[2023] Buffalo Bills Draft Review

[Minnow]

This draft is hard for me to comment on. One one hand my greatest position of need was OLB, in a year with limited OLBs it left me in a bind. Last year saw my team start 57 OVR Kao Yi (who is in his 10th season) and 4th round pick Kyle Banjo (56 OVR) while Banjo did progress nicely over the offseason I am still left with a league bottom starters. 

Knowing these two issues I had to trade down. I reloaded getting mid round talent (who I honestly had no plan for). My team made the playoffs last year and my team is still relatively young. 

Last year saw me pick up high potential players and after seeing their low overall to start their second year I felt that it would be better to ignore potential this draft and go after higher value picks that dont have high potential. If my guys I drafted last year progress well they will leap the guys this year, but as of now the talent I brought in will already be better than last years rookies out of the gate. 

Round 1:

I originally had 2 first round picks. #21 and #27, I would have loved Don Scott here but that is unrealistic. I looked over the unflattering OLBs realizing that anything drafted here would be a reach, I drafted a QB last year so I was not looking to get Scribner. If you look at it this way, it made sense for me to trade out of the first round. The #21st pick went to Detroit in exchange getting a 2nd round pick and two 4th round picks. 

Next deal was with Kansas City which sent them #27 in exchange for #41, #137 and 2024 7th. 

I was hoping both of these trades would net me a 1st rounder next year, as I do not have a 2nd rounder or 3rd rounder next year. But in negotiation both teams felt that their records this year would net them a top 5 pick next year and were not willing to negotiate a future 1st. (which I totally get) Value wise buffalo came out slightly ahead in terms of trade value, but I think both teams can agree that they are happy with the trades. 

Round 2:

2-41 

ILB Ola Cunningham B+ Ovr, C+ Pot

I was foaming at the mouth when Cunningham dropped to round 2. Multiple teams wanted to trade up at this time and I was begging that no one above me would take him. Ola was a combine hero being one of the fastest ILBs available running a 4.58 40, and leading all ILBs in Bench reps at 38. Alongside his speed this guy can also drop into coverage and scored the 2nd highest score in LB coverage drills among ILBs. The only knock on him is his C+ potential, which you will see with the other picks was not an issue for me. Tuscan has come out and said that C potential is considered "average" Cunningham will still progress at an above average rate. I think a lot of coaches see C+ potential and think that it is not worth it, but in my mind why would I reach for a C overall player with A+ potential if he is worse than what I already have and wont be viable until 3-4 years from now when I have already drafted someone else who is better?  Cunningham is my dream player. Scheme wise he fits in perfectly alongside my OLBs who are also run stoppers and if I go to a 3-4 he will fit perfectly alongside Andrew Bascue. Ola is a day one starter for me at OLB, he will replace Yi. 

2-52

CB Jermaine Shuck  B Ovr, B- Pot

During the draft I was messaging people saying they loved Shuck. I loved him too. This draft was light in Zone Coverage CBs and although Shuck is a Man Coverage Guy is excels at Zone Coverage. His Zone Coverage drill at the combine was a 7.22. I also did not have any Cornerbacks who could really lock down on receivers and strike fear into QBs to make them throw to someone else. Shuck is one of those guys, his man coverage is by far the best in the class. He will definitely be a rotational guy to start as I have a lot of 2nd year players who make up my backfield, but Shucks talent will surely see him as a starter in the future. 

Round 3

3-85

TE Joshua Wingenter B Ovr, C+ Pot

Marked as the 4th best TE in the draft, Wingenter was a must take for me as a 2nd stringer. I needed a blocking TE to fill out a younger line who is arguably worse than last year with the departures of OT Sung Liu (JAX) and OG Ernest Arellano (WAS) I needed more reinforcement on that outside to buy Yusei more time to throw. Yusei had no one to throw to last year and it showed as he was sacked a lot. Wingenter will ride the bench to start the year, potentially being a starter in a group of TEs who are in their 7th season. 

3-91

DE Matt McCants B Ovr, C+ Pot

Again another C+ Potential guy, but that was not the point of this draft. This draft was about value at each position. McCants is the 3 best DE in the draft and for me to get him at the 91st pick is a steal just out of OVR alone. I have 2 starting veteran DEs who I got in FA last year that are starting to regress and with injuries being a thing I needed a backup for that just in case scenario. Better safe than sorry. I wanted high overall players this draft not potential. and McCants fits that perfectly. We will see how he does in Preseason to see where he will fit on the depth chart. 

Round 4:

This is the round of reaches for me. Seeing how the draft was going I sought this round to get players who I wanted to take a chance on even if it meant getting a non-needed position.

4-116

Wayne Murray B- Ovr, B Pot

Murray was not at all on my radar to start the draft. Nor was any QB for that matter, but as I looked through my depth chart, I realized that I do not have a competent backup QB. Yusei if he were to go down with injury this year would be backed up by Thomas Dooher a 59 OVR year 6 player. That is not good at all. Hell if you want to knock me for going after a QB in round 4 as a hail mary backup, go ahead. I know that Murray has real talent and could have possibly been a starter elsewhere in the league. He will surely progress better than Yusei has, Heck he may even be better than Yusei (who currently has a B- Potential), only time will tell though. Murray had to be taken here based on value alone. 

4-120

J.C. Lacy B- Ovr, C+ Pot

There were "better" RBs at this pick, but I was not interested in their combine numbers as much as Lacy. Lacy had some of the best combine numbers in this RB class, doing well in both the inside and outside running drills. I currently have an aging RB in Gary Westbrook who is in his 12 season in the league. If he has a heart attack from age or retires mid-season Lacy will see the field. 

Round 5: 

5-137 

WR Jaydon Hagadone B Ovr, C+ Pot

Again another high overall player who I want to make an impact in year 1. He will compete against already established players on my roster, but currently has to be able to beat out 58 or 57 OVR Tim Green to get a spot on the roster. I can see him serving on the Special Teams unit this year with maybe some rotational play, but I had my previous drafted WRs progress well. 

Round 6

6-173

OT Tyler Jackson B Ovr, C+ Pot

I really do not know how a B Ovr player fell to the 6th round. Jackson was projected to be a 3rd-4th round pick based on the Draft Projections. Heck the pick before me OT Niuman Dahl C+ Ovr, B+ Pot was taken, I really do not understand the whole argument of Potential being a better metric over starting overall. I do not want to waste a roster spot on a player that will take 4-5 years just to see the field and eventually become a starter. In the first year I saw many players around this round be valued at a 52 starting overall, those players who had A+ Potential are probably sitting at a 55-56 Ovr. If progressions are based off of snap counts why would I want a player who does not see the field for years and contributes nothing? Jackson is a steal. 

6-181

OLB Henry Valakia C+ Ovr, B- Pot

I will admit I could have gotten this guy in the 7th round, but I knew with how OLBs were valued that I had to reach for him in the 6th. My OLB core is so bad and I just hope this guy contributes something, if his combine was any metric I should be ok. 

Round 7

C Shane Lobstein C+ Ovr, C+ Pot

Smart guy. There is not much more to say about him. This was a position of need pick as I currently only have one center on my roster right now. It will be interesting to see how he progresses, as he will ride the bench this year. I might sign another Center as a UDFA to see how that guy progresses, but I drafted Lobstein since I wanted a smart player to control the line, nothing more. 

 

Overall I am happy with my draft, haters will say that I did not invest enough in potential, but I am not in a position to build up potential players. My star players are right now and the rest of my roster is young. I do not have the current roster to be betting on the future when I made the playoffs last year. I think C+ Potential is great, as they are still above average in progressions. There is still questions surrounding how players are progressed, but as more features get added I know starting talent is what I am needing right now. I like everything I did in this draft and honestly got everyone that I wanted. besides DE Alex Taijeron who sadly was taken 3 picks before me. I would have loved him. 

Overall grade for myself is an

A-

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by Minnow

[Piercewise1]

Great write-up!

No disrespect intended on my part with my comments about trades and potential, we had different approaches to this draft and that's totally okay. FWIW I figured Cunningham would go late in the 1st with how thin the linebacker class was, so getting him at 41 was great value. 

[Minnow]

49 minutes ago, Piercewise1 said:

Great write-up!

No disrespect intended on my part with my comments about trades and potential, we had different approaches to this draft and that's totally okay. FWIW I figured Cunningham would go late in the 1st with how thin the linebacker class was, so getting him at 41 was great value. 

lmao its alright. It all depends on how we value talent. I am just experimenting with lower potential this draft to see if there is any difference.