ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Thursday night is the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Buffalo Bills have the 25th overall pick.
Although many expect Bills general manager Brandon Beane to go with a cornerback, I think it would be wise to expect the unexpected, especially given Beane's track record.
Names such as cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. from Clemson, cornerback Kyler Gordon from Washington, and even running back Breece Hall from Iowa State are among the top of the mock drafts for the Bills.
Without going into too much prediction, let's discuss the facts of the week ahead.
As mentioned, the Bills pick 25th overall pick. Tonight is the first round, and the other six rounds are split up Friday and Saturday.
Here is a list of all of the Bills picks this year.
- Round 1: No. 25
- Round 2: No. 57
- Round 3: No. 89
- Round 4: No. 130
- Round 5: No. 168
- Round 6: No. 185 (from Carolina)
- Round 6: No. 203
- Round 7: No. 231 (from Atlanta)
I would say the biggest priority for Buffalo isn't to do anything flashy such as trade up and target a big name prospect. Instead, it's to find a cornerback to play opposite of Tre'Davious White, who is coming off an ACL tear that ended his season in 2021. Buffalo also lost starting cornerback Levi Wallace to free agency; he is now with the Steelers.
After cornerback, the Bills should address the running back position. Last year they didn't seem to express much confidence giving the ball to anyone who wasn't named Devin Singletary, and although he had a great season, it would be wise for them to find a speedy, pass-catching back to be able to plug in on-demand.
After losing Cole Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders, I wouldn't be surprised to see Buffalo select a wide receiver as well, but I would be surprised if they did in the first round.
The Bills signed free agent wide receiver Jamison Crowder from the New York Jets this offseason. Buffalo shouldn’t stop at Crowder, although I think he is a great addition. The Bills will likely look to the draft to another offensive weapon for Josh Allen.
RELATED VIDEO: