2023 Buffalo Bills Overall Draft Grade

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

I was hoping this draft would be all about Josh Allen and it was so I gave them a solid A. Allen has 2 more weapons at his disposal in TE Dalton Kincaid and WR Justin Shorter (Shorter probably wont see a ton of action this year but you never know). OG O'Cyrus Torrence was the #1 rated G for me in this class so landing him at 59 was an absolute steal imo with 0 sacks allowed in College and then another steal for me was 7th round G Nick Broecker, another guy who was 2nd team SEC with 0 sacks allowed in College at Ole Miss and has a real shot at making the team. I didn't know much about the selection of LB Doriam Williams our 3rd round pick but I've watched 3 Tulane games so far and he has stood out on defense in 2 of the 3 games, very instinctive, he doesn't hesitate, when he sees the ball he goes after it whether the QB has it or the RB he is flying to it. I've seen many on here criticize his size but that appears to be the modern ILB now a days, athletic and smallish ass i look around the league and will start off at OLB according to Beane. 

 

I feel our first 3 picks have a chance to start right away in some capacity and Broecker could possibly take a job or starts in the future, I really liked him alot but never saw that we had him visit or a zoom meeting and usually we dont stray from that so I must of missed it. All in all I thought Beane was very disciplined with the picks and instead of messing with next years picks (which is said to be a much better class) to get back this years picks, he stayed put and still drafted 6 players. We now have 9 picks next year from what I can see and then he can maneuver a bit better up and doiwn the board.

[ControllerOfPlanetX]

12 hours ago, BillMafia716ix said:

Grades are pointless nobody has played a snap. 

need to reserve judgement to see if the defense doesn’t get run over in the playoffs by a second team offensive line..

[JESSEFEFFER]

My view from 40,000 feet gives me reasons to have some doubts about Kincaid.  He's older, entered college without a pedigree (not the biggest red flag) has had a back problem, and enough of one to the point where there were not any testing numbers for him.  Those do not scream top TE or top 10 pick to me and are usually cause for a player to drop  The Bills must have gotten answers on all these.  I'll keep my fingers crossed. 

 

Justin Shorter may be sneaky good.  It seems like he was maybe devalued much like DK Metcalfe was for the lack of lateral movement ability.  He will still be a physical mismatch for most any of those covering him.  At the very least, he will present a different challenge to the Bills' DBs that cover him in practice.  O'Cyrus Torrence next to Brown may become a force in the run game but many did not like his movement skills at all.  Not sure about the LB.  Seems small and limited.  It looks like a C grade to me but I'll boost it to a B- grade with the full realization that I do not know what plans the Bills have for them or how good of a fit they will be and have earned some organizational credibility.

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

The NFL is emerging to short passing games to TE and RBs are replacing running the ball. As a result LBs have to be quicker and able to cover. I don't mind the Williams pick yet if we keep running a 4-2-5 base defense we need to find a bigger nickel as Taron Johnson while good in coverage weakens our run stopping. 

Tarons about as good a run stopper as a.cornwr can be, but I don't disagree.  I'm guessing we will see more fluid substituting, 4-2 and 4-3 situational.  Williams and Klein sharing time. 

 

We will see.  

[27yanks]

Ask me again in 3 years

 

[Warcodered]

 

It's incredible how accurate that chalkboard drawing is. 🤣

[JohnBonhamRocks]

Voted B. Mostly due to the lack of high picks and because I think getting an A is extremely rare, not because I’m down on the picks.

Tough to argue any pick except Williams was bad value. And I like the Williams pick, especially if his downfield play style reflects how the D figures to shift under McDermott.

 

This draft will be remembered as Kincaid goes. Here’s hoping Swole Beasley is truly an important new weapon for JA17!

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

14 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

G, which is worst than an F.

 

Brandon Beane is not a good GM. 

You get the 'Duke of Doubt' award for this thread.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

3 hours ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

You get the 'Duke of Doubt' award for this thread.

Definitely the worst draft feeling since 2018.

[ColoradoBills]

B+ on the players and addressing needs.  I bumped to A- for the 2 6th rounders for next year.

Maybe should be a B and bumped to B+ but I have been a fan for a long, long time.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

Hard to judge, Kincaid and Torrence are both high end talents. They’ll play right away.

 

But R3-R7 I don’t think we got much of anything. 
 

Kincaid could become the best Tight End in Bills history. 
 

B+

[wppete]

A - solid draft. First 4 draft picks will contribute now and contribute big. 

[MJS]

I went with a B-

 

But I suppose for me it hinges on how well Dorian Williams performs.

 

I feel like the biggest needs were MLB, DT, #2 WR, and Tackle. Those were not really addressed, especially considering Beane saying Williams would be playing OLB, at least to start. So, who is playing MLB?

 

I really like the first two picks, though.

[billsfan89]

23 hours ago, GymShorts84 said:

A. 
 

We haven’t drafted multiple starters in a couple years. Kincaid could be an impact player and Torrence should be a solid starter for years. I’m fine with the LB pick. He’s athletic and instinctive, and the LB room was thin. 
 

This board, understandably, has an Ohio State bias. Dawand Jones weighed 374 at the combine then didn’t weight in at his pro day. Speculation is that he gained weight and isn’t disciplined in his conditioning. D-ends will fly by him at that size. 

As much as I would have liked the Bills to select Jones I think the worry has to be that in addition to speed rush concerns he also might have a hard time staying healthy.  We see how hard it has been for Spencer Brown to stay healthy at the same height and 50-60 pounds lighter. 

[Rigotz]

22 hours ago, BillMafia716ix said:

Grades are pointless nobody has played a snap. 

You’re fun.

[LABILLBACKER]

On 4/29/2023 at 5:12 PM, Process said:

Like the first two picks. But not loving this habit of throwing third rounds picks in the trash can. So going with a B.

First 2 picks of Kincaid & Torrence are absolutely solid. And I agree for some bizarre reason we completely struggle in the 3rd round.  I'm terrified for our 3rd round Edmunds pick. I gave it a B+.  Hopefully Dorian proves us all wrong.

Edited May 1, 2023 by LABILLBACKER

[ganesh]

Had to give a B+

• for adding protection to Josh Allen. 
• But ignoring the defense especially DT and MLB.

We were weak on defense in the Playoffs and we did nothing to address it.  Hopefully, a few Veteran FA in those two positions will be hired post May 2nd

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Someone disliked me saying it’s the worst feeling since after the 2018 draft. Lol.

People just react, don’t even think about it.

Welcome to the NFL draft. No one knows how any of this will turn out.

[No_Matter_What]

Just a random though I don't want to start a thread about and probably no one cares but still - anybody saw confirmed somewhere which 2024 6th round picks we actually got?

 

We dealt with Texans and Rams, and were happy since we expect them to suck, but both team actually had MORE 6th round picks at that time.

 

Rams also had Broncos pick.

Texans also had Cowboys pick, and Tankathon thinks that we got that one (which is presumably worse).

 

I googled and didn't find confirmation. Anybody knows?

[Shaw66]

I spent the morning listening to press conferences and interviews, post-draft.

 

I think when you put the draft and free agency together, the Bills hit a home run.   

 

McGovern, Edwards and Torrence, in some combination, probably are taking over guard duties.   Bates fits perfectly as the interior backup.   And that's not ignoring others, like Broeker, who has a great grid-it-out attitude and may stick on the PS for a year before becoming more of a factor.   

 

Kincaid has the potential to be a seriously good addition to the offense. 

 

Shorter has amazing upside, and a great attitude. 

 

Latavius Murray will solidify the running back room, mentor Cook, and probably get some serious touches, too.  

 

Don't sleep on Dorian Williams, because he clearly has some special things about him too.  

 

Beane's trade up for Kincaid and recovery to get some picks was well-thought out.  

 

Where do I worry?  Offensive tackle.    LInebacker?  Not so much.   I'm trusting McDermott.   The fact that they didn't chase a more traditional mlb tells me that McDermott is comfortable where they are.   The Bills easily could have taken a linebacker in the second round; they had free agent guards, but McD and Beane clearly decided that they wanted a real keeper there, and that they didn't really need a true mlb.   Instead, they waited for Williams to fall. 

 

I think it all was masterful.

 

 

[RoyBatty is alive]

On 4/30/2023 at 9:08 AM, JMM said:

THIS!! People need to understand that Frazier and that D is GONE. It's going to be different type of D this year. Maybe it will be better maybe not, we shall see.

There is a lot of wild Arse speculation in this comment.

 

All you can say for certain is the Frazier is gone, as much as we know, Frazier was effectively ruining what McDermott wanted him to run,  It maybe the exact same thing and the selection of Dorian Williams as a potential MLB is another indication of more of the same, "undersized" faster quicker to react LBers good in coverage a la Milano.

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I spent the morning listening to press conferences and interviews, post-draft.

 

I think when you put the draft and free agency together, the Bills hit a home run.   

 

McGovern, Edwards and Torrence, in some combination, probably are taking over guard duties.   Bates fits perfectly as the interior backup.   And that's not ignoring others, like Broeker, who has a great grid-it-out attitude and may stick on the PS for a year before becoming more of a factor.   

 

Kincaid has the potential to be a seriously good addition to the offense. 

 

Shorter has amazing upside, and a great attitude. 

 

Latavius Murray will solidify the running back room, mentor Cook, and probably get some serious touches, too.  

 

Don't sleep on Dorian Williams, because he clearly has some special things about him too.  

 

Beane's trade up for Kincaid and recovery to get some picks was well-thought out.  

 

Where do I worry?  Offensive tackle.    LInebacker?  Not so much.   I'm trusting McDermott.   The fact that they didn't chase a more traditional mlb tells me that McDermott is comfortable where they are.   The Bills easily could have taken a linebacker in the second round; they had free agent guards, but McD and Beane clearly decided that they wanted a real keeper there, and that they didn't really need a true mlb.   Instead, they waited for Williams to fall. 

 

I think it all was masterful.

 

 

Sorry to quote myself, but let's add in Poona Ford.   This is a great, great job by Beane.  

 

In the UDFA there's discussion about the locks on this roster.   The count is up to 49 locks.   Whether that's exactly right or not, it's evidence of how solid this roster is.  And a lot has to do with what Beane has done in the past two months. 

[JMM]

3 hours ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

There is a lot of wild Arse speculation in this comment.

 

All you can say for certain is the Frazier is gone, as much as we know, Frazier was effectively ruining what McDermott wanted him to run,  It maybe the exact same thing and the selection of Dorian Williams as a potential MLB is another indication of more of the same, "undersized" faster quicker to react LBers good in coverage a la Milano.

Some speculation,  which is kind of what this board is about. Wild? Dramatic much?

[HappyDays]

12 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I spent the morning listening to press conferences and interviews, post-draft.

 

I think when you put the draft and free agency together, the Bills hit a home run.   

 

McGovern, Edwards and Torrence, in some combination, probably are taking over guard duties.   Bates fits perfectly as the interior backup.   And that's not ignoring others, like Broeker, who has a great grid-it-out attitude and may stick on the PS for a year before becoming more of a factor.   

 

Kincaid has the potential to be a seriously good addition to the offense. 

 

Shorter has amazing upside, and a great attitude. 

 

Latavius Murray will solidify the running back room, mentor Cook, and probably get some serious touches, too.  

 

Don't sleep on Dorian Williams, because he clearly has some special things about him too.  

 

Beane's trade up for Kincaid and recovery to get some picks was well-thought out.  

 

Where do I worry?  Offensive tackle.    LInebacker?  Not so much.   I'm trusting McDermott.   The fact that they didn't chase a more traditional mlb tells me that McDermott is comfortable where they are.   The Bills easily could have taken a linebacker in the second round; they had free agent guards, but McD and Beane clearly decided that they wanted a real keeper there, and that they didn't really need a true mlb.   Instead, they waited for Williams to fall. 

 

I think it all was masterful.

 

 

 

I would describe this offseason as surgical. Perhaps out of necessity due to tight cap space and limited draft capital, Beane has had to spend every last dollar and draft pick appropriately. Every move has made a lot of sense and every addition has a reasonable likelihood of measurably improving the roster. Beane finally, FINALLY, made some concessions on defense in order to devote more resources to the offense. He hasn't made any wacky Vernon Butler type deals.

 

Some people need to max out their credit cards before they learn how to spend responsibly. I think we've seen Beane go through that transition this offseason.

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by HappyDays

[Shaw66]

9 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

I would describe this offseason as surgical. Perhaps out of necessity due to tight cap space and limited draft capital, Beane has had to spend every last dollar and draft pick appropriately. Every move has made a lot of sense and every addition has a reasonable likelihood of measurably improving the roster. Beane finally, FINALLY, made some concessions on defense in order to devote more resources to the offense. He hasn't made any wacky Vernon Butler type deals.

 

Some people need to max out their credit cards before they learn how to spend responsibly. I think we've seen Beane go through that transition this offseason.

 

Happy -

 

This is great.   You say it a bit critically, as though it took Beane a while to learn this lesson.  I'm not sure that's what happened.   As I said, I think the Bills roster keeps getting better and better, which is what McBeane said the objective was when they started.   Getting better and better means from year to year you have fewer holes to fill, or smaller problems to deal with in the lineup.   Surgical is the right word, but the job three years ago didn't require such precision.   For example, I was thrilled when they signed Beas and Brown a few years ago, a clear upgrade.   But that wasn't "surgical," that was just trying to get to decent.  They signed Beas and Brown and I thought, "Just what they needed."  A big step forward.   Beas and Brown gave Allen targets.

 

Once they got Diggs, Davis, and Knox, the Bills receiving corps was way more than decent; it just needed some precise improvements to get to elite.   Kincaid looks like that kind of addition.

 

And Torrence.   Protect Allen better, and run better, both with added power on the line and added power (Harris and Murray) in the backfield.   Surgical.  

 

And Rapp and Poona.   McDermott clearly wants to play with speedy linebackers, and to be able to do that you need to sandwich them between a tough defensive line and a tough defensive backfield.   

 

Everything they do has a purpose.   It's really impressive. 

[HomeTeam]

This has been a masterclass of an off season by Beane and company. After the Cincinnati, we were all wondering how this team could address all of its issues with lack of cap space and draft picks. I have to commend McDermott and Beane for their ability to honestly look at themselves (and the team) and make the necessary adjustments.  Areas where they lacked; from defensive playcalling/scheming, protecting Allen, adding more offensive playmakers, and getting bigger/meaner have all been addressed.

 

I know it's early but I am so happy with the state of this team. I believe that we've taken the right steps to get us over the edge. Can't wait for training camp to start, it's going to be a lot of fun!

[dpberr]

I gave an A.  I think you have two, possibly three players who will start multiple games in 2023, and they all appear to be legit football players, not athletes learning how to play football.

 

I really like the Kincaid and Shorter picks.  They are both talented at route running, and that's the key skill you want in a pass catcher.  

[Warriorspikes51]

B+   I wanted Dawand Jones in the 3rd. Risky pick, but if he hits...him and Torrence would have locked down the right side and mauled a lot of defenders together for years. 

[starrymessenger]

Must say I've been very impressed with Beane and the whole front office this off-season. They have clearly taken stock of what transpired the last couple of years and have correctly decided to change, or perhaps modify is the better word, their approach on both sides of the ball. I expect greater diversification and less predictability even in schemes they run. To me Beane has pretty much done everything right and he's looking like a top GM imo. He didn't have a top 5 player fall into his lap much later like the guy in Philly did. He did as well as he could given what was available and his draft position and really seems to have exceeded expectations. There seems to be a good understanding of what needed to be done and a coherent plan has taken shape. I'm especially impressed with his stock piling picks for next years draft. We can use those to move up for Marvin Harrison JR (I wish). 
Beane has done and continues to do his job. The ball is now pretty much in the coaches hands. How they wind up performing this coming year will have everything to do with how they are perceived, especially the OC imo. Not that I think this will be easy. What I'm hoping to see is gradual improvement as the players execute their assignments and peaking as we enter the playoffs (hopefully).

2 hours ago, SUNY_amherst said:

I gave it a C. I dont really see any big impact coming from anyone. They all seem like depth pieces only but I will say depth pieces are important to have and they have some high floors.

 

To get a B or A, you'd want to land some future (good) starters

 

 

 

Their first two picks should be exceptional starters.

[ColoradoBills]

On 5/1/2023 at 11:55 AM, No_Matter_What said:

Just a random though I don't want to start a thread about and probably no one cares but still - anybody saw confirmed somewhere which 2024 6th round picks we actually got?

 

We dealt with Texans and Rams, and were happy since we expect them to suck, but both team actually had MORE 6th round picks at that time.

 

Rams also had Broncos pick.

Texans also had Cowboys pick, and Tankathon thinks that we got that one (which is presumably worse).

 

I googled and didn't find confirmation. Anybody knows?

 

It's all "unconfirmed" from everywhere I have looked.  The only assumption I read is that the Texans 6th rounder is probably the Cowboys one.

[somnus00]

On 4/29/2023 at 5:06 PM, Success said:

2 instant starters/upgrades.  Kincaid will be a match-up problem for DC's, and Torrence really upgrades the line.  Our running backs may finally have some holes to burst through.

 

3rd round is the wildcard - but let's see how McD's new scheme is.

 

Some guys late that are proverbial "high ceiling."  I could see Shorter making the roster, and even being a contributor his rookie year.  We don't have a WR like him.

 

Both 7th rounders could be surprising, imo.  I love that Broeker can play anywhere. I saw a few pundits saying that they had him going much earlier.

 

Gave this an "A."

 

This is such an odd draft for me. I'm intrigued by the top 3 picks, but I think there are real questions about how they will be used. They don't really seem to fit unless we see a change in philosophy on offense and defense (which I'm thinking we'll see this coming season). So I'm nervously excited to see them in action.

 

The last 3 picks I really like as depth guys. I think Austin is a better prospect than Dane Jackson was coming out of Pitt. And this coaching staff is just excellent at developing secondary.

[BillsFanSD]

Like other people have said, the first two picks were both very good and also pretty lucky.  I have a variety of opinions regarding the other picks, but honestly none of us really know how any of those later selections are going to play out.  The main thing is that we drafted two players who should theoretically be competing for starting positions right away, along with a bunch of players who have viable paths to making our roster.  Looks good to me.

 

My only disappointment was not drafting a RT in round 1 or 2, but that position just wasn't an option with the way the board broke.

[Shaw66]

15 minutes ago, SUNY_amherst said:

 

I think you are gonna be disappointed. A small tight end on a team that already has a tight end they don't use. And a big guard that struggles with pass blocking in a finesse, passing offense. Both are rotational now and likely into the future.

 

The linebacker might end up being the best pick

Really?

 

Kincaid will play WITH Knox, not replace him. And PFF has Torrence tied for first as the best pass blocking guard in the class.  

 

Maybe you need to read up on these guys a bit more. 

 

 

 

 

[starrymessenger]

36 minutes ago, SUNY_amherst said:

 

I think you are gonna be disappointed. A small tight end on a team that already has a tight end they don't use. And a big guard that struggles with pass blocking in a finesse, passing offense. Both are rotational now and likely into the future.

 

The linebacker might end up being the best pick

Well he may be a small TE but he's a very big receiver. TBH I wanted Addison but Kincaid is not just a consolation prize. He's a stand alone premium pick. He should be very impactful in the passing game, just in a different way than a WR 2.

I take it that your displeasure with the Torrance pick is more scheme related than based on a want of skill. But although Gator's O-line was big and aggressive Napier's scheme is not a pure power/gap system. His is a spread offence that is replete with zone concepts. In Torrance's case that admittedly probably means more inside rather than outside zone, but the player is no doubt completely familiar with zone concepts. And while the Gators were run first they did that to set up the pass and I think when you consider suitability you have also to take into consideration that we are now looking at a Bills offence that will be doing a lot more running on early downs than they did last year. Torrance will be completely familiar with that approach as well. And with regard to blocking in the passing game looks to me like Torrance will be very effective in stabilizing the pocket for Josh. 
One question that I have is how well and how quickly will Josh drive his new offence. It will require some adjustment to his hair on fire approach to things. 

Edited May 3, 2023 by starrymessenger