Bleacher Report reflected fondly upon the Buffalo Bills’ 2019 draft class.
B/R recently graded every NFL team’s slew of players selected at the most recent draft. The Bills were among the best, earning the letter mark of “A.”
Here’s how B/R broke down Buffalo’s first-year pros:
The Buffalo Bills hit on their top four picks—all of them either started the majority of games this season or made significant contributions.
Ed Oliver displayed his pass-rushing prowess with five sacks on the interior. He started slow but came on strong in Weeks 11 to 13, recording four sacks. The Houston product plays in a rotational role, yet he’s shown the ability to line up on all three downs.
Cody Ford helped strengthen the offensive line with his solid pass blocking at right tackle. He only allowed 3.5 sacks in 15 starts, per STATS.
The Bills traded LeSean McCoy to the Kansas City Chiefs. Eventually, Frank Gore yielded the featured position to Devin Singletary while T.J. Yeldon served as a low-volume backup. The Florida Atlantic product listed fifth in yards from scrimmage (969) among all rookies.
Dawson Knox hasn’t posted big numbers. With that said, in addition to two touchdowns, he’s second in receiving yards (388) among rookie tight ends. He likely saw more playing time earlier than expected because Tyler Kroft broke his foot in the offseason. Regardless, the Ole Miss product looks like a solid playmaker.
Along the Bills, the Cardinals, Broncos, Giants, Raiders, 49ers, and Bucs all also earned the top-letter honor in B/R’s grades. The Bills out-ranked their other AFC East rivals, the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins, who all earned a lowly grade of “D.”
As B/R mentions, Oliver, Ford, Singletary and Knox all made positive impacts as rookie. Singletary the most, followed by Oliver with Ford and Knox having up-and-down seasons. But they’re rookies, so inconsistencies should be expected while adjusting to the next level.
Under Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane, the Bills have a reputation of landing strong pieces in the draft. In 2017, three starters via Tre’Davious White, Dion Dawkins and Matt Milano were found. The 2018 class was highlighted by first rounders Tremaine Edmunds and Josh Allen. While Allen has room to grow still, he’s certainly been perhaps the most consistent first-round QB of his class, even more so than Lamar Jackson, who didn’t start as many games as a rookie and was really night-and-day in comparison between his first and second seasons.
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