The Buffalo Bills needed production from the 2018 draft class and the early results stand up well compared to the rest of the league.
Brandon Beane had a cap situation to deal with in 2018.
He couldn’t make any big moves in free agency, leaving the 2018 NFL Draft as a very important event in his early tenure with the Buffalo Bills.
Beane ended up drafting eight players, but also brought in several undrafted players. And up to this point it appears as if he did quite a great job.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report recently published a piece ranking the top 10 rookie classes in the NFL this year. He put the Bills at No. 7 overall, while the Cleveland Browns showed up in the top spot.
Here is some of what he had to say about the Bills rookie class:
"Fellow first-round pick Tremaine Edmunds also experienced growing pains, yet he leads the NFL’s second-ranked defense with 98 total tackles and 10 defended passes.“He gives us the call right away,” safety Micah Hyde said of Edmunds’ progression, per the Associated Press’ John Wawrow. “He’s yelling to the sideline to get the play in. He’s come a long way.”Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips is a regular contributor. Cornerback Taron Johnson was as well before a season-ending shoulder injury. Wyatt Teller is now a starter at left guard. Undrafted rookie Robert Foster leads all wide receivers with 10 or more receptions by averaging 24.6 yards per catch."
The focus of the group is obviously Josh Allen. And while we hasn’t been spectacular, he has shown progression and has helped his team win. This has come after he missed time with an injury and after he was rushed into action after starting the year on the sidelines.
Tremaine Edmunds, the other first-round pick, has also done well in his first year leading the defense, as seen in the above quote.
Then there is Robert Foster, who isn’t even part of the draft class but who may be one of the most important pieces on offense this year. HIs play helped make it easier to release both Kelvin Benjamin and Andre Holmes before the season ended.
Drafting well is the key to a successful, and quick rebuilding process. It is impossible to hit on every single pick, but Beane sure did do a great job of bringing in several players who have helped the team right away.
As long as the progression continues in 2019, fans may look back on this 2018 class as a key part of the Bills returning to greatness.