Each year about this time, Bills fans–and National Football League fans in general–get hyped up over the NFL Draft. The NFL Draft happens to garner some of the highest audience ratings of ESPN’s programs. This year, the NFL Draft travelled to Vegas for the pomp and circumstances. Over a 100,000 fans came to party, too!
The Buffalo Bills, scheduled to draft at Number 25 in the First Round, traded with the Baltimore Ravens to move up to Number 23 to pick Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Gators. The Bills needed a cornerback and Elam looks good after being a three-year starter.
The rest of the Draft provided the Bills quality depth at various positions. None of the players selected–other than Elam–have a chance at starting on this team. But, the Bills have an eye for the Future. How did your favorite NFL team do in the Draft?
BUFFALO BILLS 2022 DRAFT CLASS:
| Round | Selection | Player | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | CB Kaiir Elam | Florida | Obtained from BAL for picks 25 & 130 |
| 1 | 25 | TRADED | TRADED | Bills original selection, traded to Baltimore |
| 2 | 57 | TRADED | TRADED | Bills original selection, traded to Tampa Bay |
| 2 | 60 | TRADED | TRADED | Obtained from TB for pick 57, traded to CIN |
| 2 | 63 | RB James Cook | Georgia | Obtained from CIN for pick 60 |
| 3 | 89 | LB Terrel Bernard | Baylor | Bills original selection |
| 4 | 130 | TRADED | TRADED | Bills original selection, traded to Baltimore |
| 5 | 148 | WR Khalil Shakir | Boise State | Obtained from HOU for picks 168 & 180 |
| 5 | 168 | TRADED | TRADED | Bills original selection |
| 6 | 180 | P Matt Araiza | San Diego State | Obtained from TB for pick 57 |
| 6 | 185 | CB Christian Benford | Villanova | Acquired from Carolina for Darryl Johnson |
I could care less. It’s baseball season. I’ll pay attention to the Lions next fall.
Steve, some of the ESPN “experts” say the Lions had a solid Draft.
Baseball is in October, Steve. Before then, it’s pointless boring, like soccer and hockey.
I have to wonder how much grief ABC stations are getting for delaying/pre-empting JEOPARDY! and WHIEEL OF FORTUNE episodes…I imagine the ratings, at least among football fans, are enough to justify the disruption!
Todd, our WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! get moved to the CBS sister station on a regular basis so we’re used to it.
Although I’m interested in the draft–who gets drafted and where they go–I find the actual draft glacially slow and terribly boring. So I just keep an eye on the ESPN app on my phone, which tells me all I need to know. And I’m much more interested in how Georgia does in the draft than I am in who the wretched Falcons pick. And Georgia did very well indeed with 15 players drafted, five in the first round. Buffalo got a really good RB in James Cook, who’s also an excellent receiver.
Michael, I was mildly surprised by all the Georgia players who were Drafted high!
We all know how misleading the draft can be, and how many mistakes the NY teams (especially the Jets – remember trading up for Sam Darnold over Josh Allen?), but the Giants did seem to do well with their two Top Ten picks – Kavon Thibodeaux at DE from Oregon and Evan Neal, the monster 6’7″ OT from Alabama have to be an improvement, right? But it was already addition by subtraction just in getting rid of Dave Gettleman, the worst drafter outside the Jets.
Jeff, the Jets and the Giants both had TWO First Round Draft Picks and snagged excellent players. I’ll be rooting for Brian Daboll–former Bills Offensive Coordinator–to succeed with the Giants!
The Jets had 4 pick in round 1.
Rick, the two First Round picks in the top 10 will be impactful. I’m not too sure about the other picks.
The Ravens almost always have a good draft. We had 11 picks this year, with probably 3 starters. In the second round we took David Ojabo, a pass rusher expected to go high in the first round, but he got injured and probably won’t play until 2023. But he should start immediately next season. Oddest thing we did was trade a starting wide receiver and then not draft any wide receivers at all.
I don’t watch the draft, but I enjoy reading about it afterwords.
Jeff, the Bills traded with the Ravens so there’s a connection there. As far as wide receivers go, there are plenty of Free Agents waiting for offers: Julio Jones, Jarvis Landry, Will Fuller, Jamison Crowder, T.Y. Hilton, A.J. Green, and Odell Beckham Jr.
I bet there are lots of guys our age kicking themselves and wishing they hadn’t burned their draft cards.
Dan, much of the excitement of the NFL Draft is the creation of about 40 millionaires given the current NFL salary structure.
Amazed the Bills didn’t draft a QB.
Seahawks had a fair draft, finally, four years too late, addressing the O line. Don’t know why everyone seems to think they should get loser Mayfield, Seattle has a QB already.
Rick, I suspect some NFL team will pick up Baker Mayfield and give him a Second Chance. I thought the Bills might take a QB, but they went in different directions. Maybe they think Josh Allen is indestructible!