Grading every Bills draft pick

Round 1, No. 23 Overall: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida

With the Bills first round pick, they went with the position that the fanbase was screaming for the last couple of months leading up to the draft. Most people, me included, believed that cornerback was the most significant need for the Buffalo Bills, and so did Brandon Beane and staff. Derek Stingley Jr., Sauce Gardner, and Trent Mcduffie were all off the board by the time the Bills selected Kaiir Elam 23rd overall after trading up two spots to get him. Elam is a long corner known for his long arms and blazing speed. He ran a 4.39 at the combine, and his measures stand out with a reach of 30 7/8″. Elam excels in his ability to be an extremely aggressive corner that fits perfectly in a zone scheme fit as well as playing in press coverage. You can tell why Beane and Sean McDermott moved up to select him. A long, rangy corner that is ultra-aggressive and excels in a zone scheme is the perfect fit for the Buffalo Bills.

Grade: A-

Round 2, No. 63 Overall: James Cook, RB, Georgia

My favorite pick in this draft was the selection of running back James Cook in the second round after trading back two different times and gaining additional picks. I have been talking about taking Cook after watching him excel in the passing game against Michigan and Alabama in the playoffs. In theory, Cook is the perfect addition to the Bills’ passing game and won’t take away snaps from Devin Singletary. The plan should be Singletary as the first and second-down back and then Cook as the third-down back. Eventually, if Cook excels, he could become an every-down running back. Still, at this point, his best value is as a receiving back because of his explosiveness and incredible vision. At the combine, he ran a 4.42, which is a perfect time for an RB. His strengths lie in his ability to read the defense, cut through the front line, and get to the second level of the defense. In addition, his ability to catch out of the backfield creates huge mismatches with linebackers due to his similar size and speed.

Grade: A

Round 3, No. 89 Overall: Terrel Bernard, LB, Baylor

With the Bills’ second pick on Day 2 of the draft, they went back to the defense and selected LB Terrel Bernard from Baylor, who recently was the Sugar Bowl MVP. Scouts rave about his leadership and character on and off the field, which Mcdermott loves in his players. A film junkie that loves the game of football and excels in going after the football and reading the opposing team’s offense. Bernard projects as a hybrid player in the Bills defense at the next level. He played both safety and linebacker at Baylor and has the size to play both. Many scouts see him also as a big nickel type of player, and that is something the Bills have been missing over the years. He does have the speed and athleticism to be able to guard opponents in their underneath routes. You have to consider that the Bills cutting A.J. Klein this past offseason could be a reason why Bernard was selected.

Grade: B

Round 5, No. 148 Overall: Khalil Shakir, WR, Boise State

This was the best value pick that the Buffalo Bills made during the three days of the NFL draft. Most scout’s big boards, including mine, had Shakir as a 3rd-round pick. He fell right into the Bills’ laps at pick 148 after a bit of trading up by Beane. He had a 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine, but this year’s combine saw many players at his position run ridiculously-fast times, which could have factored into him falling to the 5th round. Once again, a very high-character player that has had consistent production during his time at Boise State. Something that most people liked was his versatility on the offense. He can line up on the inside and outside and also returned kicks and punts during his time at Boise State. Because of this, he will be able to get immediate playing time right away in a very crowded WR room. Scouts rave about one final thing: his ability with his ball in his hands. He is dynamic after the catch, and that is something that the Bills offense lacked this past season.

Grade: A-

Round 6, No. 180 Overall: Matt Araiza, P, San Diego State

The player that Bills fans have been including in all of their pre-draft mocks was finally taken in the 6th round. Surprisingly, he was not the first punter off the board but the third. The Bills desperately needed to address the punter situation after a very inconsistent year by Matt Haack, but fans weren’t sure when they would pull the trigger. Araiza was the number one punter on most people’s boards and looked like a shoo-in for the starting job in September. Nicknamed by his peers as the “Punt God,” he seems like a perfect fit for the Bills with his booming leg, playing in a tough stadium to kick in.

Grade: A

Round 6, No. 185 Overall: Christian Benford, CB, Villanova

We knew the Bills were going to double-dip in the CB pool based on the press conferences from Beane and McDermott. With already taking Kaiir Elam in the first round, Benford projects as a depth guy at the next level and contributor on special teams, which is where we could see him play in year 1. At his pro day, he ran a 4.53 40-yard dash, which is one of the reasons he fell in the draft and played at a lower-level football program like Villanova. The one thing that very much stands out is that he was a great special teams contributor at Villanova and an overall excellent CB. His measurable’s and his size don’t jump off the board, but the history of how this regime has developed CB’s in the past gives you hope he could eventually become a contributor. At this point, he projects to be a consistent special teams player this upcoming season and beyond.

Grade: C+

Round 6, No. 209 Overall: Luke Tenuta, OT, Virginia Tech

Until this draft, the Bills had not addressed the OL need, even though most people thought they would have taken care of it in the earlier rounds. Beane waited till the 6th round to select Luke Tenuta out of Virginia Tech. He’s an offensive lineman that can play both guard and tackle. Tenuta is listed at 6’8,” but his arms are on the shorter side, so some scouts project him to play inside. Nevertheless, the Bills got themselves a versatile OL late in the draft. When it comes to his protection on the OL, he excels at pass protection because his strength is with his hands. He doesn’t lack a single ounce of hustle, but he fell to the 6th round because of his lack of athleticism, speed, and lateral movement. Tenuta does project to be a guard at the next level, but his versatility might help him snag a roster spot. This looks like a long-term project for the Bills.

Grade: C+

Round 7, No. 231 Overall: Baylon Spector, LB, Clemson

With the final pick in the Bills’ 2022 draft, they decided to once again double up on a position by taking LB Baylon Spector out of Clemson in the 7th round. The 7th round is always exciting in the NFL draft. Suppose you can select a guy that makes the roster, that is considered a win. It might be very challenging to make this loaded Bills roster when it comes to Spector. He ran a 4.6 40-yard dash. He’s a very similar prospect to Terrel Bernard and some Bills players currently on the roster. He is known for being a fundamentally sound player and has terrific quickness when attacking the outside on running downs. However, he lacks the toughness and aggressiveness to stay strong in a crowded box and lacks a lot of range when trying to make an open-field tackle. This pick was a bit of a head-scratcher, but in the 7th round, the evaluation process becomes much more challenging.

Grade: C-