Bills Youth Having Impactful Effect This Season

Don’t look now, but the Bills currently have five starters that are either rookies or second year players.

Of the 11 players selected in the first six rounds in the 2022 and 2023 drafts, nearly half of them play pivotal roles on Buffalo’s squad and will continue to down this season’s stretch run.

Here’s a list of these players and the roles they are currently playing with the Bills:

James Cook, Running Back (2022 draft, 2^ndround)
Possibly the biggest shapeshifter in this year’s potent Bills offense, James Cook has been an extremely effective running back in the rushing game and passing game.  He’s become a pivotal part of the Bills offense and look for Joe Brady to utilize him more down the stretch run.

Terrel Bernard, Linebacker (2022 draft, 3^rdround)
The question of this year’s offseason was, “Who is going to replace Tremaine Edmunds?” The Bills reluctantly put Terrel Bernard in the MLB role and he’s done nothing but impress in 2023, racking up 2 interceptions, 4 pass deflections, 3 fumble recoveries and 3.5 sacks. Bernard has been perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the 2022 draft this season.

Khalil Shakir, Wide Receiver (2022 draft, 5^thround)
The 2022 season saw Khalil Shakir on the field mainly in mop-up time; but when he did see the field last year, he made the most of it with pivotal catches in big situations.  This season, Shakir has proven to be more effective than Gabriel Davis over the past few weeks and his surge in playing time and big-time plays might be Davis’s ticket out of Buffalo this offseason.

Christian Benford, Cornberback (2022 draft, 6^thround)
Believe it or not, the only stable cornerback over the past two seasons (excluding slot-corner Taron Johnson) has been Christian Benford.  He’s outplayed first-round pick Kaiir Elam and has been a steady force in the Bills backfield when healthy.

Dalton Kincaid, Tight End (2023 draft, 1^st round)
Kincaid has become Josh Allen’s second most trusted receiver and his production has steadily grown to average nearly 7 catches a game over the past month. Kincaid’s value will only increase over the years and the Allen to Kincaid connection may become legendary.

O’Cyrus Torrence, Guard (2023 draft, 2^nd round)
Many were skeptical about the O’Cyrus Torrence pick this year. The Bills already had three veteran starting-caliber guards (Ryan Bates, Connor McGovern and David Edwards) and many thought a bigger need could have been met with their 2^ndround pick. Torrence has proven to be a trusted interior offensive lineman and his stock will continue to rise for years to come.