Buffalo Bills NFL Draft Picks: 2019 Round-by-Round Results, Grades
The Buffalo Bills finished the 2018 season 6–10, taking a step back after making their first playoff appearance in 18 years in 2017.
Nathan Peterman started the season in disastrous fashion, and while rookie first-rounder Josh Allen made plays with his legs, he had the second-lowest passing grade among rookie quarterbacks. The Bills turned to free agency to provide Allen with some help at wide receiver, and the team will likely use the draft as an opportunity to tie up some loose ends.
In the 2018 draft, the Bills selected Allen with the seventh-overall pick.
How will they use their picks in this year's NFL draft? We’re breaking down every selection below, including grades from The MMQB's Andy Benoit. (Check out draft needs for all 32 teams.)
Here's the full list of picks the Bills hold in the 2019 draft, which will be updated as each selection is made.
Round 1, Pick 9 (No. 9 overall):
Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
Andy Benoit's grade: C
Most likely, the Bills saw this as a value pick. And after signing Star Lotulelei for big money in free agency last year, to pair with 2018 third-rounder Harrison Phillips and gifted (though mercurial) ex-Dolphin Jordan Phillips, they didn’t have a glaring need at defensive tackle. But outside, they badly need an edge rusher, as 2016 first-rounder Shaq Lawson is not that guy and Jerry Hughes could be in his last year with the club. That said, you can make room for a dynamic gap penetrator. Oliver relies on quickness and elusiveness within confined areas, which is a unique style of play. But considering his having had an up-and-down 2018 season and Buffalo not badly needing a defensive tackle, overall this is a high-risk, high-reward pick for a team looking to add talent in multiple places.
Round 2, Pick 6 (No. 38 overall): Cody Ford, G, Oklahoma
Andy Benoit's grade: B+
Longtime Redskin Ty Nsekhe was a nice free-agent signing, but few believed that the career-long swing tackle would assume a new starting job at age 33. Now, Nsekhe provides O-line depth. With Ford, a classic pile-driver whom some see as a guard but the Bills surely see as a right tackle, Buffalo’s offensive line—the AFC’s worst in 2018—has four new members joining incumbent left tackle Dion Dawkins: center Mitch Morse, guards Spencer Long and Quinton Spain and now the rookie from Oklahoma.
Round 3, Pick 10 (No. 74 overall): Devin Singletary, RB, FAU
Andy Benoit's grade: B+
Picking Singletary suggests the Bills will not retain LeSean McCoy when his deal expires after this season. Like McCoy, Singletary has a renowned jump cut, which can be a valuable trait in the NFL, where so much of the running game comes down to creating your own space within confined areas.
Round 3, Pick 33 (No. 96 overall): Dawson Knox, TE, Ole Miss
Andy Benoit's grade: A-
The Bills are not deep at wide receiver and they need to simplify their system for young QB Josh Allen. A great solution is to go with multiple tight ends, which puts the defense in more predictable looks and gives you more dimension in the running game.
Round 5, Pick 9 (No. 147 overall): Vosean Joseph, LB, Florida
Round 6, Pick 8 (No. 181 overall): Jaquan Johnson, S, Miami
Round 7, Pick 11 (No. 225 overall): Darryl Johnson Jr., OLB, North Carolina A&T
Round 7, Pick 14 (No. 228 overall): Tommy Sweeney, TE, Boston College
See every NFL team's 2019 picks by clicking the links below.
Arizona Cardinals | Atlanta Falcons | Baltimore Ravens | Buffalo Bills | Carolina Panthers | Chicago Bears | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Dallas Cowboys | Denver Broncos | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Kansas City Chiefs | Los Angeles Chargers | Los Angeles Rams | Miami Dolphins | Minnesota Vikings | New England Patriots | New Orleans Saints | New York Giants | New York Jets | Oakland Raiders | Philadelphia Eagles | Pittsburgh Steelers | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Tennessee Titans | Washington Redskins
