Buffalo Bills biggest takeaway from the 2024 NFL Draft

The Buffalo Bills surprised a lot of people with how they performed in the 2024 NFL Draft. With clear needs at a few positions, they traded up twice, picking up a few more assets but leaving fans perplexed.

The Bills’ biggest need in the draft was to have weapons that quarterback Josh Allen could work with. The team saw No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis leave in free agency, signing a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, before trading No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans.

This left a gaping hole in the team’s skill group. To help offset these losses, the team signed veteran Curtis Samuel in free agency. With their first selection on Day 2, No. 33 overall, the Buffalo Bills added Florida State star Keon Coleman.

In the opinion of PFF’s Dalton Wasserman, the way the Bills have navigated this offseason and the 2024 NFL Draft is a sign of a change in their game plan. The biggest takeaway from these moves is that the team is trying to find more balance on offense and not relying solely on Allen’s heroics.

“After trading Stefon Diggs, the Bills don’t have a single player other than quarterback Josh Allen who can take over. What they did with the additions of Keon Coleman and Ray Davis was give Allen a full group of viable options to work with.

Coleman joins a wide receiver group that includes Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel. He adds an element of size and contested-catch ability to a team that had just 29 contested catches during the 2023 regular season. Allen and offensive coordinator Joe Brady proved last year that they can succeed by distributing targets more evenly throughout the offensive.

Also of note is the selection of Kentucky’s Ray Davis, who should help keep James Cook fresh for an entire season. Davis posted a 91.4 rushing grade in 2023 despite the Wildcats struggling to block in front of him. He has also shown skill in the passing game throughout his college career and should be an immediate contributor to a backfield that will continue to emphasize the running game,” Wasserman wrote.

The emphasis on the running game will certainly help take the pressure off Allen of creating the entire offense. Too often during his tenure with the Buffalo Bills, they not only relied on Allen’s arm to bail them out, but also his legs.

Improving the supporting cast around him will take some pressure off him to carry the load on his own. If the team can stay committed to making the running game work, everything else will open up and become easier to use.