Buffalo Bills: Biggest ripple effects from 2023 NFL Draft picks

Ripple effects from Buffalo Bills’ 2023 NFL Draft picks: Ryan Bates to the bench, or traded?

Over the last couple of months, there had been so many mock drafts having O’Cyrus Torrence go to the Bills. The only difference was, those mocks had Torrence going in the first round at no. 27 overall. Instead, the Bills somehow came away with Torrence in the second round.

This was one of the biggest value picks in the entire draft, by any team, and will have immediate implications for Buffalo’s line. The Bills signed Connor McGovern to start at left guard, so he’s not going anywhere. The biggest effect Torrence will have is forcing Ryan Bates back to a reserve role.

Or, could the Bills trade Bates to a team that still has a need on the interior offensive line? That would be ideal, and if you remember last offseason, there was definitely some interest in Bates from other teams. But, Beane ended up keeping him around.

Torrence is going to improve the line in a big way, but Bates would still be a valuable backup. It’s just not ideal to have to pay a veteran that kind of money to play a reserve role. Going forward, we’ll see if Bates is dealt or if the Bills simply decide that they’ll keep him as insurance.