In order to be the champs, you've got to beat the champs, and the Buffalo Bills are well aware of that truth.
Having played second fiddle to the Kansas City Chiefs for the last five years as they attempt to get over the hump in the AFC, the Bills are looking for pieces that can make the difference and it starts at the annual NFL Draft.
Unfortunately for Bills Mafia, their team's latest draft haul ranks behind the Chiefs in the eyes of Sports Illustrated's experts.
Going by SI's overall draft grades, five AFC teams, including Kansas City, assembled better draft hauls than Buffalo. The Bills received a B grade for the nine-player class they added over the past three days in Green Bay. The Chiefs, however, earned a B+ mark, which was the highest of its four AFC West rivals.
Two AFC East challengers earned better reviews than the Bills with the New England Patriots posting an A and the New York Jets registering a B+. The Pittsburgh Steelers (A) and the Cleveland Browns (A-) also topped Buffalo on the SI overall draft grades chart.
"Analysis: Buffalo had one of the league's top offenses last year behind MVP quarterback Josh Allen. However, the defense has struggled for years in the postseason to get key stops. General manager Brandon Beane aggressively attacked that side of the ball with Hairston in the first round, followed by three defensive linemen in Rounds 2–4. Hairston will start alongside Christian Benford and Taron Johnson, while Walker and Sanders will form a nice rotation next to Ed Oliver," said SI national writer Matthew Verderame.
While Buffalo addressed its primary defensive needs with three defensive line selections and three cornerbacks, the Bills did not select an offensive player until late in Round 5 when they drafted Georgia Tech tight end Jackson Hawes with the No. 173 overall selection.
Additionally, with free agent Amari Cooper's presumed departure opening up a starting wide receiver spot, the Bills declined to address the WR corps until its final pick at No. 240 overall.
Adding a one-dimensional blocking tight end and a seventh-round receiver doesn't exactly provide any additional help for MVP quarterback Josh Allen. One can argue that the 29 points scored by the Bills in defeat should have been enough to win the AFC Championship Game, but the offense had the ball with a chance to tie, or take the lead, in the final 2:00, and it failed.
Although it doesn't directly affect offensive output, bolstering the defense wasn't a terrible idea, but, for the Bills' sake, it'd better work.
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