The Buffalo Bills entered the 2024 NFL Draft with a bevy of draft picks and even more roster deficiencies.
The team made significant alterations to its core in the offseason, these maneuvers made to reset the team’s on-field and financial clocks. The moves left Buffalo with several holes throughout its roster, craters the team was left to fill with young players on affordable deals throughout the 2024 draft.
And while the ultimate quality of each of their selections remains to be seen, it, on paper, looks as though the Bills constructed a rather solid draft class. All 10 of Buffalo’s selections could arguably be long-term solutions for the team at their respective positions; that said, some rookies will inevitably make larger immediate impacts than others. We’ve decided to rank the Bills’ 2024 draft class based on their potential impacts as rookies.
A 6-foot-7, 301-pound athlete who has never taken a snap in an American football game, Travis Clayton likely won’t impact the Bills in a significant way in his rookie season. That’s expected, however, as the Basingstoke, UK native can be kept around One Bills Drive in an exempt practice squad spot thanks to the NFL’s recently amended International Player Pathway (IPP) Program rules. Clayton’s profile is definitely one worthy of attempting to mold (the former rugby player and boxer ran a reported 4.79-second 40-yard dash at an IPP-specific Pro Day in March); Buffalo will attempt to transform the hypothetical into something tangible as he learns the game of football from the practice squad.
9. OL Tylan Grable (Round 6, Pick 204)
Sixth-round pick Tylan Grable is a longshot to make the roster given the general unrefined nature of his game and the Bills’ depth at tackle. That said, Grable is an intriguing practice squad candidate should Buffalo be able to sneak him there; the former UCF Knight earned a 9.83 relative athletic score, making him a more than worthy swing at pick No. 204. He’s an Aaron Kromer project with a potentially high ceiling; the team will likely attempt to develop his game on the practice squad this year.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 3, 2024Tylan Grable is a OT prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.83 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 23 out of 1314 OT from 1987 to 2024.
Splits projectedhttps://t.co/v1YDB3fOdi pic.twitter.com/TKIScaKng6
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This seems like a good place to remind you that we’re ranking rookies based on potential immediate impact. Georgia offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, whom the Bills selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, is an immensely talented and esteemed prospect who could be Buffalo’s long-term starter at center. It’s unlikely, however, that he sees the field as a rookie, with former left guard Connor McGovern currently projected to slide over and fill the hole vacated by Mitch Morse in the offseason. It’s possible that Van Pran-Granger usurps him on the depth chart this summer, but that seems unlikely; thus, the former Bulldog projects as a depth piece as a rookie.
7. LB Edefuan Ulofoshio (Round 5, Pick 160)
Edefuan Ulofoshio is unlikely to log significant defensive snaps as a rookie barring extremely unforeseen circ*mstances; Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard are slated to start at linebacker while 2023 third-round pick Dorian Williams projects as the primary depth. That said, Ulofoshio is the rangy, athletic linebacker the likes of which Buffalo’s defense has found success with before—if he were forced to step in on defense as a rookie, he likely wouldn’t flounder. Where Ulofoshio’s impact will come is on special teams; he logged 134 teams snaps at Washington last year and figures to play a prominent coverage role on the NFL’s revamped kickoffs as a rookie.
Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy was viewed, by some, as one of the better nickel defenders in this year’s draft; with Taron Johnson cemented as one the best slot cornerbacks in the league, Hardy’s path to significant defensive snaps in Buffalo is steep. That said, he does serve as immediate depth at the position, and he could be the team’s primary special teams returner as a rookie; he returned 17 punts for the Nittany Lions last year, averaging 14.4 yards per return and reaching paydirt twice.
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5. DE Javon Solomon (Round 5, Pick 168)
Fifth-round pick Javon Solomon is perhaps a bit undersized to be an every-down lineman straight away, but with Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, and Von Miller firmly entrenched above him on the depth chart (on a defensive line that features heavy rotation), this isn’t necessarily an issue in Buffalo. The Bills will instead use him as a rotational edge rusher and pass-rush specialist as a rookie, and the former Troy Trojan seems more than capable of excelling in this role; he led the FBS in sacks last season with 16.
Third-round pick DeWayne Carter projects as a long-term contributor and eventual starter for Buffalo’s defensive line, and thus, his impact will likely be more significant in 2025 and onwards than it will be in his rookie season. That said, he’ll still have a role in the 2023 campaign; the former Duke Blue Devil, who tallied 123 pressures throughout his collegiate career, projects as the No. 3 or No. 4 defensive tackle in Buffalo behind Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones. He’ll be an immediate rotational interior pass-rush generator.
3. RB Ray Davis (Round 4, Pick 128)
Fourth-round pick Ray Davis is not a trait-sy ball of clay running back who Buffalo hopes to develop into an eventual premier back; he’s instead an experienced 24-year-old who fits a clear needs. The stout 5-foot-8, 210-pound rusher is instead a power back who will serve as the thunder to James Cook’s lighting, a powerful between-the-tackles back who will take some of the load off both Cook and quarterback Josh Allen in short yardage and goalline situations (did someone say touchdown vulture?). He also tallied 94 receptions and 12 receiving touchdowns throughout his collegiate career, indicating that he’ll be able to hold his own on passing downs and that his presence on the field won’t be an immediate tendency tell.
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One could reasonably argue that wide receiver Keon Coleman—Buffalo’s first pick in the 2024 draft whom it selected to replace Stefon Diggs as the centerpiece of its receiving corps—should be ranked No. 1 on this list, and that’s a reasonable claim. He figures to see significant targets in a receiving corps that lost its two leading contributors in the offseason, and he’s more than capable of answering the call, as he caught 50 passes for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Florida State Seminoles last season. That said, he’s still a bit raw as a prospect, and though the traits of an elite No. 1 wide receiver are there, it’ll likely take some time for him to learn how to consistently separate and win at the professional level. He’ll be a significant immediate contributor regardless.
1. S Cole Bishop (Round 2, Pick 60)
Buffalo likely got a plug-and-play safety at pick No. 60 in the form of Utah defensive back Cole Bishop, who projects to immediately fill one of the holes vacated by Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer in the offseason. He’s the versatile, tenacious safety the likes of which generally thrive in head coach Sean McDermott’s defense, a scheme that not only places significant responsibility on its safeties, but also consistently puts them in positions to make plays. Bishop can be deployed and excel from several spots on the field, something he demonstrated throughout his time at Utah to the tune of 197 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions. He’ll be tasked with helping to keep a lid on Buffalo’s defense as a rookie; if he plays up to his potential, his impact will be felt immediately.
