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.

What are people going to say when 2 of Shakir, Palmer, Kincaid and Coleman go over 1000 next season? Or if all 4 have over 800 yards next season?

He was trying to split the safety vote to insure WR won the poll!

Have you ever watched Hawes play in person or even on TV? Didn’t think so! I have. Yes the kid is a good blocker, but is a better pass catcher than given credit for. Tech’s offense tends to limit stats and opportunities. Kincaid is an athletic pass catching TE. Knox can catch but is mostly a blocker at this point and was never an athletic pass catching TE.

Why are there two Safety slots in the poll? When Rapp is the best player in a position group that is your weakest position. The whole defense is in transition. As many as 12 new players were added in the draft and free agency, headlined by Bosa, White, the two suspended DL, Hairston, Sanders and Jackson. Now add Carter, Ulofoshio (sp?), Solomon, Andreessen and Bishop and Beane has basically retooled nearly the entire defense. Unless Hancock can become a starter, Beane has more work to do at Safety.

While most of this is true, the one area that we could have helped ourselves in the draft was a deep threat WR and there was plenty of those available to draft in the 4th rd. In fact Beane & Co interviewed Thornton, Royals, Horton, and Smith as well as another 10 receivers leading up to the draft. Getting Prather who has decent, but not great speed in the 7th round was a complete let down and in a need based draft, not adding one of the speed guys they interviewed seems like a missed opportunity.

Haven't we had this topic before? Anyway we really won't know until we see how Palmer fits with Josh and in Brady's offense and well (or if) Coleman improves in year 2. I'm also going to suggest that if Samuel stays healthy in camp, you could see much more production out of him in 2025. So is this the worst WR group in the NFL. I'm not sure, but there is upside. I still would have like to see Beane draft someone like Royals, Thornton, Felton, or Arian Smith.

I don't think this is a stupid theory at all. We have seen many QBs throughout NFL history with cannons for arms who had no idea where the bomb was actually going (see Jeff George). We have certainly seen Josh miss open receivers deep over the years. I'm going to add another factor. What if the issue is less Josh and more the crazy wind conditions in Highmark Stadium? For decades we have seen kickers and punters struggle with the wind conditions in Buffalo. Is a 40 yard throw in the air any less likely to be affected by the wind than a 40 yard punt or 50 yard FG?

The Bills added 3 FAs and 3 draftees to our returning secondary The allocation looks something like this CB1 Benford, CB2 White (FA signing), Slot Johnson Backups - Strong (draftee), Ingram, Jackson (FA signee), Hairston (rookie draftee), Codrington (KR) Safety 1 Rapp, Safety 2 Bishop Backups - Forrest (FA signee), Hamlin, Cam Lewis and Hancock (Rookie Draftee) Camp Battles CB2 - White vs Hairston Backups - Ingram, Strong, Jackson Starting safety spots are all in play - Rapp and Hamlin are the returning starters and unless Rapp get hurt he'll keep his job as Beane likes his leadership. The other starting job is a 3 way battle between Forrest, Hamlin, and Bishop. The next battle is draftee Hancock vs Lewis for the CB/S depth and special teams role. If I had to guess Hairston beats White for the CB2 job, but with White taking regular snaps depending on opponent and situation. I also think we'll only keep two of Ingram, Strong or Jackson. Right now I project Jackson as the loser in that competition. I also see Bishop winning the starting safety job, but Forrest giving him a run for his money. One the reason I started this thread is I think special teams will play a huge factor on who wins some of the depth secondary jobs. Last season Gilliam, Morris, Ingram and Lewis played the most special teams snap. Morris is already gone. The question becomes if the rookies like Hancock and Strong beat out Lewis and Ingram for jobs, then 3/4 of our top special teamers will be gone. Ingram's special teams skills are the reason he'll ultimately beat out Jackson for the final CB job. However, I'm taking the opposite position on Hancock vs Lewis. Assuming Hancock has a camp, I can see him nudging out Lewis. The Bills don't view Lewis as anything more than a special teamer and injury fill in. With Hamlin, Rapp and Forrest on one year deals, I think management will want Hancock on the active roster to develop into a potential starter in 2026. That said, Hancock will have to show up on special teams in pre-season to make Beane comfortable with cutting Lewis. Assuming both Strong and Hancock make the team, Beane and McD will expect them to help on special teams. Andreessen, the UDFA LB, played the 5th most special teams snaps last season, Solomon was 6th and Bishop 7th.

Well the draft is in the books. Beane made 9 picks 1 - CB - Maxwell Hairston - 30th overall 2 - DT - TJ Sanders - 41st overall 3 - DE - Landon Jackson - 72nd overall 4 - DT - Deone Walker - 109th overall 5 - CB/S - Jordan Hancock - 170th 6 - TE - Jackson Hawes - 173rd 7 - CB - Dorian Strong - 177th 8 - OT - Chase Lundt - 206th 9 - WR - Kaden Prather - 240th Here is how I project the roster with these selections Offense (23) - Draftee, Underline = FA Signee QBs (2) - Allen, Trubisky, Cut - White RB/FB (4) - Cook, Davis, Ty Johnson, Gilliam (FB) TE (3) - Kincaid, Knox, Hawes Cut - Davidson WR (5) - Coleman, Shakir, Samuel, Palmer, Shenault - Cut Shavers, Prather OL (9) - Starters - Brown, Edwards, McGovern, Torrence, Dawkins Depth - SVPG, Anderson, Grable, Van Denmark, Cut - Lundt, Green Defense (27) - Draftee, Underline = FA Signee DE (5) - Rousseau, AJE, Solomon, Bosa, Jackson DT (5) - Oliver, Jones, Carter, Sanders, Walker LB (5) - Milano, Bernard, Williams, Andreessen, Ulofoshio - Cut Spector CB (7) - Benford, T Johnson, White, Hairston, Strong, Ingram Codrington (KR) - Cut Jackson S (5) - Rapp, Bishop, Hamlin, Forrest, Hancock - Cut Lewis Specialists (3) Bass PK, Camarda P, Ferguson LS Suspended: 6 games for PEDs Ogunjobi DT Hoecht DE

Love the first 3 picks, but other than Hawes, I didn’t see much I really like after the 3rd rd. I hate that we didn’t get a speed receiver to take the cover off the D especially with so many sitting there in the 4th rd. Also don’t like missing on a real safety with 3/4 of our safeties on one year deals. Drafting 3 CB is a pretty big indictment on the quality of our depth beyond Johnson and Benford. Dane Jackson and Ingram aren’t surviving camp. Grade A for the first 3 picks. Grade C- for the rest. Overall a B.

I like the pick. I had mocked to the Bills about 50 times. He is Knox 2.0

My biggest take from this draft is that management has no faith in our CBs beyond Johnson and Benford. If I were Jackson, Ingram and Codrington I’d have my agent putting feelers out.

When was the last time a 7th rd WR made an impact for the Bills?

Seattle grabs Horton.

Another great pick by the Eagles. Mondon is a very talented LB.

Come on Beane go get Horton.

The whole purpose of this draft is to rebuild the defense while remaining competitive. We did this with the offense by adding Kincaid, Coleman, Cook, Davis, Torrence, and Spencer Brown. Now we are doing it with the defense.

We need to trade 170 & 206 to get to 140’s to draft Horton.

Can Sanders go back to college?

If the Bills are serious about adding a speed WR, Horton is the only one left they visited with.

Those two were so unlike Beane. I'm honestly shocked that he didn't void at least one of their contracts, especially now that we are loading up on DL in the draft.

apparently not

Very crowded DL room with Jones, Oliver, Rousseau, Bosa, Carter, Solomon, Lodge, AJE, plus draftees Sanders, Jackson and now Walker. Then add the 2 suspended players in Ogunjobi and Hochet. That’s a lot of bodies for only 9-10 spots

Not surprised Beane was aggressive and moved. I am surprised it was for another DT.