The Buffalo Bills might have had the most complete roster in all of football last year. But even great teams have minor needs, and the Bills are no different. Here are the Bills’ top five team needs heading into the NFL Draft.
Buffalo Bills’ team needs in the 2022 NFL Draft
A run-stopper, a running mate for Tre’Davious White, and a running back — period — are among the Bills’ biggest needs. They’ll try to fill those with eight draft picks, including the 25th overall.
Cornerback
The Bills’ snap leader at cornerback from 2021 wasn’t Tre’Davious White or Taron Johnson but rather Levi Wallace, who was on the field for 92.2% of Buffalo’s defensive plays.
Wallace is now a Pittsburgh Steeler, having signed a two-year, $8 million free agent contract, and the Bills have some questions at the position.
White is an elite talent, but he’s coming off reconstructive knee surgery. Johnson might have been Buffalo‘s best corner in 2021 (5.7 yards per target against, 75.5 passer rating), but the Bills could use another high-level player at the position. No. 3 option Dane Johnson allowed 12.7 yards per completion in 2021, and behind him, there isn’t much.
If White loses a step because of his injury, the Bills — who haven’t used a first- or second-day pick on a cornerback since 2017 — could be vulnerable.
Running back
Brandon Beane thought he had this position locked down when he reached a two-year, $7 million deal with Commanders RB J.D. McKissic during the legal tampering period. But that deal disappeared when McKissic changed his mind and returned to Washington.
The reversal left the Bills with this uninspiring collection of running backs on their depth chart: Devin Singletary (188-870-7 in 2021), Zack Moss (96-345-4), Duke Johnson (71-330-3), and Taiwan Jones (0-0-0).
The question isn’t if the Bills draft a quarterback in 2022, it’s when. Their last first-round running back? C.J. Spiller in 2010.
Defensive tackle
This position group would be substantially higher on the list if not for the return of Jordan Phillips, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract following his release from the Cardinals last month.
The Bills have a handful of fine players at the position (Phillips, Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle). But who are the elite run-stoppers? They could certainly benefit from another top-tier player joining that rotation.
Tight end
If you feel like the previous category was nitpicking, that feeling will only grow the rest of the way. The Bills have an outstanding roster that should compete for a Super Bowl. Teams that talented don’t have four needs.
But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t use an infusion of young, talented depth across the board. Tight end is no different.
Dawson Knox (49-587-9) and O.J. Howard (14-135-1) are projected to be the Bills’ top two tight ends in 2022, but both are on contract years and could be gone in 2023. No time like the present to think about the future.
Offensive tackle
Spencer Brown was one of the best under-the-radar picks of the entire 2021 NFL Draft. The Bills took Brown with the 93rd pick. The Northern Iowa product was the 11th tackle off the board.
The success rate for players selected in that range is not very high. But he bucked the trend by flourishing at right tackle after the Bills determined Daryl Williams couldn’t cut it there. Williams is now gone, and the job is Brown’s. He and Dion Dawkins will be the Bills’ starting tackles.
But the Bills don’t have much behind those two, so they may try to bottle lightning at tackle again in the middle rounds.
