The regular season has come to an end, but the Buffalo Bills' 2023 season is not over. The Bills had a few rookies contribute significantly, while others saw limited or no action all year. What is the 2024 outlook for all four of these guys? Well, that sounds like a great off-season article but for now, let's get back to the 2023 season.
The Bills are preparing for their opening game of the NFL playoffs, playing host to the 10 - 7 Pittsburgh Steelers, who are coming in minus T.J. Watt and will be starting quarterback Mason Rudolph. On paper, the Bills should not have any problems dispatching Pittsburgh and advancing to the AFC Divisional Round. But before they get there, let's take a look at the Bills' top-drafted rookies, and how their season fared, and what we can expect as the team advances throughout the postseason.
This rookie class includes a record-setting tight end, an offensive lineman who started every single snap of the regular season. It also includes a linebacker that helped fill the void left by Matt Milano, as a rotational piece to the linebacking corps. It also includes a wide receiver that many fans were hoping to see; however, we'll have to wait till next season, when he likely battles for the Bills number two wide receiver. Let's get into how their 2023 season has gone and what we might expect going forward in these playoffs.
Dalton Kincaid - Tight End
Dalton Kincaid was the Bills' first-round selection, trading up to make him the 25th selection of the draft. Many fans were hoping for a wide receiver at this spot in the draft and had some of the options fallen to the Bills, maybe they would have gone that way but when Kincaid was still there at 25, Brandon Beane made the move and grabbed him. Kincaid has more than proven his worth as the 25th overall pick.
He's already set the Bills' record for receptions and yards by a rookie tight end, as well as receptions for a rookie, regardless of position and also the record for most receptions by any tight end in any season. He finished his first NFL regular season with 73 receptions on 91 targets, 673 yards, and two touchdowns. The receptions are the fourth most by a rookie tight end in league history and he finished top ten in both yards and receptions by a tight end this season.
O'Cyrus Torrence - Offensive Guard
O'Cyrus Torrence seems to have hit a little bit of that rookie wall and Josh Allen made mention of it during a recent press conference. He praised the rookie guard for starting every single snap this season and holding his own. Down the stretch, he's struggled at times, but the Bills haven't had a rookie play at this level since Buffalo drafted Andy Levitre and Eric Wood in 2009.
According to Pro Football Focus, Torrence was responsible for allowing just three sacks and six total penalties. Those numbers look pretty solid but PFF wasn't kind with his grades, scoring him 56 overall on the season. But maybe more impressive is his 1,163 total snaps played, which is what Allen was referencing. The snap count is the second most of any offensive linemen in the NFL.
Dorian Williams - Linebacker
Dorian Williams was the Bills' third-round selection, with the 92nd overall pick. This is another one that Bills Mafia was not necessarily excited about but when given an opportunity, he showed some promise. And when Matt Milano went down early in the season, Williams became an integral part of the rotation that helped field the void. He eventually took primarily a backup role later in the season as Tyrel Dodson continued to improve and lock down the spot.
Through the course of the season, Williams played on 211 snaps, producing 35 total tackles and nine stops. According to PFF, he was credited with seven missed tackles. PFF thought highly of Williams' run defense, with a grade of 70.1; however, he received an overall grade of 55.2. Williams was the primary backup to both Dodson and Terrel Bernard for the majority of the season.
Justin Shorter - Wide Receiver
Justin Shorter was the Bills fifth-round selection, 152nd overall. He is the tallest of the Bills receivers, at 6'4" and weighs 223 pounds. Unfortunately, for Shorter and Bills Mafia, we'll have to wait until next season to see what Shorter can bring to the field. We saw him briefly in the pre-season when he caught six passes on 11 targets and 66 yards. He also added a touchdown during the pre-season.
It's likely that Shorter will be in the conversation for the Bills' number two receiver role, depending on what happens with Gabe Davis after this season. As frustrating as the disappearance acts of Davis, the team loves him and he is one of the best blocking receivers in the league. I also think the Bills select another receiver in April's NFL Draft. Regardless, I'm excited to see what Shorter can do next season.