With James Cook coming off an excellent season, and rookie Ray Davis impressing early, Brandon Beane may not be in the market for a running back at the start of the NFL Draft. Ty Johnson, the current power back in the rotation, also performed well, and of course Josh Allen is one of the most dominant runners in the game as a dual threat.
Even still, there is plenty of talent down the board that could fit perfectly in Buffalo, and NFL teams rarely shy away from adding more running back talent, given the position’s relatively short shelf life.
Players like Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton are intriguing talents, and as fun as a Jeanty/Allen backfield would be for the option game, it’s simply not in Buffalo’s “needs” category. Further down the board, these are the guys who might be carrying the ball in Buffalo next season.
Who should the Bills have their eye on from RB class?
Kyle Monangai - Rutgers
Monangai was the epitome of a bell-cow back at Rutgers. He is a punishing, hard-headed running back who was tremendously productive for his offense. If not for entering the Draft alongside a stacked class, Monangai would be receiving far more attention.
At 5’9” 209lbs, Monangai is a bowling ball with a strong base, perfectly fit for those cold weather Buffalo games. The reason for his low stock is athleticism concerns, as Monangai ran a 4.6 40-yard-dash at the NFL Combine.
Bhayshul Tuten - Virginia Tech
Tuten is also a stocky running back, coming into the league at 5’9” 206 LBS, but he has more of an agile archetype than some of the other stocky backs on the board. While not his default, Tuten is able to be a receiving back at the next level, and would insert nicely alongside Cook in that role. At Tech, Tuten rushed for 1159 yards last year for 15 scores, plus two receiving touchdowns. He was a big part of the offensive production in college, and absolutely meet the baseline draft requirement of being a very good football player.
Ollie Gordon II - Oklahoma State
Gordon is a linebacker carrying the football. At 6’2” 226 LBS, Gordon was expected to be RB1 off the board in this year’s draft, but after a down year at Oklahoma State he has fallen on most boards. Nevertheless, Gordon’s frame and athleticism makes it a certainty that his name will get called next weekend.
For Buffalo, he would manage to add another dimension to the rushing attack, jumping in as a tall, physical option alongside Cook’s agility and Johnson and Davis’s more physical approach. While Gordon may well be ahead of Beane’s desired range for taking another back, a class this loaded can prompt some players to fall further than they would otherwise, and Gordon is a name to keep an eye on.
DJ Giddens - Kansas State
Giddens is a remarkably agile athlete given his bigger frame. He is 6’0” 212 LBS, but moves like some of the 5’9” backs in the class. Giddens rushed for 6.6 YPC this past season, totaling 1343 yards on the ground.
The fact remains that this is an absolutely loaded running back class, and Giddens would likely jump higher on the board if not for such a saturation of talent. If he ends up in Buffalo, fans will rejoice. Giddens would offer the in-between of Cook and company in the backfield. He has a very muscular frame, and would compliment the offense very nicely without being redundant to the already-present talent in Buffalo.