3 players Bills should draft to increase Super Bowl Odds

At the start of last season the Buffalo Bills were Super Bowl favorites and the word juggernaut was certainly thrown around by a few overzealous analysts. That clearly wasn’t the case and though this team suffered the most dramatic of emotional highs and lows at the end of the season, their home playoff loss to Cincinnati was a huge disappointment. They only put up 10 points and clearly need help on both sides of the ball in next week’s NFL Draft.

The Bills hold the 27th pick in the first-round and they hold the second best odds to win Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas next February. They’re only behind the reigning champions, but the Chiefs might not be the only team they have to leapfrog in the AFC.

So, here are three players that the Bills can take in the first-round to boost their Super Bowl odds and help Josh Allen knock off Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes.

Bills Super Bowl odds

Buffalo Bills 2023 Draft Targets

• Darnell Washington
• Quentin Johnston
• Anton Harrison

Darnell Washington – TE Georgia

The Kansas City Chiefs did not win the Super Bowl because Patrick Mahomes threw for 500 yards and they had a high-powered passing attack. No, the Chiefs won because they were multiple on offense. Andy Reid recognized that an under-center rushing attack was the way to beat the Eagles and they had the personnel to pull that off in the second half of that game. The Bills only have one play style and it relies heavily on Josh Allen.

Buffalo does need another target on offense and Washington would give them something in that regard, but at 6-foot-6 264 lbs he’s a pass-catching offensive linemen. He’ll give them some much needed physicality to their offense and allow Damien Harris and James Cook to carry the offense for stretches of games. Washington would add so much flexibility to this offense and that’s exactly what Buffalo needs.

In terms of value, this could be a reach. Washington has mostly become a 2nd round guy mostly everywhere you look, but actual NFL teams construct their board differently and I think Buffalo specifically should value Washington as a Top 20 player in the draft that they could pluck at 27.

Quentin Johnston – WR TCU

The Bills are predictable on offense. They expected Gabe Davis to turn into a reliable WR2, but that never happened and that meant their passing game was Stefon Diggs or bust. They even tried to sign Cole Beasley at the end of the year to give them an option in the slot. That’s how desperate they are for other weapons and Johnston would certainly be a weapon.

Johnston is a 6-foot-3 208 pound beast who ran a 4.51 at his pro day, but I feel he plays faster than that. The knock on him is a lack of polish, both in terms of catching the ball and his route-runner, but there’s undeniable talent. One of his best abilities is his ability to run after the catch and that means he could play as a big slot in the Buffalo offense, but he is more traditionally an outside receiver. Again, he’s a player who would bring the Bills flexibility in their offense that they desperately need.

The Bills need a receiver and I expect Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zay Flowers to both be gone, so Johnston is the best option that I could see being available to them. He may even be the best fit because he would bring them deep play ability along with an option in the slot and size in the red zone. He just needs to learn how to use his size and play big or else he’ll end up a disappointment like Chase Claypool (Claypool is not good and if you think he is you haven’t watched Chase Claypool).

Anton Harrison – OT Oklahoma

There is a clear big three at the tackle position in this draft, Peter Skoronski, Paris Johnson Jr., and Broderick Jones, then Darnell Wright is considered to be the fourth best guy. Anton Harrison is somewhat of an afterthought, but I’m not sure he should be. He’s 6-foot-4 315 lbs, and only 21-years-old which is appealing to NFL teams. He’s somewhat seen as a project, but that’s perfect for Buffalo.

The Bills were smart about how they built their offensive line up a few years ago. They never over invested and instead brought in a lot of above-average players on mid-tier contracts. Now, they need another infusement of talent into the offensive line.

Spencer Brown played 982 snaps for them, predominantly at right tackle and ranked 73rd out of 81 offensive linemen according to PFF. PFF is not the gospel according to Chris, but it is a good gauge for positions like tackle. Brown is serviceable to take early season snaps there, but Harrison has a much higher ceiling and could bolster a group that needs help. I’d like the pick, but I think that the Bills need playmakers much more.

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