The NFL Draft can be an exciting time for fans, but there is the reality that it can also be a huge nightmare. Every year, we see teams make phenomenal picks, both in the early and later rounds. We also see teams make severely questionable picks that eventually come back to haunt them. Just ask the New York Giants who decided to draft Daniel Jones sixth overall in 2019…
Under Brandon Beane, the Buffalo Bills have done a good job at building up their roster through the draft. Up to this point, Beane’s 2022 draft class is by far the best. That year, he drafted James Cook, Terrel Bernard, Khalil Shakir and Christian Benford. Three out of four of these players have already received contract extensions.
While Beane usually drafts well, we’ve also seen him draft players that don’t last very long in Buffalo. The most recent notable bust that Beane drafted was cornerback Kaiir Elam. The Bills traded Elam away to the Dallas Cowboys after three miserable seasons from the former Florida standout.
Beane has also drafted guys like RB Zack Moss, OL Cody Ford and DE Boogie Basham, all of whom did not complete their rookie contracts in Buffalo. Then again, every general manager swings and misses on draft picks.
Latest mock draft has Bills making a huge mistake
In a recent NFL mock draft from Kyle Stackpole of CBS Sports, the Bills made a move to trade up from No. 30 to No. 24, where they send their first-round pick and a fourth-round pick (No. 109) to the Minnesota Vikings who desperately need more draft picks.
Moving up in the draft? Not a bad idea whatsoever, especially with the fact that the only extra pick they gave up was a fourth-rounder (which they have two right now). However, Stackpole has the Bills making a big mistake. In this mock draft, the Bills trade up to select South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.
"The Bills have traded up in the first round in four of the past six drafts, and they do so again here, adding a Swiss Army knife to their defense in Nick Emmanwori. Buffalo gives up No. 30 and No. 109 (Round 4) to move up six spots."Kyle Stackpole, CBS Sports
Selecting S Nick Emmanwori is a mistake for Bills
This is not me saying that Emmanwori isn’t worth being a first round pick, because he certainly is. Infact, he would be a great fit for Buffalo’s defense because of the versatility he has to his game. However, safety is not a need that the Bills have.
The projected starting safeties for Buffalo are Cole Bishop and Taylor Rapp, with Damar Hamlin and Darrick Forrest behind them. It would be a crowded room and quite frankly, if the Bills are going to trade up, it should be for either cornerback or defensive tackle.
In Stackpole’s mock draft, the Bills could have had the chance to draft prospects like cornerback Azareye’h Thomas and defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. Instead, Stackpole had Thomas falling out of the first round and Grant landing with the Kansas City Chiefs.
If Brandon Beane wants to trade up, that is totally fine and understandable. However, it should be for the right prospect at a position of need. I know that there is hesitation considering the fact that the last time they traded up for a cornerback, it was Kaiir Elam and it didn’t work out at all.