One of the reasons why the Buffalo Bills have built a winning culture under Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott is because of how they attack the NFL Draft. They find hidden gems and bring in guys who have high character and fit their system. Yes, they have missed on picks, like any other organization, but they have created a culture where players should want to be drafted to.
The only bad part about the Bills having success is that they are in the lower part of the draft and have to watch all of the top talent go. That doesn’t mean though that they haven’t brought in fantastic talent outside of the top ten. Look at Greg Rousseau, who is bound to get a big payday (hopefully from the Bills). He was drafted No. 30 overall in 2021 and he has started to hit his stride as a consistent pass rusher for Buffalo.
It’s been two years since the 2022 NFL Draft and Buffalo did a great job in that draft class. However, it might not be possible for the Bills to keep some of their top producers. Buffalo hasn’t had the best salary cap situation in recent memory and players are always looking to see what their value could be in free agency.
Buffalo’s 2022 draft class was headlined by cornerback Kaiir Elam, who the Bills drafted out of Florida, but has not lived up to his draft status whatsoever in three seasons. However, the Bills did hit on four other draft picks that have been fantastic for Buffalo for quite sometime now. Brandon Beane will have to decide who deserves the contract extension more and the rest of this season, as well as next season should show him.
Which 4 Bills from Buffalo's 2022 draft class will have to prove they deserve a contract extension from Buffalo next year?
RB James Cook
Drafted No. 63 overall
Drafted late in the second round by the Bills in 2022, James Cook is the best running back the Bills have had since LeSean McCoy. He’s been setting records this year and he is on his way to having his second consecutive season of 1000+ rushing yards.
Running backs are devalued and they have been for quite sometime. With guys like Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs having fantastic years with new teams this season, they may have helped out the future running back market in free agency. Cook plays a vital role in this Bills offense and it would be very hard to not see him back in Buffalo beyond 2025.
LB Terrel Bernard
Drafted No. 89 overall
When the Bills were going into the 2023 season with Terrel Bernard starting at linebacker, fans were a little worried about the linebacker position. Tremaine Edmunds had just left the Bills for the Chicago Bears and the Bills looked like they had a massive hole on defense. Bernard immediately stepped up and proved that his value meant more that Edmunds ever did in Buffalo.
Bernard’s 2023 season was better that Matt Milano’s All-Pro season in 2022. He can stop the run and play great pass coverage on receivers/tight ends. He’s been the quarterback of the defense for two seasons now so leaving him go without trying to bring him back would also hurt.
WR Khalil Shakir
Drafted No. 148 overall
Since Joe Brady took over as the offensive coordinator in the middle of last season, Khalil Shakir has become Josh Allen’s true number-one wideout on the offense. His ability to lineup in the slot and catch almost everything that gets thrown to him is unbelievable.
Shakir is having a career year in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He has caught 78% of his passes that have been targeted his way, and some of them have been in tight coverage. In order to keep Josh Allen happy and have a security blanket on offense, the Bills may want to invest in Shakir ahead of everyone else on this list.
CB Christian Benford
Drafted No. 185 overall
When the Bills drafted Kaiir Elam in the first round, no one could have predicted that he was going to be outperformed by his classmate in Christian Benford. Drafted in the 6th round out of Villanova, Benford has worked his way up as a starter in Buffalo and has even started to develop being a shutdown corner.
It’s very hard to let go of cornerbacks who have shown that they can play lockdown, especially on a consistent basis. Benford fits perfectly in McDermott’s defensive scheme, but the Bills may end up finding another hidden gem for their secondary for the future and that could hurt Benford’s chances at coming back to Buffalo after 2025.