3 Buffalo Bills Rookies Expected to Make the 2024 All-Rookie Team

The Buffalo Bills may have had an impactful draft themselves that no one is talking about. Instead of the young talent Brandon Beane signed, the focus is still on what the Bills lost this offseason when free agency began. It’s time to move forward and see who the bills will be between now and 2024 and beyond. The Bills didn’t make a first-round selection in this year’s NFL Draft after trading up not once, but twice to the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers. Despite not having a rookie with a fifth-year option on his contract, Beane was still able to put together a draft that addressed pressing needs.

NFL Draft analyst Chad Reuter released his 2024 All-Rookie Team projections and three Bills made the cut, one for all three phases of the game. The belief that the Bills have three potential stars in the making should have Bills fans excited about what these young players can bring to the Bills next season and moving forward.

The Bills drafted Davis in the fourth round and added him to a room that includes James Cook and Ty Johnson, a duo that became X-factors over time for the Bills last season. The addition of Davis will take pressure off Cook and Josh Allen in the red zone. Buffalo can’t continue to let Allen run it himself in the red zone and risk unnecessary injury so Davis can step in and score a few easy touchdowns. Not only can Davis run between the tackles in short yardage situations, but he has pass catching ability that will be extremely important to the passing game.

Reuters placing Davis on this projection list shows that Buffalo may have acquired an impactful player who can help elevate the Bills’ rushing attack.

It was obvious that the Bills were going to have to draft a safety with the departure of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer this offseason. Buffalo re-signed Taylor Rapp to a three-year deal and also brought in Mike Edwards from the Kansas City Chiefs on a one-year deal, but Beane was expected to draft a safety for the future. He did just that late in the second round by selecting Cole Bishop, Dalton Kincaid’s college teammate.

Reuter then explained how Bishop brings a lot of value with his run-stopping ability and can be a blitzing safety to put pressure on quarterbacks. Since Sean McDermott took over in 2017, the Bills have consistently had one of the best safety rooms in the league and Bishop could easily become the next big player on Buffalo’s defense next season and beyond.

Not only did the Bills draft deep in the secondary with Hardy, but they also acquired the leader in punt returns for a touchdown last season. Adding a young player who can return punts and/or kickoffs can help the offense benefit from where he begins his possession. The Bills’ returning team last season was nothing special, but there was a highlight from Deonte Harty where he returned a punt for a touchdown in Week 18 against the Dolphins of Miami, which was the turning point in the game that led to a victory for the Bills.

Hardy arriving as a sixth-round selection shouldn’t be daunting, but even more exciting to see what he can bring to this Buffalo special teams unit.