4 years. 

 

I disagree, however, that drafting based on need is the proper way of building a team. It's the proper way of trying to keep a very good playoff team at the top for additional years. But it's not a good way of launching a bad team on a winning trajectory.

I agree with this. But if you are starting at ground level, then most positions are a need. In this case, every pick will be a need and also the BPA. 

[Kwai San]

16 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Good - addressed our two glaring weaknesses in the playoffs (D-line and CB)

Bad - me having to listen to Bills fans freak out that we don't have a vertical threat WR until September.

 

AMEN to this!  Preach Doc, preach!

[Big Turk]

17 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Good - addressed our two glaring weaknesses in the playoffs (D-line and CB)

Bad - me having to listen to Bills fans freak out that we don't have a vertical threat WR until September.

 

But we are still going to score 28+ points a game regardless 

[RangerDave]

17 hours ago, SCBills said:

Took arguably the best blocking TE in the Draft.  Makes complete sense given the offense we run. 

Yeah, I'd rather have a great blocking TE in there than the 6th O-lineman like we ran a lot last year.  Gives us more options and keeps the opposition honest (unless it's KC of course...)

[Big Turk]

1 minute ago, RangerDave said:

Yeah, I'd rather have a great blocking TE in there than the 6th O-lineman like we ran a lot last year.  Gives us more options and keeps the opposition honest (unless it's KC of course...)

 

Certainly diversifies their ability to do things on short yardage situations.

[Shortchaz]

2 hours ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

I gave a C because mcbeane neglected Josh.

 

By giving him half a billion dollars. 
 

but seriously, his contact eats up a big chunk of the cap; It is a zero sum game. They also spent significant cap on a wr in free agency. 

[Doc Brown]

15 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

But we are still going to score 28+ points a game regardless 

If our offensive line stays healthy.  Probably.

[RyanC883]

Another year without an elite weapon for Josh is a C.  Good job upgrading DL, but no S, LB and weapon for JA downgrades it to a C. 

[MasterStrategist]

8 hours ago, Ralonzo said:

 

I am convinced the Bills just flipped a coin at 170 to decide which order to draft the guys they liked for 170/173/177. Trouble is everyone in the world knew they LOVED Chris Paul. They took Hancock first as a project to backup safety/nickel, and the Rams snaked 172 to steal their guy. Hindsight, blah blah, but with the CB's taken in this draft, LB is now officially the weak group on the roster as it seems there was no plan B there. Bernard is extended but is always an injury risk at that size. Milano is near the end. Dorian hasn't taken the reins. Spector is all of the injury trouble of the first two combined, but all of the coverage ability of grass. Eddie O looks like a spindly-legged safety. They must love them some Andreessen, I don't know. I can see any bad luck at that position and you're back to flipping to Rolodex to 'K' for Klein or something.

I mean we did draft Ulofoshio last year.  Another 5th rounder...more athletic than Paul.

 

Takes 1 season plus as a LB in our system to "play fast", not think and naturally be in position.  Took Bernard, Dorian, etc.

 

So Bernard, Milano, Dorian, Ulofoshio, Joe Andreesen.  

 

I disagree with Eddie O, which is really Eddie U 😄.  I don't see Paul stepping into that LB4 role better than Ulofoshio this year.

 

Not concerned about LB depth right now

[DaVinci]

This draft does nothing to improve on the fact that the last 2 years in the playoffs with the game on the line they could not score.

[Joe Ferguson forever]

So, I know almost nothing on the college players.  I'm looking at the post draft vitals and speeds and  predraft rankings and I thought...that was pretty safe excerpt the trade up.  who knows, he could be the D line savior.  They did it for a reason.  So A- on my very limited information.  I hope I'm underestimating.

I think they targeted the correct areas of need. 

[Sierra Foothills]

On 4/26/2025 at 6:14 PM, Logic said:

I voted A-.

Reasons I liked it: they attacked their biggest needs (DL and CB) logically, repeatedly, and with various skillsets and body types. They drafted mostly premium athletes with impressive RAS. They spent their first four picks on guys that posted excellent production in the SEC. They leaned into the strength of this draft class (DL). They moved up twice for guys they really liked instead of sitting around and risking losing out on them.

Things I didn't like, which took it from an A to an A- for me: Regardless of correctly prioritizing the defense, I would've liked to see a receiver taken early. Day three Bills picks always feel weird to me, probably because they're taken primarily for their special teams contributions. The late round developmental offensive tackle tendency is funny, but these guys too often never see the field for the Bills. 

 

.

I agree with your post but ask you to state which receiver you would have liked the Bills to pick at which spot

 

Thanks!

 

On 4/26/2025 at 6:32 PM, stevestojan said:

But did you like the Josh pick at the time? I’ll admit I did not. 
 

Which proves one thing: I don’t know jack 💩. 

 

Actually, you don't know Josh.

 

🙂

 

On 4/26/2025 at 7:06 PM, Jimmy Harris 69 said:

The cornerback draft will go down in Bills’ lore as one the best ever. I said once, I’ll say it again, Tre White doesn’t make this team. Jackson and Sanders will cause disruption when they get on the field. The only thing saving Dequan Jones are the PED boys. I like this draft. Way to go McBeane!

 

Barring an injury there's no way that Tre White isn't on the opening day roster.

 

[GunnerBill]

18 hours ago, Saint Doug said:

It’s ridiculous people still think Beane drafts BPA at this point. We have years of a draft record now and it’s abundantly clear 1st/2nd day picks are based on need. The difference is, and this is where people get confused, there is usually 1-3 positional “needs” on a team. You pick the BPA within this confine. Still, need comes 1st and BPA comes 2nd. 

 

While we definitely still hit needs, this draft through days 1 and 2 was the closest he has ever got to BPA imo. I had all 3 players within my top 10 at the point they were selected and when you move out the guys where were sliding for non-football reasons Hairston and Sanders were top 5 at the point they were picked. This wasn't reaching on Kaiir Elam or Keon Coleman or Terrel Bernard etc.

[ddaryl]

21 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

OK

 

OK

 

OK!

 

 

I have no clue how I got 3 copies in that post.. editted it..

[GASabresIUFan]

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/buffalo-bills/2025/04/nfl-draft-2025-mel-kiper-jr-others-grade-buffalo-bills-draft-class.html

 

Nice round up of media draft grades.

[SoTier]

20 hours ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

I gave a C because mcbeane neglected Josh.

 

The 4th was the perfect time to grab a WR 

 

Instead the grab another DT

 

The they finally have the gaul to throw Josh a bone in the 7th

 

What were they thinking ?

 

Beane hardly neglected Josh.  They gave him a blocking TE and an OT prospect.   The Bills are never going to be a pass first offense under Beane/McDermott/Brady.  They want to be a diversified offense that can score in multiple ways from anywhere on the field.   They don't want Allen to have to always have to be Super Man.  They did pretty well in implementing that last season.  Improving the defense will help Allen significantly more than adding a Day 3 WR.

[Chandler#81]

1 hour ago, ddaryl said:

 

 

I have no clue how I got 3 copies in that post.. editted it..

It’s happened to me, usually when your post is the last one on a page you’re replying to but the thread changes to a new page with other posts adding in as you’re typing.

[Chandler#81]

IMO, we added 3 rotational starters on the DL and a starting CB. I’ll take this every year please.