What's the first position the Bills draft in 2026?

[GoBills808]

1 minute ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

We wouldn't have made it as far as we did without Cook.

 

We might have gone farther had he played more.

 

 

 

 

We would have made it farther w Jahmyr Gibbs

[Sierra Foothills]

36 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

We would have made it farther w Jahmyr Gibbs

 

We would have made it farther with the Lions 2023 1st round pick instead of our own 2022 2nd round pick.

 

Got it.

 

[GoBills808]

13 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

We would have made it farther with the Lions 2023 1st round pick instead of our own 2022 2nd round pick.

 

Got it.

 

I don't think you do

 

Because saying we wouldnt have made it as far w out one of our starters is akin to saying nothing at all

[Sierra Foothills]

31 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

I don't think you do

 

Because saying we wouldnt have made it as far w out one of our starters is akin to saying nothing at all

 

No, I'm pretty sure I understand that you think we would have gone farther with the Lions 12th pick overall in 2023 as opposed to our 63rd pick overall in 2022.

 

It's hard to argue with that logic.

 

[GoBills808]

14 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

No, I'm pretty sure I understand that you think we would have gone farther with the Lions 12th pick overall in 2023 as opposed to our 63rd pick overall in 2022.

 

It's hard to argue with that logic.

 

Correct! And in response to your premise that we wouldnt have gone as far had James Cook's backup played instead of James Cook no less

 

 

 

 

[Kirby Jackson]

8 hours ago, Maine-iac said:

There is a large contingent of posters who would just draft a WR first every year no matter what.  Every single year they start thread after thread railing on about how we need to trade half our picks away and draft so and so WR.  I've seen a lot of amazing WR's have amazing years and almost none of them had anything to do with a SB win.  There's also no rule saying you have to draft equal amounts of offense and defense.  Beane feels like the defense is keeping us from winning it all he could draft all defense every year.  He wants to draft a WR with our first 3 picks he can do that also ............... and someone would still rant about how we need to draft a WR in the next draft.  Are there times we should draft a WR, no doubt, but there are two things of absolute certainty.  A broken clock will be right twice a day and there will be post upon post about who our next WR should be and how much we should trade away to get them. 

No there is not. I think those of us that understand the importance of the position wish that they didn’t draft 1 WR in the first 3 rounds (24 total picks since Josh) vs. 7 DL vs. 2 TEs vs. 3 RBs. Your QB is BY FAR the best player on your team. Why not supercharge him? Why draft positions like RB or TE that are cheap to find elsewhere? Let’s not use ridiculous hyperbole to move the needle. 
 

To clarify, we want the Bills to do at WR, what the teams with the other top QBs have tried to do. The Chiefs have drafted a 1st round WR & 3 2nd round WRs for Mahomes since he was drafted. The Ravens have spent 3 1st round picks on WR since Lamar was drafted! The Bengals have give Burrow a top 5 overall pick at WR, the first pick of the 2nd round at WR for Burrow and a 3rd. Burrow went 3 years after Josh. Nobody is saying, “draft a WR every year.” We are saying, “of the 24 picks in the top 3 rounds since Josh was drafted, more than 1 of them should be spent on WR. It’s the 2nd most expensive position in football and much like QB now, those guys don’t move in FA. To find an elite WR you pretty much need to draft them or trade a high pick for a malcontent.” If the Bills used 2 or 3 of the 5 picks that they used on RB/TE on WR, you wouldn’t hear people complaining (even if it didn’t work). It’s the strategy that’s flawed. Leave the hyperbole at home and dig in on the point.  Sorry to be redundant but it looks like some people missed that point along the way. Give Josh what the other great QBs get! 

[GunnerBill]

13 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

No there is not. I think those of us that understand the importance of the position wish that they didn’t draft 1 WR in the first 3 rounds (24 total picks since Josh) vs. 7 DL vs. 2 TEs vs. 3 RBs. Your QB is BY FAR the best player on your team. Why not supercharge him? Why draft positions like RB or TE that are cheap to find elsewhere? Let’s not use ridiculous hyperbole to move the needle. 
 

To clarify, we want the Bills to do at WR, what the teams with the other top QBs have tried to do. The Chiefs have drafted a 1st round WR & 3 2nd round WRs for Mahomes since he was drafted. The Ravens have spent 3 1st round picks on WR since Lamar was drafted! The Bengals have give Burrow a top 5 overall pick at WR, the first pick of the 2nd round at WR for Burrow and a 3rd. Burrow went 3 years after Josh. Nobody is saying, “draft a WR every year.” We are saying, “of the 24 picks in the top 3 rounds since Josh was drafted, more than 1 of them should be spent on WR. It’s the 2nd most expensive position in football and much like QB now, those guys don’t move in FA. To find an elite WR you pretty much need to draft them or trade a high pick for a malcontent.” If the Bills used 2 or 3 of the 5 picks that they used on RB/TE on WR, you wouldn’t hear people complaining (even if it didn’t work). It’s the strategy that’s flawed. Leave the hyperbole at home and dig in on the point.  Sorry to be redundant but it looks like some people missed that point along the way. Give Josh what the other great QBs get! 

 

We end up saying it every year because they never bloomin' do it!

 

Even the year they did go WR first pick they traded back twice into round 2 before making a pick to make it feel like a bit of a chore that they were "having" to take one. 

 

[Kirby Jackson]

1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

 

We end up saying it every year because they never bloomin' do it!

 

Even the year they did go WR first pick they traded back twice into round 2 before making a pick to make it feel like a bit of a chore that they were "having" to take one. 

 

I think a top 100 pick, every other year, is a reasonable ask with the current room. 1 out of every 6 picks until they have a solid group. 

[GunnerBill]

26 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I think a top 100 pick, every other year, is a reasonable ask with the current room. 1 out of every 6 picks until they have a solid group. 

 

Yea even when you extend it to first four rounds they have only take two in Beane's eight drafts. 

[Kirby Jackson]

35 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Yea even when you extend it to first four rounds they have only take two in Beane's eight drafts. 

For sure. You’re going to have to be backfilling. The WRs that move now are the role players. Elijah Moore, Gabe Davis, Josh Palmer and Curtis Samuel are the types of WRs that hit FA. If you do this right, you draft your number 1 and eventually pay him. You hope that those 3rd or 4th round guys end up like Gabe where you can pay them the rookie deal for 4 years of production and replace him with the next pick instead of the $16M(ish) in cap space that they currently have for Samuel, Moore and Palmer this year. If they were one guy (which basically they are one position plus depth) it would be the 3rd largest cap hit on the team. It’s more than Ceedee Lamb and Justin Jefferson’s cap numbers on this season.

Edited Wednesday at 12:35 PM by Kirby Jackson

[SoCal Deek]

21 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Yea even when you extend it to first four rounds they have only take two in Beane's eight drafts. 

So Gunner, let me ask you then, WHY are the Bills choosing this strategy? Who’s behind it? 

[Kirby Jackson]

23 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

So Gunner, let me ask you then, WHY are the Bills choosing this strategy? Who’s behind it? 

I don’t want to speak for Gunner but that was the Carolina way. That’s how they built those Cam Newton teams. Spend lots on the DL, RB and very little on WR. It’s just what they believe in. 

[GunnerBill]

4 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

For sure. You’re going to have to be backfilling. The WRs that move now are the role players. Elijah Moore, Gabe Davis, Josh Palmer and Curtis Samuel are the types of WRs that hit FA. If you do this right, you draft your number 1 and eventually pay him. You hope that those 3rd or 4th round guys end up like Gabe where you can pay them the rookie deal for 4 years of production and replace him with the next pick instead of the $16M(ish) in cap space that they currently have for Samuel, Moore and Palmer this year. If they were one guy (which basically they are one position plus depth) it would be the 4th largest cap hit on the team. It’s within $2M of Ceedee Lamb’s cap number on this season (think this is his option year). 

 

I just think two in the first four rounds in the draft in EIGHT years is underinvestment. Whichever way you look at it. 

[BillsVet]

18 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

That’s why I’m surprised/disappointed at how Beane reacted when he was asked about it. He got so defensive. It’s a fact that he has invested less in the position than the teams with the other top QBs. 

 

And this off-season we learned the GM sees WR as harder to scout which is why I contend he avoids the position in the top-100.  He'd rather spend valuable cap dollars on low to moderate UFA WRs who he has more tape on than use a high pick on a WR that could bust.  

 

What's irritating is that this has been their MO for a few years now.  2022 going with little beyond Diggs. 2023 signing Harty and Sherfield.  2024 featuring that terrible group which got Josh beat up in Weeks 4 and 5.  2025 is perhaps a tick better, but Elijah Moore and Josh Palmer don't exactly move the needle.   And in all that time only spending a RD2 pick he traded down twice for at the position.   

 

But it makes sense seeing the overall talent on the roster.  After taking Josh, Beane's MO is to take the known entity, particularly on defense or other low-positional value positions than risk a pick at WR.  

 

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I don’t want to speak for Gunner but that was the Carolina way. That’s how they built those Cam Newton teams. Spend lots on the DL, RB and very little on WR. It’s just what they believe in. 

 

@SoCal Deek - it's exactly as Kirby says above. In the 9 drafts he was in senior front office roles with the Panthers they spent 10 day one or two picks on defensive line - by far their biggest investment in any position group in that time and just 4 on wide receivers. In 8 drafts here it is 8 day one or two picks on defensive line - by far their biggest investment in any position group in that time and just 1 on wide receiver. 

[SoCal Deek]

5 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I don’t want to speak for Gunner but that was the Carolina way. That’s how they built those Cam Newton teams. Spend lots on the DL, RB and very little on WR. It’s just what they believe in. 

Thanks Kirby, but I’d describe your response as the WHAT not the WHY. As I’ve said many times here, I don’t necessarily agree with their strategy but if the Carolina tie is indeed true then it’s definitely not an act of omission. It’s clearly commission. 

Just now, GunnerBill said:

 

@SoCal Deek - it's exactly as Kirby says above. In the 9 drafts he was in senior front office roles with the Panthers they spent 10 day one or two picks on defensive line - by far their biggest investment in any position group in that time and just 4 on wide receivers. In 8 drafts here it is 8 day one or two picks on defensive line - by far their biggest investment in any position group in that time and just 1 on wide receiver. 

See my response to Kirby

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, SoCal Deek said:

Thanks Kirby, but I’d describe your response as the WHAT not the WHY. As I’ve said many times here, I don’t necessarily agree with their strategy but if the Carolina tie is indeed true then it’s definitely not an act of omission. It’s clearly commission. 

 

The "WHY" is as Beane has said multiple times he believe it is the way to build the team. Have waves of defensive linemen to send in fresh and attack offenses. He says all the time it "starts up front."

[Kirby Jackson]

3 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

Thanks Kirby, but I’d describe your response as the WHAT not the WHY. As I’ve said many times here, I don’t necessarily agree with their strategy but if the Carolina tie is indeed true then it’s definitely not an act of omission. It’s clearly commission. 

The why is what we are all trying to figure out. It’s just what they believe I guess. It’s certainly commission not omission. His peers, that have elite QBs, take a different strategy. 
 

My issue is that the landscape has changed A LOT in the last decade. No position has risen as a percentage of cap like WR (I don’t even factor in QB). When they were doing it, WRs were nowhere near as valuable. RBs were more valuable. I think @BillsVet hit on an interesting point about trusting themselves to swing on these high end WRs.
 

I’d like to see them continue trying like the Chiefs/Ravens have done. I’m of the belief that if, big if, the Bills are ever going to win it’s because of Josh Allen, not because of getting incrementally better on defense. Sure, that helps but I believe supercharging Josh Allen should be the top priority. The Bills built him a top 5 OL last year and it was widely considered the best year of his career. The Bills would have been 14-3 if they needed to be. That was with a bad defense. If they did the same with WR they could be otherworldly. For me, I like guys like Landon Jackson and Deone Walker. I think that they’ll be valuable rotational players. I would have rather seen a swing on a guy like Kyle Williams or Dont’e Thornton. 

Edited Wednesday at 04:05 PM by Kirby Jackson

[SoCal Deek]

5 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

The "WHY" is as Beane has said multiple times he believe it is the way to build the team. Have waves of defensive linemen to send in fresh and attack offenses. He says all the time it "starts up front."

Thanks! So it’s definitely not by accident then. And it’s your premise that it’s not going to change so long as Beane is in charge. And, just as important, you believe it isn’t McD who’s demanding this approach. 
 

I’d recommend you get used to it then. It’s hard to believe that Beane’s going anywhere as long as Josh Allen is a Buffalo Bill. 

[BillsVet]

33 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

The why is what we are all trying to figure out. It’s just what they believe I guess. It’s certainly commission not omission. His peers, that have elite QBs, take a different strategy. 
 

My issue is that the landscape has changed A LOT in the last decade. No position has risen as a percentage of cap like WR (I don’t even factor in QB). When they were doing it, WRs were nowhere near as valuable. RBs were more valuable. I think @BillsVet hit on an interesting point about trusting themselves to swing on these high end WRs.

 

One of the last times this topic came up (and it's an off-season tradition now) @GunnerBill noted that Beane losing Schoen was a big blow.  This may be true, but it's hard to believe that in the 4 off-seasons without Schoen, Beane hasn't changed his approach to include emphasizing drafting WRs in RD1/2/3.  Points to trusting a strategy and not trusting evaluations/evaluators he's brought on at one of the high-positional value positions.