Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘There are some injury concerns as he suffered a torn ACL and a broken ankle in high school, and when he started his career at LSU he again tore the ACL and missed eight games. But after he transferred to Arkansas in 2022 he stayed healthy and put up three outstanding seasons.’

‘The vision could not be clearer: For five consecutive years, the Buffalo defense has played poorly in the playoff elimination game – four losses to the Chiefs, one to the Bengals – and not even the brilliance of Josh Allen could overcome the defensive shortcomings.’

‘The Beane/McDermott regime has unearthed several mid- to low-round success stories, but so have previous Bills’ regimes.’

‘“We thought there would be some good options for us tonight,” Beane said. “We didn’t necessarily think we would need to trade back or trade up, and being patient paid off. I know we usually do trade, or I usually do trade – we had opportunities both ways, but liked what was there.”’

‘The strategy at cornerback is clearly to bring in as many candidates as possible and may the best man win. Now, Strong won’t have much of a chance staring up at first-round pick Max Hairston and veteran free agents Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson, but his goal should be to at least get on the practice squad and spend the season there, then compete for a roster spot in 2026 when White and Jackson will probably be gone.’

‘And he liked Hairston the best, even though there were other intriguing options including Mississippi’s Trey Amos, a player who was projected in the same range as Hairston as a late first-rounder, but also, Will Johnson of Michigan whose injury struggles sent him tumbling from a top 15 pick right out of the first round.’

‘Hairston was a second-round projection at the start of the draft process, primarily because he missed five games with a shoulder injury in just his second season a starter. But then he showed up at the combine and ran the fastest 40 time (4.28 seconds) and his 39.5-inch vertical leap was second-best among cornerbacks and tied for 12th among all players.’

‘As you look at the depth chart, defensive tackle is the clear priority. With DaQuan Jones in the final year of his contract, and free agent signee Larry Ogunjobi suspended for the first six games of the season, the Bills have a hole in the middle of their line.’

‘While the Bills have had a checkered past in the first round of the NFL Draft, they have very often struck gold in the second round. Here is a sampling.’

‘“I told my agent, ‘If you can’t get Buffalo on the line, just don’t call me,’” White said.’

‘“Sitting as late as we pick, it’s so hard every year,” Beane said when he met with reporters Tuesday. “We’ve done a few mocks, and it can go so many different ways on who is really there. Just read the board and if we think there is a player we really love, fits a need as well, those are what I’m trying to trade up for. If not, and the board is getting wiped, now we’re looking at, ‘What are our options to go back? How far do you want to go?’”’

‘Obviously, the Bills weren’t always this good and there have been many years where they were picking higher in the first round than they would have preferred, and like most teams, they made obvious picks that turned out great. Here are a bunch of them.’

‘While the Bills will be playing in the current Highmark Stadium this upcoming season, it doesn’t hurt to take a look at what’s to come.’

‘Cook created some waves when he announced on social media that he believed he was worth a contract extension that would pay him $15 million per season. That was quite a bold ask, and Beane was asked about it at the scouting combine in late February and again at the NFL owners’ meetings in late March.’

‘Of the 12 players they selected in the first round of the 1970s drafts, seven were flat out busts.’