Well, that was fun, wasn’t it? The 2023 NFL Draft provided fans with exactly what they had been missing for a couple of months. The Buffalo Bills saw major improvement in a couple of key areas early on, and should further cement themselves as AFC contenders thanks to a pretty strong draft haul.
That haul started out with Buffalo moving up a couple of picks to snag one of the draft’s top weapons, the number one overall tight end in Utah’s Dalton Kincaid, with their first-round pick. From there, the Bills added another starter in the second round with Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence, whom they could have taken in the first if they really wanted to.
The value Buffalo saw fall into their laps with their first two picks was tremendous, and as the draft carried on, Brandon Beane continued to try and address areas of need.
Going forward now, this draft class is going to have some major impacts all over the roster. In terms of ripple effects, takeaways and overall impressions, there are four specific things we should address.
Ripple effects from Buffalo Bills’ 2023 NFL Draft picks: Gabe Davis gets one more shot to break loose
First and foremost, the Bills did not add a wide receiver high in this draft. While many thought they should have, the board just didn’t fall that way. The team did draft Florida wide receiver Justin Shorter in the fifth round, but he’s not going to come in and take Gabe Davis’ spot on the depth chart.
Now, that allows Davis to have one more shot to break out.
Fortunately for Davis, he’s entering a contract year which means there’s always a little extra motivation. For the sake of Buffalo, first, along with Davis individually, hopefully he takes hold of this chance and makes the most of it.
For Buffalo to have a good shot at beating the likes of Kansas City and Cincinnati, specifically, they need Davis to step up and become that true second option to Stefon Diggs. Instead of showing up inconsistently, Davis has to be much more consistent, and he certainly has that chance to do so.
Ripple effects from Buffalo Bills’ 2023 NFL Draft picks: Tyrel Dodson likely becomes a reserve
Free agency began, this year, with the Bills losing out on stud linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who left Buffalo to sign with the Chicago Bears. From there, the Bills didn’t make any additional moves to try and replace Edmunds.
Instead, it was assumed that, for now, the younger veteran Tyrel Dodson had a real shot to take over Edmunds’ spot. Buffalo re-signed Dodson to a 1-year deal, giving him an opportunity to do so.
But, in the third round this year, Buffalo selected Tulane linebacker Dorian Williams. There is going to be a strong likelihood of Williams taking over Edmunds’ starting position and keeping Dodson on the bench.
This kid, Williams, comes into the league having put up some monstrous production in college. Just last season, he tallied a whopping 132 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss and 5.0 sacks. He also defended seven passes, forced two fumbles and came up with a couple of picks. There is no arguing the production, but Williams brings some exciting traits.
As one of the faster linebackers in the draft and someone who plays downhill, Williams has a legit chance to start next to Matt Milano, thus placing Dodson back into his reserve role.
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.
Ripple effects from Buffalo Bills’ 2023 NFL Draft picks: Buffalo will run far more 12 personnel
Finally, the Bills drafting Dalton Kincaid means that they will undoubtedly run a whole lot more 12 personnel. For those not familiar, that just means Buffalo is going to use more sets with two tight ends. Getting Kincaid and Dawson Knox on the field, at the same time, could lead to some overwhelming mismatches for opposing defenses.
Buffalo already had one of the better young, pass-catching tight ends in the draft with Knox. Getting the top option in this draft, with Kincaid, was too good to pass up. Thus, Beane made the move.
Going back to the Gabe Davis topic, for a minute; it’s not crazy to think that Kincaid is that weapon the Bills needed to add. Maybe running 12 personnel with Kincaid is going to be the Bills’ alternative to drafting a first-round wide receiver, which just didn’t come to fruition.
After all, Kincaid is essentially a wide receiver in a tight end’s body. He’s 6-foot-4, 246 pounds and runs routes like a wideout. His hands are some of the best in the draft, and not just at tight end. Kincaid’s arrival means the Bills are going to run far more of that personnel, and it could lead to some big, big plays out of both tight ends.