The Buffalo Bills are scheduled to make seven draft picks on the third day of the 2024 NFL Draft. Entering Saturday, the Bills have one fourth-round pick, four fifth-round picks, one sixth-round pick, and one seventh-round pick.
While day three is a day for taking chances and finding depth in the roster, the Bills have done a great job at finding starting value late in the draft. During the Sean McDermott regime, Buffalo selected Matt Milano, Dane Jackson, Christian Benford, Siran Neal, Khalil Shakir, and Gabriel Davis on the third day of the draft.
Here is The Bills Wire’s analysis of Buffalo’s day three draft picks. Be certain to check for updates as the Draft progresses.
*Update: The Bills traded the No. 144 overall selection to the Chicago Bears for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
The Bills traded pick 163 to the Green Bay Packers for selections 168 and 218.
Davis is a bowling ball of a running back, bringing massive power in a small frame. At 5-8, 211 pounds, Davis has little problem lowering his pads and making contact, as he uses his lower center of gravity to battle through defenders. Simply, Davis is a tough back for defenders to handle. He has good change-of-direction maneuverability as well. Davis is an above-average receiver back. He caught at least one pass in every game he played over the past two seasons (25 games). He led FBS running backs with seven receiving touchdowns last year. The knock on Davis is that he lacks top-end speed. Davis is a bit impatient waiting for lanes to open up, as he doesn’t always set up his blocks. However, his traits will fit with the Bills as a rotational back.
Grade: B. Davis’ pass-catching ability puts him on the edge of Buffalo’s roster.
Van Pran-Granger was a three-year starter for Georgia. He was a two-time captain for the Bulldogs. As a junior, Van Pran-Granger earned Second Team All-SEC honors. Last year, he earned Second Team All-American and First Team All-SEC accolades. He started 44 games at center during his collegiate career. The Georgia product has earned high marks for his game IQ. Physically, he’s not the most agile in space. The only other knock is that there were occasions where he struggled against bull rushes. Van Pran-Granger does not have the position versatility that the Bills normally look for with deep draft picks.
Grade: A-. Van Pran-Granger is an intriguing pick. He has played a ton of snaps at center over the past three seasons. A good camp should propel him up the Bills depth chart at center.
Ulofoshio earned First Team All-PAC 12 honors last season after recording 94 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and an interception. Ulofoshio was a captain for the Washington Huskies last year. He was named the recipient of the Guy Flaherty Award, which is a player-voted award for the most infulential player on the team. He is a sideline-to-sideline player with great instincts who makes it his mission to find the ball. Ulofoshio gets downhill against running backs and loves to hit. He also plays well in zone coverage. However, Ulofoshio will be challenged with his adequate speed and size at the next level. In addition, he did not receive high grades for man coverage. Ulofoshio suffered two massive injuries in a short time: torn biceps (October 2021) and torn Achilles (January 2022).
Grade: B-. Ulofoshio has only one speed, which fits the Bills defense well. While the intangibles are high, his average athelticsim may limit how much time he will have on the field. Olofoshio adds depth to the linebacker room. His major contributions might be on special teams in the short term.
The Bills were looking for a pass rush specialist, and they found one in Solomon. Solomon recorded 16 sacks last season for Troy. He was named a First Team All-Sun Belt Conference player twice in his career. Solomon is a bit smaller at 6-0 and 246 pounds, but he uses his leverage and bend well to get around the edge of offensive linemen. His quickness is very good. He has very good instincts and tracks ball carrier nicely. He will need to diversify his pass-rush repetoire at the next level. He may need a little time to develop while facing the superior competition of the NFL. He’s going to deal with some massive tackles in the NFL who may be able to neutralize his speed. Solomon will be a passing-down specialist for the short term.
Grade: B+: All of the traits are there for him to be productive for Buffalo. Now, the Bills must work with him to get him to the next step in his development. There is going to be a bit of a learning curve going from what Solomon saw in college to his new oppoents in the NFL. Solomon has some work to do against the run as well.
Grable earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention status last year at UCF. He started 43 games at offensive tackle during his six years of collegiate eligibility. Grable transition from tight end to tackle during the 2019 season. He has good agility, adapted from his time as a tight end. He still has a bit of work to do with respect to his technique. His development in such a short period of time is admirable. As Grable has played tackle for only a few seasons, he still needs to iron out some issues with hand positioning and body position against power rushes. Grable played exclusively at tackle in college. However, he did practice at center, which puts him on the radar for the Bills.
Grade: C. It seems like a lot to put on Grable at this point. He is a developmental prospect. Grable’s physical attributes are intriguing. There’s always the hope that the Bills have found another Jason Peters. Nevertheless, he’s new to the offensive line, and any inkling that he could adapt to center is concerning.
Hardy is a speedy corner with return experience. He ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the Combine. Hardy can close down on receivers with his speed. Hardy does well enough to diagnose plays. He worked out of the slot for Penn State. At 5-9, he rises up to the phsyicality of receivers. He was guilty of only one coverage penatly in his collegiate career. Hardy was Penn State’s main punt returner last year. While he did well to battle physical receivers in college, Hardy will face a completely new challenge in the NFL. His missed tackle rate increased in 2023. Contested chatches will be an issue moving forward. Hardy will be a slot-only receiver at the next level.
Grade: C+: The Bills need some depth at cornerback. However, Hardy offers only slot coverage. His ability to return punts is helpful. However, there’s a big jump that needs to happen in Hardy’s game if Hardy is to see defensive snaps.
Welp, the Bills looked long and hard for their final pick, settling on Travis Clayton from England. The former rugby player has a massive wingspan (84 inches) and the size of an offensive lineman. At 6-7, 301 pounds, Clayton could be a mauler in the NFL. The athleticism can translate to the NFL. He ran a 4.81-second 40-yard dash. However, it’s going to take some time for him to acclimate to the league. Clayton needs time to learn the position in greater depth. There’s a great deal of growth that needs to happen for Clayton to be a functional player in the NFL. He is a part of the International Player Pathway, so the Bills will have a couple of years to work with Clayton.
Grade: C+. It’s a seventh-round pick. Why not? Clayton’s upside is quite intriguing.
