It’s the first Sunday of the NFL offseason, and the clock is ticking down to the next season. The Buffalo Bills’ playoff run ended earlier than expected, as they fell short against the Kansas City Chiefs, missing out on another chance to reach the AFC Championship for the second year in a row since 2021. Fans are now eager to see what Brandon Beane can do this offseason to set up the Bills for a Super Bowl run in 2025.
The previous offseason was a challenging one for the Bills. They had to release several veterans due to salary cap issues and couldn’t make the big moves that Bills Mafia has grown accustomed to. While they’re still facing tough financial decisions, it doesn’t compare to the financial strain of last offseason.
The biggest headline for the Bills last offseason, however, was their draft journey, which didn’t go as smoothly as hoped. Entering the 2024 NFL Draft with the 28th overall pick, the Bills opted to trade it to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for picks No. 32, No. 95, and No. 221. The trade also included sending a 4th and 7th-round pick to the Chiefs.
Kansas City traded up and selected Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, which sparked backlash among Bills fans, especially after Buffalo let the speedy wideout slip away. To add to the confusion, the Bills traded out of the first round again, moving from No. 32 to No. 33, allowing the Carolina Panthers to take Xavier Legette out of South Carolina.
The Bills finally made their pick, choosing wide receiver Keon Coleman out of Florida State. While Coleman had shown an ability to win contested catches, his poor combine performance caused him to drop out of the first round. Buffalo ultimately drafted ten players in 2024, signed rookie Joe Andreessen, and traded for rookie kick returner Brandon Codrington before the season began.
Despite a solid 13-4 record and an AFC Championship appearance, the Bills’ 2024 rookie class fell flat. Gennaro Filice from NFL.com ranked Buffalo’s rookie class 30th out of 32 teams, ahead of only the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns.
Coleman was the focal point of the class, as the Bills’ first-round pick. While he showed potential, he failed to consistently demonstrate his contested catch ability, and a mid-season wrist injury hampered his contributions down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Defensive back Cole Bishop was also sidelined early due to an injury but became a full-time starter by playoff time. Defensive tackle DeWayne Carter showed little promise as a run-stopper and struggled with a wrist injury that kept him out of the playoff lineup.
Running back Ray Davis was arguably the best pick from the draft class. He rushed for 442 yards and 3 touchdowns, adding 189 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. His standout performance came in Week 6 on Monday Night Football against the Jets, where he totaled 152 scrimmage yards. He also had three games with 10+ carries, showing promise, especially with James Cook often out of the lineup.
The silver lining for the Bills is that they didn’t heavily rely on their rookies to have a successful season. However, Filice’s ranking of the Bills’ rookie class as one of the worst is hard to dispute. It wasn’t Beane’s best draft, but it’s just one season. Fans will now wait to see what Beane can do in the 2025 NFL Draft, which will take place in April in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
