NFL Mock Draft: Bills Select Offensive Tackle, Give Josh Allen More Protection
The Buffalo Bills had an up-and-down season, but got hot at the right time. The Bills won their final five regular-season games after a 6-6 start to clinch the AFC East title and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
Of course, that fire ran out in the Divisional Round against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. But among all the craziness that this season brought the Bills, the one rare consistency was the health of Buffalo's offensive line.
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The Bills had the same five starters up front for all 17 regular-season games. If you're Josh Allen, you can't ask for much more than that, especially considering that Buffalo was littered with injuries at multiple other positions. Add this health to the fact that Buffalo's o-line paved the way for James Cook to be the team's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2017 and you get a group that was special yet underrated this season.
But the odds of all this good fortune happening again next year is slim to none. And since you can never have enough depth on the o-line, the Bills are projected to go that route in CBS Sports' latest post-conference championship mock draft by selecting Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton at No. 28 overall.
Behind their healthy offensive line, the Bills offense averaged the fourth-most total yards per game (374.5). Strangely enough, Allen (4,306) and Cook (1,122) both finished fourth in the passing and rushing yardage categories as well.
Adding Guyton to the fold could help jump-start a new era on the offensive line alongside 2023 second-round pick O'Cyrus Torrence, who was a staple at right guard all season.
The 2024 NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 25 in Detroit.
