There are many new faces on the Bills roster following GM Brandon Beane’s busy offseason.
Some of whom will be expected to contribute right away, including some of the teams’ high-round draft picks.
During the first seven seasons of head coach Sean McDermott’s Bills career (2017-23), only three of the Bills 44 draft picks made after the first round in that time have played 75% of snaps as a rookie (WR Zay Jones 9% 2017, RT Spencer Brown 76%, and G O’Cyrus Torrence 100%.)
But during this stage of the Beane and McDermott era, there is more of a precedent to continue to compete without any dropoff than in years past.
The team has seen one of their largest turnovers in roster personnel during that span this offseason, and there are many new faces in the midst of the team that has become a playoff contender with an eye on a Super Bowl.
“The interesting thing is we’re going to have to depend on some of these young guys in this draft class to help us and play this year,” McDermott said to The Buffalo News. “Getting them acclimated to the life in the NFL and getting them adjusted to the NFL schemes is going to take some time.”
Buffalo’s top two 2024 NFL Draft selections in the first and second rounds, respectively, WR Keon Coleman and Cole Bishop are projected by many in the media as Week 1 starters barring any setbacks, due to holes the Bills have at their position.
Similarly, third-round pick DT DeWayne Carter and fourth-rounder RB Ray Davis could quickly see playing time as well.
McDermott also noted about the 10-selection class overall, “I feel like a lot of the players had really good intangibles and have a little bit of an edge to them, and you can see that on the film.”
Coleman and Bishop visited the Bills’ facility and spent time with their new coach following the draft, making an impression in the process.
“You talk about personalities – both Keon and Cole have them, but they’re different,” McDermott mused. “I’m really looking forward to getting around them and getting to know them and see what they bring onto the football field.”