The Buffalo Bills entered last year’s NFL Draft in a different position than they have in prior years. For the first time under general manager Brandon Beane, they didn’t have a first round pick after trading it to the Minnesota Vikings for Stefon Diggs. They also didn’t have major glaring weaknesses on the roster and instead were just looking to improve the overall talent of the roster.
They would end up making six picks with A.J. Epenesa and Zack Moss at the top of their class with their selections in the second and third round. However, neither really made the impact many envisioned when they were selected but the Bills did get some great production from some of their later picks.
Those performances from players like Gabriel Davis and Tyler Bass weren’t enough to move them up in NFL.com’s recent rankings of every rookie class and the Bills finished 20th in the league.
When considering what the Buffalo Bills had in terms of picks, or what their goal was entering the NFL Draft, it isn’t surprising to see them ranked this low. They were looking for depth and more long-term prospects than immediate impact players.
The Buffalo Bills drafted Jake Fromm in the fifth round but he was used as the emergency quarterback for the season and practiced away from the team in case there was an outbreak in the quarterback room.
In the sixth round, wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins suffered an injury during training camp and was placed on injured reserve. He was designated for return at the end of November but would then have surgery in December that ended any chance of him returning as a rookie.
The Bills also had seventh round pick Dane Jackson on the practice squad for most of the season, but he did start two games and showed promise in those starts.
While the Buffalo Bills didn’t get impact performances from this rookie class as they have in the past, the potential is still there for some of these players to grow into more prominent roles in the coming years.