By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
Entering the 2020 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills didn’t have many, if any, needs to address on their roster.
But there were certainly some underlying things that Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane addressed.
AJ Epenesa brings some youth to their pass-rushing group, while Zack Moss is a perfect complement to Devin Singletary in the backfield. Gabriel Davis and Isaiah Hodgins bring some size to the receiver room. Heck, even Jake Fromm brings some quarterback competition.
But following the draft, there’s still some early things for the Bills to consider keeping an eye on as the offseason churns on. Let’s breakdown exactly what those areas on their roster could be here:
Cornerback
This one comes from the mouth of Bills general manager Brandon Beane himself. When going over his seven picks at the recent draft, the discussion rounded out with his final pick, Pittsburgh cornerback Dane Jackson. Jackson has potential despite his seventh-round status. Pre-draft, NFL.com labeled him a fifth-round pick and clearly he took a fall from there.
But Beane referred to this pick as a “need.” Typically you’ll see Beane much more often say “best player available.” That simply wasn’t the case here and even with Jackson’s potential fall, he was a seventh rounder. It’s not surprising to see a seventh-round pick not make it out of training camp.
Having said that, another cornerback still could be used by the Bills, or could’ve been. Specifically the Bills require a long-term option at the position, opposite Tre’Davious White. Levi Wallace will still get a chance to prove as exactly that in training camp, but it’s a three-way battle with EJ Gaines and Josh Norman there. Regardless, the Bills have a good shot at being set at cornerback in 2020. Beyond that? Things are bleak behind Tre.
Offensive line
Another nugget from Beane was given here as well. The Bills did not make a trade at the draft for the first time under Sean McDermott. The head coach has been around since the 2017 draft, Beane entered his second draft at the helm this offseason.
Post-draft, Beane admitted on two occasions he was planning trades that fell through. Of those two, one was a trade-up. The target? Nameless, but not position-less. Beane said it was a potential deal to take an offensive lineman but before the trigger was pulled, that guy was selected by another (nameless) team.
The Bills could have stood to add some long-term depth along the trenches. Heading into 2020, the Bills return all their starters from last season. But the group was not among the best in the NFL. Not exactly close, either. An average unit which looked much, much better watching them through the lens of the 2018 offensive which was… brutal. Buffalo is hoping continuity with the group helps them improve, but there’s not much of a backup plan.
Tight end
If we’re basing some of our last two on things the Bills front office has said, we should take into consideration that actions speak louder than words.
Earlier this offseason the Bills brought veteran tight end Greg Olsen in for a free agent visit. He opted to sign with the Seahawks instead. Perhaps the Bills just valued his veteran leadership, but he still would have commanded some snaps. Without Olsen, Dawson Knox resumes his role as the No. 1 tight end. As a rookie, Knox had some highlights. He also left plenty to be desired, especially with his hands. Knox has to improve in Year 2 to prove his potential is certain. But aside from Knox, there’s even more unproven commodities behind him. Tyler Kroft is back and he failed to find the field much last year due to injury. Lee Smith is not a modern day tight end. Tommy Sweeney was a former seventh-round pick, so place him in the same boat as Jackson at cornerback, very uncertain there.
There’s hope Knox can turn into Buffalo’s first ever modern-NFL tight end star. He’s got a long ways to go, though. Without some positive signs in 2020, the Bills could see tight end move up their list of “needs” pretty quickly next offseason.