Early returns on 2024 Draft is awful

[YattaOkasan]

5 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

No, you are the definition of a fan.  You are blind to the fact this team is filled with average talent that is elevated by Allen.   Beane has whiffed consistently on the top end of the draft.   You can beat the “more players in the league than others” drum all you want, the facts are the facts.  Yet, there is next to zero top level talent on this team that Beane brought in, especially if you consider the number of swings he’s taken at positions and consistently missed.  
 

His ONLY claims to fame are Benford, who was a nice 6th round pick, but that’s not so exciting when you wasted a 1st round pick in the same draft on a CB that essentially never saw the field in the Bills uniform and Cook, who was his 3rd swing at RB with zero hits there too. 

 

This team is full of “good” players and no difference makers.  The reason this team get bounced, year after year by more talented teams is THEY ARE LESS TALENTED.   The reason this team is LAST in available cap space and has exactly 3 guys anyone outside of Buffalo might know on the roster (and that’s actually debatable as most don’t know OL) is piss poor drafting of elite talent.  They keep trying to sign their own talent, which only perpetuates the cycle of mediocre talent.   Who’s else is super pumped to have top 10 pick, definition of mediocre, Ed Oliver locked up? Or Mr. Glass with 2/3 of a season of above average production on tape at off the ball LB, locked up?  
 

Believe what you want, until this team gets real talent in the draft, they will continue to be a brides maid.  Beane’s blind eye at WR, DE, S, CB and DT will again be the reason this team will be bounced before the SB, because Allen can only carry two sub par talented sides of the ball so far. 

Beane doesnt get to have Josh as a claim to fame?  He nailed the most important position with a player that was almost universally panned.  So you panning him now isnt gonna get you much.  You also left off Spencer Brown, who is top 5 at his position, from this list.  How many top 5 players at their position should he have at this point?  

[YattaOkasan]

3 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

You have your Bills fan glasses on.

 

Singletary is below average as a starter.

 

Knox is barely average and certainly not above average as a starter and is massively overpaid.

 

Zack Moss, you are really arguing the “success” of spending a 3rd round pick on a guy that’s on what, his 4th team?  He’s a nice story for a guy who grinds it out, but was a complete bust here and that’s really all that matters.

 

Bernard is average.  There is nothing above average about him, especially with all the injuries.

 

Dorian Williams is not above average as a back up and is not going to be starting ( or we might as well mail the season in), I like the guy, but let’s just be real, great athlete, but can’t take a job on one of the worst LB depth charts in the league.

 

DeWayne Carter is going to be lucky to be in the league by the end of camp.

You can disagree with some of the characterization

 

On Singeltary, lol that below average starters get multiple contracts in the league, thats a silly take. 

 

Knox contract is immaterial to this discussion on the DRAFT

 

Zack Moss is a miss imo (included all for posterity)

 

I dont know what you mean about worst LB depth charts in the league?  not at the top?  You think that its a slight on Dorian that hes not beating out Milano this year?  Lets see how that take ages.  I hope he starts next year so you can mail in the season.

 

How many Top 5 player at their positions should Beane have drafted by now?  How does he compare to his peers (pretty close to Veach from my quick look).  Youre arguing that someone named executive of the year and is still on his same team is bad at drafting.  I want more out of the first couple rounds too but this is wild.  Clearly im biased for thinking he might be good.

[Augie]

4 minutes ago, YattaOkasan said:

You can disagree with some of the characterization

 

On Singeltary, lol that below average starters get multiple contracts in the league, thats a silly take. 

 

Knox contract is immaterial to this discussion on the DRAFT

 

Zack Moss is a miss imo (included all for posterity)

 

I dont know what you mean about worst LB depth charts in the league?  not at the top?  You think that its a slight on Dorian that hes not beating out Milano this year?  Lets see how that take ages.  I hope he starts next year so you can mail in the season.

 

How many Top 5 player at their positions should Beane have drafted by now?  How does he compare to his peers (pretty close to Veach from my quick look).  Youre arguing that someone named executive of the year and is still on his same team is bad at drafting.  I want more out of the first couple rounds too but this is wild.  Clearly im biased for thinking he might be good.

 

Yes, judgements can be biased, in either direction. You sound more fair and open to all the facts, not just the ones that support your agenda.  

[JerseyBills]

23 hours ago, Ben said:

It seems like Carter was looking pretty good last year prior to his injury. Hopefully he gets back to at least solid rotational guy. But bishop needs to show something fast

I remember a few plays where I was super impressed with Carter pre injury

[billsfan89]

3 hours ago, Da webster guy said:

Carter hasnt been healthy enough but flashed some talent his rookie season.   
 

No mention of ray davis or solomon?   Cmon bro.   Way too early to judge a class, although Bishop looks lost right now and in a redraft we dont take the guy.  

 

I wouldn't use a redraft as a good template because there's very few picks you wouldn't redraft with hindsight. That being said of course after year one and some pre-season games you really can't judge a rookie class. You can't really have a fully painted picture until year 3. But even just looking at the "early returns" the 2024 class is looking not bad at all. Keon and Davis were solid offensive contributors their rookie years. Even Bishop started games his rookie season and wasn't bad. Grable, Solomon, and SVPG all flashed potential as back end finds as well. 

 

I think the class is going to hinge on can Keon and Davis take a step up and have bigger roles on the offense, can Carter or Bishop be a starter or high end rotation player, and can a couple of the back end picks emerge as solid depth/role players? If they get 2 starters and 3-4 depth pieces and role players out of a draft class where they drafted late and traded away a pick for a 4th in the next years draft that is a positive draft class.

Edited August 19 by billsfan89

[Rousseauisnoschmo]

Three starters out of any draft is a good draft regardless of where they were picked IMO. Usually need three years before you can make that call. 

[JGMcD2]

1 hour ago, DCofNC said:

No, you are the definition of a fan.  You are blind to the fact this team is filled with average talent that is elevated by Allen.   Beane has whiffed consistently on the top end of the draft.   You can beat the “more players in the league than others” drum all you want, the facts are the facts.  Yet, there is next to zero top level talent on this team that Beane brought in, especially if you consider the number of swings he’s taken at positions and consistently missed.  
 

His ONLY claims to fame are Benford, who was a nice 6th round pick, but that’s not so exciting when you wasted a 1st round pick in the same draft on a CB that essentially never saw the field in the Bills uniform and Cook, who was his 3rd swing at RB with zero hits there too. 

 

This team is full of “good” players and no difference makers.  The reason this team get bounced, year after year by more talented teams is THEY ARE LESS TALENTED.   The reason this team is LAST in available cap space and has exactly 3 guys anyone outside of Buffalo might know on the roster (and that’s actually debatable as most don’t know OL) is piss poor drafting of elite talent.  They keep trying to sign their own talent, which only perpetuates the cycle of mediocre talent.   Who’s else is super pumped to have top 10 pick, definition of mediocre, Ed Oliver locked up? Or Mr. Glass with 2/3 of a season of above average production on tape at off the ball LB, locked up?  
 

Believe what you want, until this team gets real talent in the draft, they will continue to be a brides maid.  Beane’s blind eye at WR, DE, S, CB and DT will again be the reason this team will be bounced before the SB, because Allen can only carry two sub par talented sides of the ball so far. 

You keep saying I’m the “definition of a fan,” but the reality is my take is grounded in research, while yours reads more like the definition of a fanatic - rigid, intolerant, and unwilling to see nuance.

 

You frame this roster as “average talent elevated by Allen,” but the actual track record doesn’t support that. Newsflash: drafting three elite players (you identified Cook and Benford) - including Josh - already puts him ahead of the majority of his peers.

 

Let’s talk nuance. Teams acquire elite talent in different ways, but by definition “elite” is scarce. You’re not going to find 4–5 elite players on every roster.

So go ahead - name the names. Count how many teams actually have more elite talent than Buffalo.

 

We’re not even getting into how badly most teams miss in the draft. You’re dismissing Benford just because Beane missed on Elam? Please.

 

By that logic, Howie Roseman fell into DeVonta Smith after botching the Jalen Reagor pick over Justin Jefferson. Want to talk about the Chiefs? Isiah Pacheco confirmed first-rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire as a wasted pick. Felix Anudike-Uzomah? Total mess. Kingsley Suamataia was benched outright, which forced them to go right after a first-round OT this year. 

 

Misses happen everywhere. Acting like Buffalo’s are uniquely catastrophic is just lazy. You’re only good or bad by comparison. Trying to reduce this to “the Bills are bad because I said so” is embarrassing.

 

P.S. It’s cute that you’re saying things like “has exactly three guys anyone outside of Buffalo might know on the roster” — and that’s debatable, since most people don’t really know OL anyway. As if ESPN analysts or random Titans fans on Twitter knowing who Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown are would convince me they’re elite or not. 

 

Maybe a little soul searching is in order, lol.

Edited August 19 by JGMcD2

[KentuckyBillsFan]

Calling Cook and Benford "elite" is a stretch IMO

[Success]

This one has real "bump" potential as the season progresses.

 

[Delete_Delete_Delete]

5 hours ago, YattaOkasan said:

Now do the rest of day 2 since you brought it up.  

Spencer Brown (top 5 at position)

Devin Singeltary (Average Starter)

Dawson Knox (Above Average Starter)

Zack Moss (Above Average Backup)

Terrel Bernard (Above average Green Dot Starter)

Dorian Williams (Above Average Backup, likely starter next year)

Dewayne Carter (Below Average Backup > still time)

Landon Jackson (way too early to tell)

 

 

Brown and Bernard I’ll give you, top 5 might be a bit Homery, but so is the rest of your assessment. Dawson Knox is above average in what way? 
Using two day 2 picks on RB and walking a way with an average RB, and a bust is not a brag. It took him three tries to finally get it right with Cook.

 

There is literally nothing special in there, at all. Nothing that’s like “wow, what a wizard, how does he do it?”, he basically drafted a bunch of jags, and then combine with all the busts/disappointments I listed in the post you responded too, and it basically says it all-

 

Josh Allen is his resume. Without Josh he’s back in Carolina 4 years ago…

Edited August 19 by Delete_Delete_Delete

[mannc]

9 hours ago, finn said:

As for being better than Bishop, I don't know for sure, just as I don't know Elam won't end up being better than McDuffie. 

You don’t see the difference in evaluating a prospect who’s going into year 2, after being injured most of his rookie year, and a guy who’s already completed three full NFL seasons?

Edited August 19 by mannc

[YattaOkasan]

1 minute ago, Delete_Delete_Delete said:

Brown and Bernard I’ll give you, top 5 might be a bit Homery, but so is the rest of your assessment. Dawson Knox is above average in what way? 
Using two day 2 picks on RB and walking a way with an average RB, and a bust is not a brag. It took him three tries to finally get it right with Cook.

 

There is literally nothing special in there, at all. Nothing that’s like “wow, what a wizard, how does he do it?”, he basically drafted a bunch of jags, and then combine with all the busts/disappointments I listed in the post you responded too, and it basically says it all-

 

Josh Allen is his resume. Without Josh he’s back in Carolina 4 years ago…

It was more just to complete the list of a previous poster with Round 3.  These are not his standouts in any way and Im not trying to say all my assessments are true.  Rather its how i see it.

 

I disagree that Josh Allen is his resume.  Taron Johnson, Spencer Brown, and Christian Benford are all considered top 10 at their position (top 5 by many but we can hopefully agree on top 10, otherwise provide your list).  Rounded out with Oliver, Groot, Shakir, Cook, Edmunds, and Wyatt Teller.  Thats a lot of talent he drafted (only one top 10 pick in there too).  Dont know what to say if you think those are JAGs.  Maybe go look at Veach and Roseman and their hit rate.  Theirs is a bit better imo but not "wow, what wizards how do they do it".  

 

Does he get to add Executive of the Year to his resume?  Did he get that just for Josh Allen?  

[Delete_Delete_Delete]

27 minutes ago, YattaOkasan said:

It was more just to complete the list of a previous poster with Round 3.  These are not his standouts in any way and Im not trying to say all my assessments are true.  Rather its how i see it.

 

I disagree that Josh Allen is his resume.  Taron Johnson, Spencer Brown, and Christian Benford are all considered top 10 at their position (top 5 by many but we can hopefully agree on top 10, otherwise provide your list).  Rounded out with Oliver, Groot, Shakir, Cook, Edmunds, and Wyatt Teller.  Thats a lot of talent he drafted (only one top 10 pick in there too).  Dont know what to say if you think those are JAGs.  Maybe go look at Veach and Roseman and their hit rate.  Theirs is a bit better imo but not "wow, what wizards how do they do it".  

 

Does he get to add Executive of the Year to his resume?  Did he get that just for Josh Allen?  

My assessment was strictly the first three rounds. 
He’s had some nice hits in other rounds, certainly wouldn’t list Edmunds amongst any of his accomplishments, and Wyatt Teller is probably the guy with the most accolades on that list and he didn’t have the foresight to actually keep him on the roster, but Dawson Knox got a bloated extension…

 

His propensity for finding occasional late round gems who out perform their late round draft status doesn’t make up for the squandered picks in the first three rounds, where all the premium talent is considered to be. That is a concern. 
 

This team should have multiple Super Bowl performances at this stage of Josh’s career especially when looking at his absolutely elite playoff numbers, so who’s not doing their job when 17 is “putting on his cape” year in year out only for somebody to inevitably fall short? Whether it be the defense that has had SO much draft capital and free agency dollars thrown at it, only to be a liability every year in the playoffs, or 1st round picks not coming up in big moments like Dalton Kantkatch, or does the honus fall of McDermott and his defensive coaching staff? The common denominator in all of that is Brandon Beane, those are all players/coaches put on the field with his seal of approval, so imo, the buck stops there.

It all starts at the top, and to your point he’s made some good decisions like some late round picks and Joe Brady, but it’s going to be incredibly hard to win it all if you can’t ever knock day 1/day2 out of the park like the other perennial winners do from time to time to retool on the cheap.

FTR, I like Beane, I want him to succeed, but at this point I’ve lost pretty much all faith in his ability to put together a defense to compliment Josh like Mahomes has had in KC.  

[billsfan89]

1 hour ago, YattaOkasan said:

It was more just to complete the list of a previous poster with Round 3.  These are not his standouts in any way and Im not trying to say all my assessments are true.  Rather its how i see it.

 

I disagree that Josh Allen is his resume.  Taron Johnson, Spencer Brown, and Christian Benford are all considered top 10 at their position (top 5 by many but we can hopefully agree on top 10, otherwise provide your list).  Rounded out with Oliver, Groot, Shakir, Cook, Edmunds, and Wyatt Teller.  Thats a lot of talent he drafted (only one top 10 pick in there too).  Dont know what to say if you think those are JAGs.  Maybe go look at Veach and Roseman and their hit rate.  Theirs is a bit better imo but not "wow, what wizards how do they do it".  

 

Does he get to add Executive of the Year to his resume?  Did he get that just for Josh Allen?  

 

I think Bills fans throw around the term JAG way too loosely. Are Singletary and Knox home run picks in round 3? No. But they are/were capable starters certainly a nice "single" if we are sticking with the baseball analogy. Has Beane made mistakes like any GM? Yes. But the Bills are a top 5-6 drafting team in the league since 2017 and I don't care how good Josh Allen is if he didn't have a team capably built around him the team wouldn't be an 11 win team consistently. Look at the Bengals, they have a QB that's pretty close and they won 9 games last year as an example. A great QB papers over a lot but they can't paper over it all...

[Delete_Delete_Delete]

2 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

 

I think Bills fans throw around the term JAG way too loosely. Are Singletary and Knox home run picks in round 3? No. But they are/were capable starters certainly a nice "single" if we are sticking with the baseball analogy. Has Beane made mistakes like any GM? Yes. But the Bills are a top 5-6 drafting team in the league since 2017 and I don't care how good Josh Allen is if he didn't have a team capably built around him the team wouldn't be an 11 win team consistently. Look at the Bengals, they have a QB that's pretty close and they won 9 games last year as an example. A great QB papers over a lot but they can't paper over it all...

“JAG” to me means capable NFL player, not somebody you’re worried about on the field being a game changing playmaker. That’s motor. A dime a dozen NFL running back. Nothing to be ashamed of, Singletary carved out a nice lucrative career for himself, but he wasn’t giving any DC’s fits trying to gameplan for him.

 

You let me know when you see Joe Burrow run over and through defenders…

There is NOBODY like Josh Allen. No homer, it’s just not even close. There’s 17 and there’s everybody else… 

Bengals also play in a far tougher division.

I think if you put Burrow on this team, they are likely still division winners bc Beane has built a strong OL, and the division is still trash, but who knows how he looks without even one WR as capable as Tee Higgins, forget about Jamar Chase.

 

But yeah, I’ll agree the Bills are run better than the dumpster fire of an organization that is the Cincinnati Bengals. As well as the Dolphins, Browns, Jets, Raiders, and probably 2/3 of the league honestly. The “problem” is, the best football player EVER to step on a football field currently plays for our Buffalo Bills, at this point anything less than a Super Bowl is a disappointment. The bar has been raised and nobody seems to get that bc everybody here was so used to losing for so long, they seem content with Josh’s career falling short just bc that’s historically been the Bills M.O…

[corta765]

6 hours ago, Rousseauisnoschmo said:

Three starters out of any draft is a good draft regardless of where they were picked IMO. Usually need three years before you can make that call. 

The 2022 class which is the foundation of the new core didn't really start making a mark until the back half of 2023 and only by the end of the year could you look and start really really feeling good about where it was going.

 

Making any type of judgement on 2024 good or bad is a mistake until at minimum after this season and really like you said it should be year 3 where its yay or nay.

[Mikie2times]

6 hours ago, JGMcD2 said:

You frame this roster as “average talent elevated by Allen,” but the actual track record doesn’t support that. Newsflash: drafting three elite players (you identified Cook and Benford) - including Josh - already puts him ahead of the majority of his peers.

 

Based on what? Our domination of the AFC East with an MVP QB? QB's that put up the type of QBR Allen has given us year in and year out average over 65% winning % over the last 20+ years and that isn't with a division of back up QB's for half a decade. 

 

Compared to the the contending teams we have the least top 100 players, least pro bowlers, and least All Pro's. All "measurable" things. But the take tends to be, "but in poor Buffalo, nobody knows our players". While simultaneously having the MVP on our roster and more national TV games per year than just about anybody outside of Dallas or KC. 

 

We have Allen, Cook, Dawkins, Brown, and Benford, maybe Johnson if you count nickle corners as far as top 10 positional players. Yet we have invested the 3rd most draft capital in the defensive line since McD has come here (I can prove that as well). Our WR's are a hot plate of garbage along with our secondary which is REALLY saying something given two of those top 10 players I called out reside there. Funny thing with both is the problem existed last year as well. We just don't seem to acknowledge it as we will ride the extra wiggle Allen gives us into the ground vs upgrading. Christ, we played last year like a cheap MLB team waiting for the trade deadline to be certain they don't have what they need, while first place was lost long ago.  

 

What we have done during this rebuild Version 2 has been very, very average. Something that would be exposed to the core if it wasn't for Josh. Beane is doing a fairly blah job with the occasional single or double for some time. You can only live off Allen for so long. It will get exposed soon enough and already has been for plenty of us. 

Edited August 19 by Mikie2times

[JGMcD2]

15 minutes ago, Mikie2times said:

Based on what? Our domination of the AFC East with an MVP QB? QB's that put up the type of QBR Allen has given us year in and year out average over 65% winning % over the last 20+ years and that isn't with a division of back up QB's for half a decade. 

 

Compared to the the contending teams we have the least top 100 players, least pro bowlers, and least All Pro's. All "measurable" things. But the take tends to be, "but in poor Buffalo, nobody knows our players". While simultaneously having the MVP on our roster and more national TV games per year than just about anybody outside of Dallas or KC. 

 

We have Allen, Cook, Dawkins, Brown, and Benford, maybe Johnson if you count nickle corners as far as top 10 positional players. Yet we have invested the 3rd most draft capital in the defensive line since McD has come here (I can prove that as well). Our WR's are a hot plate of garbage along with our secondary which is REALLY saying something given two of those top 10 players I called out reside there. Funny thing with both is the problem existed last year as well. We just don't seem to acknowledge it as we will ride the extra wiggle Allen gives us into the ground vs upgrading. Christ, we played last year like a cheap MLB team waiting for the trade deadline to be certain they don't have what they need, while first place was lost long ago.  

 

What we have done during this rebuild Version 2 has been very, very average. Something that would be exposed to the core if it wasn't for Josh. Beane is doing a fairly blah job with the occasional single or double for some time. You can only live off Allen for so long. It will get exposed soon enough and already has been for plenty of us. 

Who is better then? The Ravens, can’t beat us, the poorly ran Buffalo Bills when it counts. 
 

The Bengals? Living off their miracle run to the Super Bowl. They’re more likely to miss the dance all together than make a run: 
 

The 49ers? You’d have a ***** cow of we mismanaged the QB position like them. 
 

So who do you want to point to Chiefs? Sure. Eagles? Absolutely. 
 

Brother, the same media that you’re taking their votes into account barely wanted to give Josh any credit this year. They’re JUST finally coming around on him. 

Edited August 19 by JGMcD2

[RoscoeParrish]

Very fun to head into the 2024 offseason with massive needs at WR and safety, and now, post the 2024 FA period and 2024 draft and the 2025 FA period and the 2025 draft, STILL have massive needs at WR and safety.

[Utah John]

On 8/18/2025 at 8:40 AM, MikePJ76 said:

Its pretty early to be declaring it a bad draft.  Bishop who everyone is flipping out about because he got beat playing a wr man to man a t the line of scrimmage played 1 and a half series last night.

 

Sederick Van Pran Granger's injury is a bummer this summer and the fact that he probably won't play at all this year stinks but he is a player that seemingly will be a starter at some point or given the opportunity to be a starter.

 

They like grable and he seems like another guy that is being developed.

 

Ray Davis proved who he was last year.  He is the perfect number 2 back.  

 

Carter is the one who is the most dissapointing to me.  He played in a similar system in collge and played the 1, 3 and 5 technique at end in college.  I thought he would at least be able to stand in there and play the run well even if he had no pass rush ability.  He has struggled this summer it seems and yesterday he looked exhausted in the second half of the game.  Im curious how many snaps he played last night.

 

Coleman is an ascending player.  

 

It seems to be calling the 24 draft a bust is very premature.

I think the O line is very deep so they'll stash SVPG on IR.  Next year looks tougher as McGovern will be difficult to retain since he's playing so well.  SVPG should be 100% by next summer and with a year to practice (one healed) we can hope he'll take McGovern's place.

 

McBeane are playing 4D chess now.  As always Beane is not thinking solely about this year but how to maintain a strong roster for years to come.