The 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the books for the Buffalo Bills and the rest of the NFL. Over the seven rounds, the Bills made 10 picks and it was an even split with five offensive players and five defensive players.
The Bills started the draft on the offensive side of the ball with the selection of wide receiver Keon Coleman out of Florida State. They would wait until Day 3 to go back to the position but did so by selecting running back Ray Davis, center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, and then offensive linemen Tylan Grable and Travis Clayton.
For the defense, the Bills selected safety Cole Bishop with their second second-round pick and then defensive tackle DeWayne Carter out of Duke with the third round pick they acquired in the trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round.
The rest of the picks were more depth with linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio out of Washington, defensive end Javon Solomon out of Troy, and cornerback Daequan Hardy out of Penn State. When looking at the draft class as a whole, there were a few key takeaways that were notable for the Buffalo Bills and how they approached the 2024 NFL Draft.
Josh Allen has a lot of input into the draft picks
The first takeaway is probably not that surprising but it just confirms the belief that Josh Allen's opinion matters to general manager Brandon Beane and the front office. After the Bills traded out of the first round with two trades, one with the Chiefs and one with the Carolina Panthers, they had the 33rd overall pick, which was the first one on Day 2.
There were a number of good wide receivers still available but the Bills seemed to go with the surprising pick of Keon Coleman. The reason it was a surprise was that this is not the typical wide receiver the Bills have had as he isn't a great route runner and doesn't create much separation.
However, according to reports Josh Allen had made it clear that this was the wide receiver that he wanted. The good news for the Bills' quarterback was that the team was able to make that happen.
While it would make sense for the quarterback to have input, that is not always the case for other teams. At this point in his career, Josh Allen has earned the right to have his opinion taken into consideration when the team is putting players around him.
Bills added a lot of experience and leadership
After the Buffalo Bills had to say goodbye this offseason to a lot of key leaders for this team, like Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Mitch Morse, and Tre'Davious White to name a few, the focus seemed to be on bringing in rookies who are experienced and have shown to be leaders at the college level.
In fact, six of their 10 picks participated in the Senior Bowl this year with Cole Bishop, DeWayne Carter, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Ray Davis, Edefaun Ulofoshio, and Javon Solomon. In addition to that, three of those players (Carter, Van Pran-Granger, and Ulofoshio) were team captains at the college level.
The Buffalo Bills are in a position where they are still competing for a Super Bowl and need experienced players who can come in and contribute right away. It is tough for rookies to lead but these are players that understand how to approach the game and the learning curve should not be as steep compared to a player who might need more time to develop.
Buffalo Bills keep, as well as add, to their draft capital in 2025 NFL Draft
Entering the 2024 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills were often talked about as a team that would trade up in the first round. The thought was that they would swing big and try to move up into the Top 10 for someone like Rome Odunze.
However, to make a trade like that they would have had to give up future draft picks in 2025. Instead of mortgaging the future, the Bills actually went the other direction and added multiple picks for next year's draft.
In addition to the 2025 second-round draft pick the Bills have from the Stefon Diggs trade, they also added a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The expectation is that the Bills could get multiple compensatory picks next year.
When considering the draft capital they have, the Bills now have flexibility going into next year draft or possibly using some of these picks to improve the roster this season with a trade before or during the 2024 season.