Three years ago, the Buffalo Bills traded up in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft to select cornerback Kaiir Elam.
The move seemed to fill a glaring need. The team doubled up, also selecting cornerback Christian Benford in the sixth round. Benford just signed a four-year extension and is the team’s No. 1 corner. Elam is on the Dallas Cowboys after the Bills traded him this offseason.
The NFL draft is a week away, but the position is once again atop the Bills’ list of needs. While extending Benford helps the future of the position, there is no clear starter opposite him.
The Bills are sitting at No. 30 in the first round with two quick picks in the second, making three in the top 62 (and 10 total selections going into the draft). The team’s recent run of success has led to picking late in the first round, resulting in so many options for how their draft board could unfold.
Cornerback is a position of need for the Bills, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll address the position in the first round. The team addressing openings in free agency, leaving limited significant needs, but cornerback is the position left with the most work do.
General manager Brandon Beane will likely move up and down the board throughout the draft. The Bills have only picked at their original first-round selection twice under Beane (2019, 2021) since his first draft with the team in 2018.
This is a draft that the Bills can make a splash in, to an extent, thanks to the early picks in Round 2, but also the volume of selections overall. Beane is plenty comfortable with wheeling and dealing, and there’s room for the team to make significant impacts to this year’s roster and years to come. What is the team looking for at the top positions, who are potential fits across the rounds and what are some less obvious positions to watch?
Here’s a look ahead at what awaits the Bills in the draft.
Cornerback
Free agent departures: Rasul Douglas, Elam (trade)
Additions: Dane Jackson
What the Bills are looking for in the position: “I think you’ve got to look at everything,” Beane said on evaluating cornerbacks at the annual league meeting a couple of weeks back. “What are they asked to do? What’s the scheme? What’s the system? Are they in press all day long? Are they playing off? And you’re looking for those opportunities — what do they do best? What do they not? … If you take how he’s wired and you take the God-given talent he has, you feel with good coaching and time on task that you can turn this player into something. You have to be careful not just to judge them in a system that maybe doesn’t accentuate all their talent. Whether that’s corner or linebacker or whatever that is.”
“We want our guys to be able to tackle as well,” Beane said. “Sometimes, you see this guy that is an athletic freak and turns the ball over but turns it down and is a pile inspector, as we call them. Those guys are kind of non-fits for us. Is the guy our DNA — the type of physicality that we want?”
Potential fits for the Bills with Round 1 and 2 picks:
Trey Amos, Ole Miss: Amos could fill plenty of holes for the Bills with the ability to play in press or man, ability to tackle in addition to his good size at 6-foot-1, 195-pounds and 31-inch arms. An area to improve is the run game, but he could be a fit at No. 30.
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Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky: ESPN senior draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. had the Bills selecting Hairston at No. 30 in his final mock draft. Hairston ran the fastest time at this year’s scouting combine (4.28 40-yard dash) and has shown the ability to make plays with six interceptions in the last two years.
“I just love his competitive spirit,” Kiper said. “Nothing bothers the kid, and that’s what you got to have at corner, a short memory. He does, and he’s got great skill too.”
On the other hand, the signs against Hairston possibly being a fit are related to his size. At 5-11, 183-pounds with 31-inch arms, he’s on the smaller side.
Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State: Unlike Hairston, Thomas’ length isn’t an issue — 6-1, 197-pounds and 32-inch arms — but he has work to do in making plays on the ball and against the run.
“Didn’t run great,” Kiper said. “But played really well and he’s long, he’s athletic.”
Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina: Unknown how teams will weigh his medical situation after tearing his left ACL in September. If the injury situation clears, this could be a solid fit for the Bills.
Worth noting:
Three premium cornerbacks that are expected to come off the board ahead of the Bills’ No. 30 pick include Travis Hunter, Colorado, Will Johnson, Michigan and Jahdae Barron, Texas.
Potential fits on Day 2 or later:
Darien Porter, Iowa State, Nohl Williams, California, Jacob Parrish, Kansas State and Quincey Riley, Louisville.
Defensive line
Free agent departures: Von Miller, Austin Johnson, Dawuane Smoot, Quinton Jefferson, Jordan Phillips
Free agent additions: Joey Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi, Michael Hoecht
What the Bills are looking for in the position: “You start with what are their measurables,” Beane said at the combine on traits for interior linemen. “… What does he do best? Is he best as a rusher? Is this a guy you want to line up in a three-tech role and get a one-on-one against a guard? … Is he just a power, straight-up ass-kicker? He’s going to walk his guy back into the pocket. Maybe he’s not going to flip his hips, but he’s going to condense the pocket and push the guard or the center into the quarterback’s lap. … We want to be versatile with our skill sets and be able to attack in as many different ways as we can.”
Potential fits for the Bills with Round 1 and 2 picks:
This is certainly in contention for that first round, Day 2 and/or later with a good class, as Beane noted. With DaQuan Jones, 33, entering the final year of his deal, investing up front early is important. The likes of Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, who would provide significant depth if not starting potential at one-technique, or Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, who had 11 tackles for loss last year.
Worth noting:
How much the team addresses the line could also be related to two defensive linemen — Ogunjobi and Hoecht — set to start the year with six-game suspensions. Coach Sean McDermott noted that they are likely to be young at their spots during the suspensions, adding, “and that’s why … the draft is so important for us.”
Adding an edge rusher, is important as well. The Bills are not strangers to adding veteran free agents overall after the draft.
Other positions the Bills should address
In short, no position is really off the table in this draft for the Bills. Here are some notable groups:
Wide receiver: This is in the conversation for one of the team’s important groups heading into the draft. Joshua Palmer signed in free agency and Mack Hollins and Amari Cooper are no longer with the team. Between the team’s top receivers in Palmer, Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman, the room could use someone with long-term potential and speed to round out the group.
Interior offensive line: Center Connor McGovern and guard David Edwards are currently set to become free agents next year.
Safety: The Bills re-signed Damar Hamlin but still could use more depth and talent for the future.
Linebacker: Starter Matt Milano’s contract was restructured to end after this season. Extended depth behind him and Dorian Williams makes sense.
Running back: The roster is in a good spot behind James Cook with Ty Johnson and Ray Davis, but Cook’s future is in the air.