Seemingly perennial Super Bowl contenders since 2019, Josh Allen’s first full season as a starter, the Buffalo Bills have a number of options they could pursue in this year’s NFL Draft. Despite being preseason favorites over that time, the Bills have, thus far, fallen short of the Super Bowl so they might be looking to make a big splash to get them over the hump. Allen has consistently had to put more of the responsibility for production of the offense on his own shoulders. Yes, there have been significant contributions from Stefon Diggs, Dawson Knox, and even Gabriel Davis but, with the exception of Diggs, these contributions have been inconsistent.
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 16: A view from behind of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) before an NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs on October 16, 2022 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)
In an effort to reduce the reliance on Diggs alone and to spread the production around a bit, Buffalo absolutely must work to reduce not just the reliance on Diggs, but on the passing game as a whole. Buffalo’s running game has not exactly been the most dominant units in the league. The Bills have not had a 1,000 yard rusher since 2017 when LeSean McCoy topped that mark. Since then, Devin Singletary has been their leading rusher, but his best season saw him gain just 870 yards that year, far from the kind of dominant season that strikes fear into opposing defenses.
The first option, obviously, for Buffalo to open up their offense could be through the selection of an elite running back to shoulder the load of a majority of the team’s rushing attempts. To that end, there is, perhaps, no better option to fill that role than the unanimous top running back in this draft class, Bijan Robinson.
The running back position has, in recent years, held less value than it once did. Now, it is not uncommon to see no running backs selected in the first round, as happened last season. However, Robinson is certainly worth a first round pick by most accounts and the Bills could be in the perfect spot to select him with the 27th overall pick. He could easily step into a starting role, or be eased into that role as Buffalo has Singletary under contract until the end of the 2023 season.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a running back prospect like Bijan Robinson. @mcshay13 sizes up just what level of a player a team would get in the former Texas star. pic.twitter.com/8XFi1lgSdC
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 21, 2023
However, what if another team selects Robinson before the Bills are able to? Well, in that case, there are no other running backs in this class that rate out quite high enough to be worth a selection in the first round. Therefore, Buffalo could pivot and look to add another wide receiver that could compliment Diggs and Davis. In this area, the Bills could have quite a selection to choose from.
While many of the very top names would likely be off the board by the end of the first round, there should still be many wide receivers that hold first round value. The options available are nearly as wide open most of these players appear on the field. I could see as many as four different options that could be available to Buffalo if they want to play priority on adding receiving weapons to their offense those being, Jordan Addison – USC, Zay Flowers – Boston College, Jalin Hyatt – Tennessee, and Quentin Johnston – TCU. Of these, only two fit a role that would be complementary to Diggs and Davis, those two being Addison and Johnston. Yes, Flowers and Hyatt are both very talented and are worthy of that first round value, however, the role they fill would be very similar to that of Diggs, a wide receiver with an abundance of speed that can stretch the field, collecting huge gains off of only a few throws and opening up the short and intermediate range for other options. Whereas Addison and Flowers each bring a different dynamic to the team.
First, Addison works much more as a short to medium range option. He does well to gain his yardage after the catch and could add a new level of complexity to Buffalo’s offense from his first game as a rookie. Conversely, Flowers is much larger target that Allen could lean on to overpower defenders or to go up and get a ball over smaller defenders. In either case, if the Bills are looking for a wide receiver, these two would be the best fits for them.
Finally, if Buffalo is looking to protect their franchise quarterback, in Allen, they may feel that replacing the 34-year-old Rodger Saffold, their left guard last season and, as yet, unsigned free agent, could make the most strategic sense for the team. Saffold, while decent, was never particularly dominant, especially later in his career. With, what amounts to, a hole in the middle of their offensive line, the Bills are sure to take a long, hard look at O'Cyrus Torrence – Florida, if he is still available toward the end of the opening round.
GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 02: Florida Gators offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence (54) blocks during a college football game against the Eastern Washington Eagles on October 2, 2022 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire)
Torrence would immediately step into a starting role and could easily anchor the position for the next decade. He is best in pass protection as he was credited with not allowing an individual sack throughout his college career. However, he is no slouch as a run blocker either as he held his own against elite SEC defensive fronts and not just held his own, but thrived. While he could easily be off the board by the 27th overall pick, if he falls even a bit, expect a very spirited debate in Buffalo’s war room.
Expect the Bills to let the draft fall as it may and for them to react accordingly. So much of the percentage likelihood I am about to associate with the positions I just outlined will depend less on what the team is seeking to add, and more on what the draft leaves for them to select from. I do not expect them to make any splashy moves as their options should be wide open by the time it is their turn to pick. As such, it is most likely they end up selecting a wide receiver, based off of the supply available in the draft. I would place a 60 percent likelihood of this position ultimately being their selection. This is followed by a 30 percent likelihood of a running back being the pick, and that running back being Bijan Robinson. The last ten percent is allocated to a guard being the pick, namely, O'Cyrus Torrence.
Buffalo, ultimately, is in a no-lose, and quite enviable, situation here. They’re one of the few teams that can sit back and let the draft come to team without an overwhelming need at any one specific position but, potential upgrades at multiple. Look for them to come out of the draft, at least the first round, a stronger team, no matter what player they ultimately select.
