EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 08: Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane watches warm ups before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 8, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Buffalo defeats New York 17-16. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

In four weeks Brandon Beane will partake in his sixth draft as the GM of the Buffalo Bills. Although “Big Baller Beane” has played puppet master in the Bills’ monumental shift in success since taking over the GM spot in 2017, his draft classes have been inconsistent.  

Let’s take a look at Brandon Beane’s draft classes for the Bills. Note that Sean McDermott handled the 2017 draft before Beane arrived.

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2018 Draft Grade:  A+

Brandon Beane’s first draft as the Bills General Manager was his best and it’s not close. In total, the 2018 draft class has piled up seven Pro Bowls and 19 seasons as primary starters (4 of the 19 belong to Wyatt Teller in Cleveland). Out of the eight draft picks, only Austin Proehl, taken in the 7th round is no longer in the league. Oh yeah — and the dude who made Buffalo great again was taken with their first pick.

Round 1, pick 7: QB Josh Allen

Drafting Josh Allen with the 7th overall pick in 2018 was a franchise-shifting moment. Although Tyrod Taylor helped end the playoff drought in 2017, it was clear the Bills weren’t going to make a deep playoff run with him and Brandon Beane wanted his own “franchise” quarterback. Beane got it right with Allen and had the Bills gone a different direction at quarterback in the ’18 draft, it could have been disastrous (see Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen).

Round 1, pick 16: LB Tremaine Edmunds

As of right now, the Tremaine Edmunds pick at 16 overall in 2018 is Brandon Beane’s second best draft pick in his time in Buffalo. Though he is no longer in Buffalo, Edmunds was instrumental in the success of the Bills defense over the past five seasons.

Round 3, pick 96: DT Harrison Phillips

Though he’s not with the Bills any longer, Harrison Phillips has proven to be a solid defensive lineman for the Vikings, starting every game for them in 2022 and providing depth on the defensive line for the Bills when he was in Buffalo.

Round 4, pick 121: CB Taron Johnson

Other than Tre White, Taron Johnson has proven to be the most consistent cornberback for the Bills over the past five seasons. Although he isn’t a primary CB1 or CB2, he’s been a valuable nickel corner in a Leslie Frazier-run nickel base defense. He’s been a primary Bills starter in three of his five seasons with Buffalo and should continue to be a rock in the Bills secondary.

Round 5, pick 154: CB Siran Neal

Siran Neal has carved his niche on the Bills roster and plays a valuable role on special teams.

Round 5, pick 166: G Wyatt Teller

Maybe a change of scenery was all Wyatt Teller needed to get going.  After being traded to the Browns just prior to the 2019 season, Teller became a starting guard for the Browns and has been a Pro Bowler the past two seasons.

Round 6, pick 187: WR Ray-Ray McCloud

Though the Bills cut Ray-Ray McCloud prior to the 2019 season, he’d go on to lead the league in punt return yards for the Steelers in 2021 and was among the league leaders with the 49ers in 2022.  

Round 7, pick 255: WR Austin Proehl

Proehl failed to make the Bills roster and is no longer in the league.

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2019 Draft Grade:  C-

Ideally your first and second round picks are the most successful picks of your draft. This wasn’t the case for the Bills in 2019. Ed Oliver has had flashes of greatness, but has never lived up to his draft stock during his time in Buffalo, and Cody Ford couldn’t cut it either. The Bills did find value in 3rd round pick Devin Singletary and Dawson Knox has proven to be a quality 4th round pick as well. The 2019 draft yielded 11 years for players as primary starters and produced only one Pro Bowl season. All but one of the 2019 picks are still in the league.

Round 1, pick 9: DT Ed Oliver

Although he’s been a primary starter at defensive tackle for the Bills the past three seasons, Oliver has mostly been a disappointment for the Bills. He’s without a doubt Brandon Beane’s poorest first round pick and likely won’t play for the Bills beyond 2023.

Round 2, pick 38: OL Cody Ford

Cody Ford was another swing and miss by the Brandon Beane regime. After starting 22 of his first 23 games as a Buffalo Bill, Ford went down with a knee injury and was relegated to backup duties before being traded to the Cardinals before the 2022 season. PFF has Cody Ford graded among the worst offensive linemen in the league.

Round 3, pick 74: RB Devin Singletary

In only four seasons with the Bills, Devin Singletary cracked the top-10 all-time Bills rushing list, which is impressive considering the Bills were a pass-first offense and had many other weapons during Singletary’s time in Buffalo. He was also an important check down option for Josh Allen, who’s career flourished with Singletary behind him.

Round 4, pick 96: TE Dawson Knox

Dawson Knox hasn’t put up great numbers for the Bills in his four years in Buffalo, but he’s come up big when called upon. He’ll be TE1 for the foreseeable future after signing a contract extension before the 2022 season.

Round 5, pick 147: LB Vosean Joseph

Vosean Joseph was placed on the IR before the 2019 season and never saw the field for the Bills.

Round 6, pick 181: S Jaquan Johnson

Jaquan Johnson was a valuable special teams contributor for the Bills through 2022. He signed with the Raiders this offseason.

Round 7, pick 225: DE Darryl Johnson

Darryl Johnson was relegated to backup defensive end and special teams for the Bills before being traded to the Panthers before the 2021 season.

Round 7, pick 228: TE Tommy Sweeney

Tommy Sweeney saw three starts in 2021 and even caught a touchdown pass. He’s now a New York Giant.

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2020 Draft Grade:  B-

The Bills traded their 2020 first round pick to the Vikings for Stefon Diggs and that single move helped to transform Josh Allen into the elite-level quarterback he is today. It was definitely worth the first round capital, even if the Bills could have picked Justin Jefferson. That being said, Brandon Beane whiffed with his 2nd round pick for the second year in a row with AJ Epenesa. Gabe Davis, Tyler Bass and Dane Jackson, however, were solid later-round picks that have contributed heavily to the Bills success. The 2020 draft picks did not produce any Pro-Bowlers but did have six player years as primary starters.

Round 2, pick 54: AJ Epenesa

Underwhelming is a good adjective to describe AJ Epenesa. Though he was admittedly a “project” when drafted in the 2nd round out of Iowa, in three seasons, Epenesa hasn’t done much consistently on the edge.  

Round 3, pick 86: RB Zack Moss

It was thought that the “bruising” running back, Zack Moss, would be a good compliment to the more finesse back, Devin Singletary. And although Moss wasn’t a major disappointment, he could never get things going in Buffalo. Moss was traded to the Colts mid-2022.

Round 4, pick 128: WR Gabe Davis

2023 will be a “prove-it” year for Gabe Davis. After wowing America versus the Chiefs in the 2021 playoffs, Davis had an inconsistent 2022. He for sure had some electrifying plays this past season, but also had some major drops that shifted the momentum of multiple games. Regardless, Gabe Davis is a solid 4th round pick.

Round 5, pick 167: QB Jake Fromm

Taking a quarterback that you know will be a practice squad guy in the 5th round isn’t the most efficient way to use a pick. Jack Fromm had a cup of coffee with the Giants in 2021 and is now out of the league.

Round 6, pick 188: K Tyler Bass

Good chance Tyler Bass is the highest paid kicker in league history in the next couple years. He’s been clutch! A great use of a late round pick.

Round 6, pick 207: WR Isaiah Hodgins

There just wasn’t enough room on the loaded 2022 Bills roster for Isaiah Hodgins. The Giants picked him off the Bills practice squad in 2022 and in seven starts, Hodgins had 450+ yards and 5 TD receptions.

Round 7, pick 239: CB Dane Jackson

Dane Jackson was a steal in the 7th round. He proved that he isn’t starting cornerback-caliber in 2022, but he’ll add great depth to the position for the Bills in 2023.

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2021 Draft Grade:  C+

Gregory Rousseau, so far, has proven worthy of the 30th overall pick. But, for the third season in a row, it appears that Brandon Beane’s second round draft pick has been a bust. The verdict is still out on Spencer Brown. The 2021 Bills draft produced two current starters.

Round 1, pick 30: DE Gregory Rousseau

If he can stay healthy, Greg Rousseau may be a top 10 EDGE rusher in the league. Rousseau made giant strides in 2022 and proved he was worthy of the 30th overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Round 2, pick 61: DL Boogie Basham

Boogie Basham has not played like a second-round draft pick yet. Though he played behind Von Miller and Rousseau last season, the drop off from Miller/Rousseau to Basham/Epenesa is a major concern in 2023.

Round 3, pick 93: OT Spencer Brown

Spencer Brown had a promising rookie season that saw him play multiple positions across the offensive line. 2022 was a different story and let’s hope Brown’s struggles this past season were related to his offseason back injury that kept him out of a majority of training camp.  

Round 5, pick 161: OT Tommy Doyle

Before going down with a season-ending knee injury in 2022, Tommy Doyle had primarily been a backup tackle. Going into 2023, the Bills will need a healthy Doyle to compete with Spencer Brown for the starting right tackle spot.

Round 6, pick 203: WR Marquez Stevenson

Marquez Stevenson couldn’t stay healthy and was released by the Bills in December of 2022. The Browns promptly picked him up and signed him to their practice squad.

Round 6, pick 212: S Damar Hamlin

Damar Hamlin has become a national folk-hero. When Micah Hyde went down early in the 2022 season, Hamlin was called upon to replace him along side Jordan Poyer. Though Hamlin did a commendable job filling in, he’s not a starting-caliber safety. Let’s hope he can safely come back in 2023 and provide some extra depth behind Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde at the safety position.

Round 6, pick 213: CB Rachad Wildgoose

The Bills released Rachad Wildgoose before the 2021 season. He was promptly picked up by the Jets in 2021 and now plays for the Commanders where he made three starts in 2022.

Round 7, pick 236: OL Jack Anderson

Jack Anderson was released by the Bills before the 2021 season. He is now under contract as a reserve offensive lineman with the Giants.

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2022 Draft Grade:  A-

With one season under their belts, the 2022 Buffalo Bills draft class looked promising. Although the ’22 rookies didn’t see the field as much as Bills Mafia would hope, at least two of them (Kaiir Elam and James Cook) will be starters in 2023. The only reason this draft class doesn’t get a straight “A” grade is the Terrel Bernard pick in the 3rd round. Unless there’s a giant shift in defensive scheme, Bernard is likely a depth player and special teams contributor.

Round 1, pick 23: CB Kaiir Elam

After a slow start to his 2022 season, Kaiir Elam has cemented his foot into the CB2 role. Look for him to have an excellent 2023 season.

Round 2, pick 63: RB James Cook

With Devin Singletary gone, James Cook will assume the RB1 role. Cook showed what he is capable of down the stretch last season, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and catching 21 passes out of the backfield.

Round 3, pick 89: LB Terrel Bernard

Coach Sean McDermott is on record saying that the linebacker position vacated by Tremaine Edmunds this offseason could very well go to a player in-house. Could the Bills trust Terrel Bernard to take a starting role on? In his one start in 2022, Bernard looked raw and outmatched. The Bills drafted Bernard in the 3rd round of the 2022 draft, knowing full-well that Edmunds could be gone in 2023. Time will tell.

Round 5, pick 148: WR Khalil Shakir

Khalil Shakir didn’t see a lot of playing time in 2022, however, when he did get his opportunity, he took advantage of it. Shakir will look to prove himself in what is looking like a crowded Bills wide receiver room.

Round 6, pick 185: P Matt Araiza

Matt Araiza was released prior to the 2022 season.

Round 6, pick 209: OT Luke Tenuta

The Bills released Luke Tenuta before the 2022 season.  He then hopped between the Colts and Packers.

Round 7, pick 231: LB Baylon Spector

Baylon Spector dressed for six games in 2022. He is a long shot to replace Tremaine Edmunds at MLB.

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