None of Brandon Beane's Last Three First-Round Draft Picks Helped Bills vs. Patriots

It may be time to face a serious conversation about general manager Brandon Beane's first-round draft results since 2022.

The Buffalo Bills suffered a 29-26 divisional home loss to the New England Patriots in Week 4, and none of the team's three most-recent first-round draft picks were there to step up in key situations.

In fact, one of those picks hasn't even been in the building since 2024. The Bills cut bait on 2022 first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam following his awful performance in the 2024 AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As for Buffalo's 2023 and 2025 first-round selections, both tight end Dalton Kincaid and cornerback Maxwell Hairston were on the field for what was a deflating October 4 loss.

Let's take a closer look at each of Beane's last three first-round picks below. Remember, the Bills traded out of Round 1 in both 2024 and 2026.

CB Kaiir Elam (2022 — No. 23 overall)

The Bills traded up two spots to draft Elam in 2022, but sixth-round rookie Christian Benford quickly eclipsed the first-rounder on the depth chart, and he never recovered.

Buried on the bench, and highly ineffective when forced to fill in as an injury replacement, Elam played his way off the roster. His dud in the 2024 AFC Championship Game proved to be the final straw. Buffalo dealt him to the Dallas Cowboys at the start of the 2025 league year.

Elam has since been cut by the Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers. He's currently on the Chargers' practice squad.

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) makes a catch against Buffalo Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam (5) during the first half in the AFC Championship Game | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

TE Dalton Kincaid (2023 — No. 25 overall)

The Bills traded up two spots to keep Kincaid away from the Cowboys, landing a legitimate offensive weapon who is still waiting to reach his full potential.

It was lack of consistent availability that plagued Kincaid over the past two seasons. Now, that he's healthy, there's no excuse for not working him heavily into the pass offense's game plan.

We wrote about offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael's ambitious plans for Kincaid this season. Furthermore, everyone from Josh Allen to Joe Brady to general manager Brandon Beane has mentioned how much more dangerous Buffalo's offense is when the tight end is on the field.

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) makes a catch for a first down against Detroit Lions during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Over the first two wins, Kincaid totaled 12 receptions for a combined 225 yards. In the Week 4 loss, the Bills targeted Kincaid only twice.

"Anytime Dalton comes away with two targets and one of them being in the last drive of the game, obviously, I didn't do a good enough job," said first-year head coach Joe Brady, who doubles as the offensive play caller.

CB Maxwell Hairston (2025 — No. 30 overall)

Hairston suffered a knee injury that upended his rookie training camp experience and kept him on Injured Reserve for the first 1.5 months of the 2025 regular season. Then, a Week 18 ankle injury sidelined the cornerback for the playoffs.

As a returning player with three prior starts, Hairston backed into the starting CB2 role to begin the 2026 campaign. The fast, but undersized Hairston was torched by Drake Maye and Romeo Doubs during the 29-26 loss to New England.

Additionally, his effort on Hunter Henry's 3rd-and-10 conversion was questionable at best.

Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs #87 makes a catch for a touchdown as Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston #1 defends during the first quarter at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“No, I think that's clear [the effort was not acceptable] and I think he would tell you that. And again, the thing that I love about Max is the pride. He cares, he wants it, he will address it," said defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. "I'm sure he's as pissed as anybody in the organization on how that looked and the way it went about."

It would not be surprising to see second-round rookie Davison Igbinosun play over Hairston when Christian Benford returns from injury.

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