Buffalo Bills quick reaction 2022 NFL Draft grade: James Cook
The Buffalo Bills fans had to wait a little longer than they expected for the team to make their first pick of the night. The Bills were originally scheduled to pick 57th overall but made a trade with the Tampa Bay Bucs to move back three spots while adding a sixth round pick (180th overall).
However, when the Bills were on the clock at 60, they made another trade. Once again they moved three back three spots, this time trading with the Bengals and acquiring the 63rd overall pick and another sixth round pick (209th overall).
The third time was the charm as the Bills would make their second round pick and select University of Georgia running back James Cook. This past season, Cook had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns.
Grade for the Buffalo Bills’ selection of James Cook: A
In the first round, the Buffalo Bills addressed their biggest need at cornerback and in the second round they addressed arguably their second biggest need at running back with the selection of James Cook.
However, Cook is not the traditional running back and brings a unique skill set to this offense. He is one of the best pass-catching running backs and he is a player that they can move around, split him out wide, and create mismatches.
Must Read. Ranking the five best moves this offseason for the Buffalo Bills. light
The addition of Cook also creates clearly defined roles in this backfield and sets Devin Singletary up to be the primary ball carrier on the ground with Cook handling passing downs. They also can have both on the field at the same time to keep defenses guessing.
The fact that Buffalo was able to add this player while also adding two sixth round picks in trades, makes this an excellent pick in terms of value and fit.