Bills 2024 Draft

[The Jokeman]

On 10/13/2025 at 11:10 PM, Andy1 said:

Bills are experiencing a talent drought, getting almost nothing from the entire 2024 draft class. 
 

K. Coleman

C. Bishop

D. Carter

R. Davis

S. Van Pran-Granger

E. Ulofoshio

J. Solomon

T. Grable 

D. Hardy

T. Clayton

 

We are playing too many old players because they are better than these picks. No easy answers to get out of this hole. 

I guess we could have the Chiefs draft class instead....

 

WR X Worthy, could have not traded up (and kepy a 3rd round pick) and drafted Ladd McConkey

OL K Suamataia, was drafted to be LT instead cheap replacement for Thurney but not playing close to his level 

TE J Wiley 1 career reception 

S J Hicks PFFs 73rd ranked Safety this season

OL H Nourzad 18 NFL snaps 

CB K Hadden No longer on the team

OL CJ Hanson  5 NFL snaps

 

Edited 2 hours ago by The Jokeman

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

2024 honestly hasn't shaped up to be a great class for a lot of teams. Especially those outside the Top 25 picks or so.

 

It was considered to be an all time WR class. But that was more about the guys at the top and the sheer volume. Outside of the top 4 guys - most WR's that followed have been a disappointment thus far.

 

This tweet kind of puts things into perspective on how we're not alone with having a disappointing 2024 class:

 

If you take a look at the selections, hits are few and far between after Round 1:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_NFL_draft

 

You can make an argument that the best two picks in that 3rd round are both Buccs. McMillan had a really good rookie year (got hurt in pre-season currently on IR) and Smith has developed into one of the better nickels in football. Other than those two it is Bullock (home run pick for the Texans) and Puni (solid IOL for the 9ers). Dru Phillips had a good rookie year for the Giants too, but has struggled some this season.

 

I am on holiday so I don't have my board in front of me but the other thing that stands out looking at that list is a LOT of those guys I did not have as top 100 guys. I know without looking that #s 65, 67, 68, 71, 72, 77, 82, 83, 91, 94, 95 and 97 were not top 100 grades on my board. I think a few others too but I know instantly on those. That said I think I had seconds on #s 66, 74, 78 and 93 and only Bullock of those has proven me right. My take on that class was decent top 100, thin after that, but the consensus broke down somewhat sooner than I expected. And only the top 50/55 picks stuck to the sort of pattern I expected. That was different to say this past draft in 2025 where I think by the end of round three 90 of my top 120 odd had gone off the board.

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by GunnerBill

[SunDSolar]

28 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

You can make an argument that the best two picks in that 3rd round are both Buccs. McMillan had a really good rookie year (got hurt in pre-season currently on IR) and Smith has developed into one of the better nickels in football. Other than those two it is Bullock (home run pick for the Texans) and Puni (solid IOL for the 9ers). Dru Phillips had a good rookie year for the Giants too, but has struggled some this season.

 

I am on holiday so I don't have my board in front of me but the other thing that stands out looking at that list is a LOT of those guys I did not have as top 100 guys. I know without looking that #s 65, 67, 68, 71, 72, 77, 82, 83, 91, 94, 95 and 97 were not top 100 grades on my board. I think a few others too but I know instantly on those. That said I think I had seconds on #s 66, 74, 78 and 93 and only Bullock of those has proven me right. My take on that class was decent top 100, thin after that, but the consensus broke down somewhat sooner than I expected. And only the top 50/55 picks stuck to the sort of pattern I expected. That was different to say this past draft in 2015 where I think by the end of round three 90 of my top 120 odd had gone off the board.

 

 

 

Goncalves has been solid

[Captain Hindsight]

On 10/13/2025 at 11:18 PM, wppete said:

So far I’m also worried about this years draft other than what appear to be home runs in Walker and Hawes so far. Who were 4th and 5th Round picks. The rest we have got nothing from. 

Well the first 3 picks have all been hurt. Landon Jackson was buried on the depth chart, but then he of course got hurt when he got a chance 

[GunnerBill]

5 minutes ago, SunDSolar said:

 

Goncalves has been solid

 

Yea, probably fair. I don't watch a ton of the Colts. They are so dull to me, even this year. But he has started since the middle of his rookie season on a pretty decent Oline and not looked out of place. 

[GASabresIUFan]

No not a great class so far but the evaluation is years from completion for the Bills.

 

So far you have one good and improving starter in Bishop. You have one solid depth RB in Davis who may have found a key spot as a kick returner.  The Bills also seem to like SVPG and he’s potentially McGovern’s replacement at center as early as next year.   Grable, if he can get healthy, also still has a chance to work out.  
 

Also Solomon is playing weekly in a depth role and he’s 4th on the team in ST snaps.

 

The watch word at the draft was drafting college vets with many like Carter and SVPG having leadership roles on their teams.  That now seems more sales pitch to the fans over substance as Carter and Ulofoshio have produced nothing while other college vets like Solomon, Davis and even SVPG are only in depth roles with SVPG as the only potential starter.  
 

The key piece in that draft was supposed to be a top end WR, but then Beane inexplicably drafted the slow Coleman who produced ok as a rookie before an injury but has displayed an attitude problem over both seasons.  He’ll likely get another season next year in a prove it role but Beane is likely to correct his mistake at this years draft.  
 

Long-term If SVPG and Grable become key OL in the next few years this draft will look better, but as of right now Bishop is the only long-term piece of the 2024 draft.  A rebound in attitude and performance by Coleman would also help. Maybe a move to an inside pass catch TE type role will help him find a NFL niche and help the Bills.  

Edited 3 hours ago by GASabresIUFan

[The Firebaugh Kid]

SVPG and Grable show promise. 

Cole is Cole. 

Ray is a decent player. 

The rest are pretty rough at this point. 

[Sierra Foothills]

1 hour ago, SunDSolar said:

Goncalves has been solid

 

And he'll never have to worry about an achilles injury.

 

1 hour ago, Captain Hindsight said:

Well the first 3 picks have all been hurt. Landon Jackson was buried on the depth chart, but then he of course got hurt when he got a chance 

 

I didn't see the play but read someone else characterizing the injury as Phidarian Mathis taking out Jackson's knee.

 

Did anyone see Landon's injury?

 

[Augie]

2 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

I guess we could have the Chiefs draft class instead....

 

WR X Worthy, could have not traded up (and kepy a 3rd round pick) and drafted Ladd McConkey

OL K Suamataia, was drafted to be LT instead cheap replacement for Thurney but not playing close to his level 

TE J Wiley 1 career reception 

S J Hicks PFFs 73rd ranked Safety this season

OL H Nourzad 18 NFL snaps 

CB K Hadden No longer on the team

OL CJ Hanson  5 NFL snaps

 

 

Thank you! It’s easy for “our fans” to pick apart our drafts, but it’s clear that we are not the only team who doesn’t hit on every pick. EVERY team has hits and misses. I wish people would stop acting like we are the only team who doesn’t draft a Pro Bowl player in every round. 

[SCBills]

This Draft Class will likely be defined by SVPG and Grable. 
 

If those two take over for McGovern and Edwards, should they leave this offseason, and Kromer has them ready to go and play at a high level … that, along with Cole Bishop becoming a stud Safety, could save the class. 
 

If they stay depth, that has a role, but would certainly lend itself to this draft class being a complete miss as a whole. 
 

Keon Coleman and Dewayne Carter are unbelievably frustrating because the fanbase universally hated these picks and the fanbase looks to have been correct.   You just can’t completely whiff on 2 out of 3 of your premium picks and not have it create downstream effects on your roster in the coming years. 
 

Elam was offset by Benford.  Theres no Benford in this class.  Therefore we see the musical chairs at WR, maybe, finally, solidifying in Week 12. 

[The Jokeman]

Just now, Augie said:

 

Thank you! It’s easy for “our fans” to pick apart our drafts, but it’s clear that we are not the only team who doesn’t hit on every pick. EVERY team has hits and misses. I wish people would stop acting like we are the only team who doesn’t draft a Pro Bowl player in every round. 

I had to do because I read how much better KC's GM Veach is better than Beane but yeah this is an example where maybe he isn't and maybe draft position does factor in quality of players you end up getting. 

[CirclnWagons]

Any thought on Beanes strict policy of not taking talented receivers no matter the upside? I’d trade half the picks in 24 for any of the WRs that went in the first round. Don’t get me wrong, I got a hardy harr out of keons jacket comments but would’ve loved to got some kind of production too

[nuklz2594]

[hikerprof2]

Would you trade Coleman (our first round pick, though we dropped into second)  and Carter (3rd) for Waddle? In a heartbeat. And yet we recently wouldn't pull the trigger on a first and third.

[GroteStreet]

On 10/13/2025 at 10:10 PM, Andy1 said:

Bills are experiencing a talent drought, getting almost nothing from the entire 2024 draft class. 
 

K. Coleman

C. Bishop

D. Carter

R. Davis

S. Van Pran-Granger

E. Ulofoshio

J. Solomon

T. Grable 

D. Hardy

T. Clayton

 

We are playing too many old players because they are better than these picks. No easy answers to get out of this hole. 

Cut Brandon  Beane.  That is the easiest answer.

[Augie]

13 minutes ago, GroteStreet said:

Cut Brandon  Beane.  That is the easiest answer.

 

3 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

I guess we could have the Chiefs draft class instead....

 

WR X Worthy, could have not traded up (and kepy a 3rd round pick) and drafted Ladd McConkey

OL K Suamataia, was drafted to be LT instead cheap replacement for Thurney but not playing close to his level 

TE J Wiley 1 career reception 

S J Hicks PFFs 73rd ranked Safety this season

OL H Nourzad 18 NFL snaps 

CB K Hadden No longer on the team

OL CJ Hanson  5 NFL snaps

 

 

Should the Chiefs cut Veach? Is that the easy answer too?  

[The Jokeman]

5 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

 

Should the Chiefs cut Veach? Is that the easy answer too?  

Sure to misquote Oprah, You cut your GM, you cut your GM, everyone cut your GMs!!!

[billsfan89]

If Cole is a hit as a starter that's gonna help this draft class a lot. I think you need to get 2 starters and 2 role players out of each draft as a minimum. Cole would be the first starter found but Keon if he's a bust (and he's trending that way) the team is going to have to find a starter out of SVPG or Grable which if let's say either guy comes in and starts along G/C and is a positive that's also a way to salvage the draft class. On the role player side of things Ray Davis has come in and been a positive role player. Solomon has come in and played but he's been fairly marginal. 

 

TLDR: The draft class is going to be rough unless they can salvage Keon as a starter or one of the later picks. 

[gonzo1105]

I mean it’s not shaping up to be a really good class for sure. 
 

I wasn’t a huge fan of Coleman but I understand why they took him. Wanted McConkey

 

I was a huge Cole Bishop guy 

 

I also was higher on Carter than most of the board and so far I’m wrong 

 

I was a huge Davis fan as well. Still think he can be a solid NFL back with volume but he won’t get that in Buffalo 

 

SVPG I thought was a good value pick and his selection to me is incomplete. Regardless a backup C/G with a 5th rounder who can become a starter is not a negative pick imo 

 

Ulofoshio was a waste

 

Solomon is a good pick for a 5th rounder. Key ST and role player, has impacted the QB at times when he got the opportunity

 

Grable still has promise and wouldn’t surprise me if he’s in the Alex Anderson 6 OL role next year as the first guy to go in at Guard/Tackle

 

Hardy they took as a PR guy only and Clayton was clearly a long term project guy. I think the Bills board was wiped out by the Hardy pick and they just shot a couple darts 

 

It’s shaping up in its entirety to be a pretty bad draft overall. Fell off a cliff after the top 50 or so players and then sporadic good /role players throughout the rest 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFan said:

No not a great class so far but the evaluation is years from completion for the Bills.

 

So far you have one good and improving starter in Bishop. You have one solid depth RB in Davis who may have found a key spot as a kick returner.  The Bills also seem to like SVPG and he’s potentially McGovern’s replacement at center as early as next year.   Grable, if he can get healthy, also still has a chance to work out.  
 

Also Solomon is playing weekly in a depth role and he’s 4th on the team in ST snaps.

 

The watch word at the draft was drafting college vets with many like Carter and SVPG having leadership roles on their teams.  That now seems more sales pitch to the fans over substance as Carter and Ulofoshio have produced nothing while other college vets like Solomon, Davis and even SVPG are only in depth roles with SVPG as the only potential starter.  
 

The key piece in that draft was supposed to be a top end WR, but then Beane inexplicably drafted the slow Coleman who produced ok as a rookie before an injury but has displayed an attitude problem over both seasons.  He’ll likely get another season next year in a prove it role but Beane is likely to correct his mistake at this years draft.  
 

Long-term If SVPG and Grable become key OL in the next few years this draft will look better, but as of right now Bishop is the only long-term piece of the 2024 draft.  A rebound in attitude and performance by Coleman would also help. Maybe a move to an inside pass catch TE type role will help him find a NFL niche and help the Bills.  

 

Which is kinda what you want at that pick for Javon - a cheap player who can play special teams and provide some depth. Bishop's finally starting to come around after a lost 2024 season.  

 

Carters been injured (I don't give them a mulligan, but you can't really control that kind of thing), and Davis hasn't really had a path to playing time (he'd have had to really earn it and i haven't seen it).  Other late RBs that have performed above draft position are Irving and Tracy, but they also didn't have someone like cook ahead of them either.  Comparable usage to a Guerendo, Estime, or Davis (NYJ) from the same draft.  Not a "sexy" pick, and not providing a ton of value, but its hard to look through everyone picked after davis and argue they missed.  He's a cheap backup running back, which is what you need if you plan to pay a running back.   

 

I don't think the book is written on coleman yet even this season, lot of football left to play.