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The Buffalo Bills' season did not end the way they wanted it to. Despite a floundering 6-6 start to their season, Buffalo rallied to win its next five games to finish the season 11-6 and earn the AFC's No. 2 seed.
The team hosted a playoff game and trounced the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 to earn a bid into the divisional round. There, the Bills finally were able to host the Kansas City Chiefs instead of being forced to make the trek to Arrowhead Stadium, but the result was the same. The Bills could not get enough stops and ultimately fell yet again at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs by a final score of 27-24.
This was a brutal loss for the Bills. They put a ton of chips into this year's team, only to fail to reach the AFC Championship Game. It will be hard for them to add reinforcements via free agency as things are currently constituted.
Devastating loss for the #Bills who were about as all in as a team could be. Will be about $49M over the salary cap next year and likely going to have to keep pushing salary with the same team again
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) January 22, 2024
That means that the Bills will absolutely need to nail the 2024 draft. They have their first and second-round picks at their disposal and should be adding a compensatory third-round pick as well. But those first two picks are of great importance to the Bills and ones they need to hit. A couple of players at positions of need for Buffalo stand out as options the Bills must find a way to select during the draft in April.
Brian Thomas Jr., Wide Receiver
Stefon Diggs is great, but his production fell off of a cliff during the season. From Week 1 of the 2023 season until Week 9, Diggs registered at least 70 receiving yards in seven of Buffalo's first nine games of the season. From Week 10 on, however, including the postseason, Diggs hit that total in only two of Buffalo's remaining games of the season.
Whether it was Diggs' performance or defenses keying to take him away, he was not the same player in the second half of the season. But it wasn't just him. In that same stretch from Week 10 on, Gabe Davis had more games with zero receptions (3) than he did games with at least 70 yards (2). Without Davis in the playoffs, Buffalo had no deep threat. Though there were a couple of drops downfield, Allen turned into Alex Smith against the Chiefs.
Josh Allen completed all 16 of his passes thrown behind the line of scrimmage, tied for the most completions behind the LOS in a game in the NGS era.
Allen completed just 10 of 21 passes beyond the LOS for 95 yards & a TD (2 completions past the sticks).#KCvsBUF | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/B1OKQUivJp
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 22, 2024
Enter Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas Jr. was overshadowed at LSU last season by the brilliance of Malik Nabers, but Thomas Jr. is a flat-out baller himself. Thomas brought in 68 receptions for 1,177 yards and 17(!) touchdowns. He also averaged a whopping 17.3 yards per reception. That isn't the most scientific stat, but it backs up his film. Thomas Jr. won a lot deep down the field and provides the aerial threat Buffalo desperately lacks that could work wonders with Allen's bazooka arm.
BRIAN THOMAS JR. PULLED IT IN 💪 pic.twitter.com/Si33Znj9mT
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 16, 2022
Thomas is also exceptional after the catch. Diggs, Khalil Shakir, and Dalton Kincaid all provide yards after the catch ability, but Thomas Jr. has that in spades as well as his ability to take the top off of defenses.
Brian thomas Jr making two defenders miss and bouncing off of contact to pick up a few extra yards.
It’s not coincidental that he’s constantly making defenders miss after the catch.
Special trait to have… pic.twitter.com/OSrP9UREBl
— Snoog’s Dynasty Society (@FFSnoog) January 23, 2024
Brian Thomas Jr. seems tailor-made to play next to Josh Allen in Buffalo. Buffalo doesn't have a ton of paths to adding a premier talent at that position like Thomas outside of the draft. With Diggs continuing to get older and his production floundering during the second half of the season and Gabe Davis' impending free agency, Thomas should be Buffalo's priority with their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
TJ Tampa, Cornerback
As badly as Buffalo needs a wide receiver, they also need a cornerback. Tre'Davious White got injured again this season and his absence exposed Buffalo's lack of depth at that position. Trading for Rasul Douglas from the Green Bay Packers mitigated that for a while, but Douglas also got injured and that weakness reared its head again.
Someone like Iowa State's TJ Tampa could help Buffalo's depth at that position. Tampa could be available with Buffalo's second-round pick, and he'd be a great get if they can get him there. Tampa has the ideal size and speed to make it big as a corner in today's NFL.
TJ Tampa has been an evaluation I’ve loved so far. 6’2 200 pounds and plays so quickly and violently. Tampa’s combine should have him fly up draft boards. TJ is such a nimble athlete at 6’2 and was recruited as a WR. Top 45 grade as of now. pic.twitter.com/n5UjpypJmV
— Mike (@MikeForcella) January 20, 2024
Getting the ball to wide receivers and stopping wide receivers were a big problem for the Bills in 2023. With limited resources available to them, the draft is their best path to fixing those issues. Players like Brian Thomas Jr. and TJ Tampa could help fix those issues from day one.
