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ESPN did not look fondly upon the Buffalo Bills’ 2021 NFL draft rookie class.
The former world-wide leader ranked the first-year pros from every team in the NFL, head-to-head. The Bills ended up at the No. 27 overall spot. Only five other teams had a worse ranking than Buffalo.
Here’s the breakdown on the Bills’ rookie class:
27. Buffalo Bills
Why they’re ranked here: The Bills draft class’ biggest contributions came from their top three picks, as Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham were each part of a strong defensive line rotation while Spencer Brown played 726 snaps on the offensive line. Rousseau recorded 30 pressures and 38 defensive stops, but injuries limited Basham to just 200 snaps in total. Brown played over 600 snaps at right tackle, and although he allowed just one sack, he gave up 30 pressures and accrued a 51 PFF pass-blocking grade.How their top pick fared: Rousseau flashed the kind of athleticism and size that makes him a problem for offenses to deal with, as he was a useful part of Buffalo’s defensive front. He was particularly impactful in the run game, but his pass rush was more inconsistent. He posted an eight-pressure game but also has five games in which he failed to record any pressure at all.
Best value pick: Brown became a starter on the Bills offensive line, spending most of his time at right tackle but even filling in at left tackle when needed. He recorded two elite run-blocking performances, which was his stronger area of play, and was rarely a liability in pass protection.
Overall, Buffalo had a class consisting of seven total players. Those not mentioned above include offensive lineman Tommy Doyle (Round 5), returner Marquez Stevenson (Round 6), safety Damar Hamlin (Round 6), and cornerback Rachad Wildgoose (Round 6).
Of that secondary group, only Stevenson and Doyle made some meaningful impact down the stretch run of the Bills’ 2021 season. Hamlin was a special teamer himself while Wildgoose left Buffalo when the New York Jets signed him from the team’s practice squad.
What really doesn’t help the full group in such a ranking is their positions on the defensive line for Rousseau and Basham. As referenced, the Bills run a big rotation along the defensive line, so even when they did get in the lineup, snaps were limited as opposed to someone like Brown– and rookies on other teams that they are being compared to.
But with all these players being only one year into their careers, there’s still plenty of time for them to turn into impact makers. Even along the defensive line as veterans could potentially be moving on from the Bills as early as this upcoming offseason.
With Buffalo’s No. 27 spot, in a bummer, they aso rank as the lowest team in the AFC East in this poll. One actually fares very well.
Here’s a quick rundown of how the rest of the division ranked in ESPN’s poll:
1. New England Patriots
7. Miami Dolphins
20. New York Jets
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