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The Buffalo Bills did not earn much praise for their 2021 NFL draft class via NFL.com.
Grading each draft class from last offseason, the Bills slotted in at No. 25 overall. That translated to a letter grade of C.
Here’s part of the outlet’s breakdown:
Following a disappointing season from the Buffalo defense in 2020, Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott clearly went into the 2021 draft seeking more edge juice, ultimately spending their first two picks on a pair of defensive ends. Rousseau created quite a buzz in August, titillating Bills beat writers throughout training camp and then recording a sack in each of his first two preseason games. In his second regular-season game, he notched two QB takedowns. And after he sacked and picked Patrick Mahomes in a Sunday night blowout of the Chiefs at Arrowhead, the hype train hit full throttle. During a media session the day after that Week 5 win in Kansas City, McDermott got one too many fawning questions about the Rousseau.
Call that man McDermostradamus! Rousseau didn’t record another sack until Week 17, smashing into the rookie wall after opting out of his final college season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, he started all 19 games, including the playoffs. Basham was another matter, as a healthy scratch for half the regular season and a rotational player when active. On the plus side, he maximized limited snaps in Week 18 and the two playoff games, providing seven pressures and two sacks in a nice season-ending surge. With Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison past their prime and set to hit free agency, the Bills need Rousseau, Basham and 2020 second-rounder A.J. Epenesa to make the leap in 2022.
Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the one impact player taken after Buffalo’s early edge binge. Brown started 12 games, including both playoff contests. The 6-8, 311-pounder out of Northern Iowa looks like a keeper as a road-grading right tackle.
Rousseau, Brown and Basham were the three pieces from Buffalo’s 2021 rookie class that made an impact in Year 1. Many others did not, but even in that, there were some promising signs.
Cornerback Rachad Wildgoose (Jets) and offensive lineman Jack Anderson (Eagles) both were signed by other teams off of the Bills’ practice squad. That could be taken as a positive for Buffalo’s scouting department.
Later in the year a few others, such as returner Marquez Stevenson and offensive lineman Tommy Doyle, did find their ways into the lineup. The final piece not mentioned was safety Damar Hamlin, who did see time in 14 games played and 35 percent of Buffalo’s special teams snaps throughout the year.
While no rookie players really flashed for the Bills this past season, there are some clear reasons for optimism going forward. Their careers are not signed and sealed as “C” quality just yet–not even close.
In a bit of an added bummer, Buffalo’s rookie class was graded worst among AFC East teams. The divisional rivals of the Bills slotted in at:
- 21. New York Jets
- 6. New England Patriots
- 3. Miami Dolphins
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