Bills fans could make many arguments on the different types of directions that Brandon Beane and the Bills could go in free agency as well as the FL Draft. The Bills haven’t exactly drafted the best dominant prospects, but they have managed to find some diamonds in the rough in the later rounds.
He has also brought in valuable free agent signings, as well as had some regrets over the years. This coming offseason is bigger than fans may think it is. Considering that going into 2024, most people thought that the Bills were going to be taking a step back, the Bills exceeded expectations and now Bills fans are demanding better results than what they have received.
It’s not exactly fair to rate players like Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman, both of have been the Bills’ first picks the last two years because each player deserves atleast three seasons to prove their worth. Now, once they get to that third season, you just know if they are going to in the team’s long-term plans, or on their way to another team sooner than later.
With the exception of Kincaid, the Bills usually draft for need. When they took Kincaid, they traded up for him despite having Dawson Knox on the roster, who signed a four-year deal just a couple months earlier. Other than him, you can count on the Bills drafting for need rather than the best overall player left on the board.
NFL mock draft has Bills changing draft strategy
NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his second NFL mock draft that was highlighted by three running backs being drafted in the first round. When it came to the Bills pick at No. 30, Buffalo doesn’t draft a running back but they do stay on offense to draft Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden.
Before transferring to the University of Texas, Golden was in Houston from 2022-2023 where he recorded 988 yards and 13 touchdowns. With his one and only season with the Longhorns, he put up 987 yards (off of 58 receptions) and a career high 9 touchdowns.
Getting the chance at drafting Golden late in the first round be a great value pick for the Bills. First off, it would just the third time in the Brandon Beane-era where Buffalo took an offensive player in the first round. Secondly, it would be the first wide receiver the Bills would take in the first round since Sammy Watkins in 2014.
Even though the Bills drafted Keon Coleman last year, they are going to need to address the wide receiver position if they lose both Mack Hollins and Amari Cooper in free agency. Not only would they get Golden on a very cheap four-year contract, but they would get someone who can grow with Coleman and Josh Allen in the offense.
He has shown to be a solid route runner who can do some damage outside the numbers, as well as be able to play on special teams as a returner.
Maybe going with offense isn’t the correct move for the Bills in the first round (assumming that they don’t trade out again). However, Golden has too much value at this point in the first round and it would be very hard to pass up on him. Brandon Beane has already taken the route many times of drafting for need. He has proven that he can find value in the later rounds. It’s time for him to take this route of drafting the best player on the board.