The Buffalo Bills have been the equivalent of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. Regular-season darlings with championship aspirations and hype, but a continuous failure to get out of the second round of the postseason. In order to keep their championship hopes alive, the Bills needed to add more pieces in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Want to see how the Bills graded out during the 2023 NFL Draft? Then come check out our full Buffalo Bills draft grades. You can also see the entire 2023 NFL Draft results.
Buffalo Bills Draft Picks by Round in 2023
- Round 1, Pick 25 (From NYG via JAX)
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah - Round 2, Pick 59
O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida - Round 3, Pick 91
Dorian Williams, LB, Tulane - Round 5, Pick 150 (From ARI)
Justin Shorter, WR, Florida
- Round 7, Pick 230
Nick Broeker, G, Ole Miss - Round 7, Pick 252
Alex Austin, CB, Oregon State
How Many Draft Picks Did the Bills Have Entering the 2023 NFL Draft?
The Bills had five selections entering the 2023 NFL Draft but came away with six after draft-day trades.
The fifth-round pick they acquired from the Cardinals was a conditional selection in return for sending guard Cody Ford to Arizona. Their original fifth-round pick was sent to the Indianapolis Colts, along with RB Zack Moss, in return for RB Nyheim Hines. Buffalo also traded their first-round pick (27) and their fourth (130) to the Jaguars for the No. 25 overall pick.
MORE: 2024 FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator (With Trades)
The Bills needed to add additional pass-catching weapons to take pressure off of Stefon Diggs in the passing game. Too often, Diggs was the only viable receiving option who was consistently a threat.
Buffalo also needed to buttress the offensive line. It was frequently leaky in pass protection, while also not providing enough push in the run game. Did they answer those questions?
Who Did the Bills Draft in 2023?
Going with a tight end in Round 1 answers a definite need for the Bills. Josh Allen performs better when he has some middle-of-the-field security and consistency. Kincaid will provide that as someone who is a standout route runner for his size and has the quickness to beat linebackers and safeties consistently.
As previously stated, the offensive line was a significant area of concern. The running game lacked support from the interior and relied heavily on Allen’s ability to run. To address this issue, the team drafted O’Cyrus Torrence, who was one of the top available guards and the best in his class. His playing style is expected to be a good fit for this Buffalo team and help solidify the offensive line.
The rest of Buffalo’s draft class is fighting for a final roster spot and role. Third-round linebacker Dorian Williams has the chance to earn playing time with Tremaine Edmunds now in Chicago. He’s fast and was productive at Tulane, but that’s a big jump for an undersized linebacker to make in Year 1.
Seventh-round cornerback Alex Austin is someone who can outperform his draft slot. Austin has good length and speed, theoretically fitting Buffalo’s defense especially well.
The question now is whether it’s enough to take down the Bengals and the Chiefs, each of whom has defeated the Bills in the second round of the playoffs the last two seasons en route to facing each other in the AFC Championship Game.