ESPN says this Bills rookie will have a ‘sneaky impact’ in the 2024 NFL season

A strange and (rightfully) rarely discussed storyline that has manifested itself throughout Brandon Beane’s nearly decade at the helm of the Buffalo Bills is the executive’s apparent hatred of fourth-round picks.

He just doesn’t use them, at least not to screen prospects. The veteran team builder had six NFL Drafts under his belt heading into the 2024 event; he submitted fourth-round picks in just two two. Beane, to his credit, made both of those picks, nabbing Weber State corner Taron Johnson in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft and Gabriel Davis in 2020. The former became a stalwart nickel defender for Buffalo’s defense while The latter was a key offensive contributor for the Bills for four seasons before leaving as a free agent this spring.

It’s admittedly a small sample size, but Beane — when he uses fourth-round picks — usually hits them. He made just his third career fourth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, grabbing strong Kentucky running back Ray Davis at pick No. 128. A 5-foot-8, 211-pound rusher with power and pass-catching ability, Davis projects. as an immediate contributor to Buffalo’s offense, the complementary thunder to James Cook’s lightning.

And several league officials feel that Beane, in his selection of Davis, may have continued his prowess in the fourth round. ESPN analyst Jeremy Fowler recently wrote an article with information he has compiled from around the league since the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft; The Davis pick, according to Fowler, is one that some around the league liked from a value and fit standpoint.

Related: NFL analyst calls Bills rookie a ‘perfect fit,’ warns James Cook

“One pick that could make a sneaky impact is fourth-round defenseman Ray Davis, who has fantastic potential due to his sturdy frame at 5-foot-8, 211 pounds,” Fowler wrote. “He has power. “A great complement to (James) Cook and should do a lot of work at the goal line and short yards, which should result in touchdowns,” one veteran NFL scout said of Davis.

Fowler suggests there’s plenty of running to be done in the Bills’ offense under new full-time offensive coordinator Joe Brady, noting that Buffalo ran the ball 512 times during the 2023 season (part of which saw Brady call plays) as opposed to 430 times in 2022.

While it’s true that Brady has integrated the ground game more into Buffalo’s arsenal after taking over as playmaker in Week 11 and Davis, given his ability between the tackles, possesses a skill set that was not previously present in the Bills backfield, it is important to mention the other bodies present in said backfield. Perhaps no player has benefited more from Brady’s rise than James Cook; The running back finished sixth in the league in scrimmage yards during the 2023 season (1,567), with Brady getting him 137 touches in Weeks 11-18 (around 20 per game).

Although he is not a member of the backfield per se, quarterback Josh Allen’s running ability cannot be overlooked. He totaled 524 yards, 15 touchdowns and 57 first downs last season, with much of that production coming in the same short-yardage and goal-line situations that many now attribute to Davis.

Davis is objectively a talented running back, as evidenced by his 3,626 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns throughout his college career. That said, it’s hard to imagine him carving Also an important role given Brady’s demonstrated use of Cook and Allen’s rushing prowess (sure, Davis could, in theory, take some of Allen’s shots, but do you Really expect the contact-loving signal-caller to voluntarily give up the ball in key situations?).

The former Kentucky Wildcat may not ultimately be the touchdown vulture some project him to be, but he’s a nice changeup for Brady to throw to occasionally, a physical tone giver who should comfortably slot right in at as Buffalo’s No. 2.