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After three days full of surprises, the 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books. With 259 players finding out where their pro careers will start, the league now has a general idea of what the upcoming years have in store. Contending organizations such as the Buffalo Bills have high expectations for the 2023 season, which makes their draft picks even more important.
During the 2022 regular season, the Bills finished with a 13-3 record and clinched the AFC East. This marked the third year in a row that they won their division.
After being considered a Super Bowl frontrunner throughout 2022, the Bills’ season came to an end in the AFC Divisional round. Buffalo was not a match for the Cincinnati Bengals, losing 27-10 despite playing at home.
Since the goal is to finally win a Super Bowl, Buffalo's rookies might need to step up right away. The team made a total of six selections in the draft, including one in the first round and two on Day 2.
The front office made sure to address some of Buffalo's main needs, which could be very helpful down the line.
With that being said, here are all the rookies from the Buffalo Bills' 2023 NFL Draft class.
1st round, No. 25 overall: Dalton Kincaid, TE – Utah
Other than Pro Bowler Dawson Knox, no tight end had more than 10 catches in the 2022 season for Buffalo.
To avoid overworking Knox and to improve the already-talented offense, the front office traded up to select Dalton Kincaid from Utah with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round.
In 2022, he finished with 70 catches for 890 yards and eight touchdowns. He led the nation in receptions and receiving touchdowns amongst tight ends and only trailed Georgia’s Brock Bowers in receiving yards.
Kincaid’s best game in his senior year came against the then-No. 7 USC Trojans in October. The senior finished with 16 receptions for 234 yards, both career-highs, and a score.
This broke Utah records for his position, as well as the most receiving yards for a Ute since Carl Harry had 255 more than three decades ago.
Now, the Bills have another reliable target for quarterback Josh Allen's receiving arsenal. While not as polished as a blocker, Kincaid could also help to pave lanes for Allen when he's on the run.
The tight end would also allow Knox to preserve his body for the postseason, which could be very important for the team's offense in the bigger picture.
2nd round, No. 59 overall: O’Cyrus Torrence, OG – Florida
One area that the Bills certainly needed to address in the draft was the offensive line. Starting left guard Rodger Saffold remains unsigned and many other rotational pieces left for other opportunities.
This past season, Saffold helped Buffalo’s offense as he started in all of the team’s 18 games, including two in the playoffs. In the regular season, the Bills’ offensive line allowed just 33 sacks, placing them in the top 10 in the category.
With that in mind, the Bills chose O'Cyrus Torrence from Florida with the No. 59 overall pick in the second round.
As a senior for the Gators, he played 698 total snaps across 11 games, allowing only eight quarterbacks hurries. Most notably, he did not allow any quarterback hits or sacks. For his performance, he earned a Consensus All-American selection.
Since Connor McGovern, one of the team's main acquisitions in free agency, can play as a left guard and center, Torrence could be the starting right guard as a rookie.
3rd round, No. 91 overall: Dorian Williams, LB – Tulane
One of Buffalo’s biggest losses this offseason was linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who signed with the Chicago Bears.
He finished the regular season with a team-high 102 tackles with 66 being solo and six tackles for loss. He also registered an interception and a sack in 2022.
Without Edmunds, the team went after Tulane's Dorian Williams with the No. 91 overall pick in the third round.
In his final year as part of the Green Wave, he recorded 131 total tackles with 81 being solo, five sacks and two forced fumbles. He also defended seven passes and intercepted opponents twice.
With the First-team All-AAC player, Tulane won the conference title and upset the USC Trojans in the Cotton Bowl.
5th round, No. 150 overall: Justin Shorter, WR – Florida
In the fifth round, the Bills opted to add depth to their receiving corps. With Stefon Diggs and Dawson Knox leading the way, plus Gabe Davis, newly-signed Deonte Harty and Kincaid in the first round, Buffalo went with Torrence's teammate Justin Shorter in Florida with the No. 150 overall pick.
Shorter caught 29 passes this past season for 577 yards and two touchdowns for the Gators. He was the team's second-leading receiver, only trailing Ricky Pearsall with 661 yards and five scores.
7th round, No. 230 overall: Nick Broeker, OG – Ole Miss
In the seventh round, Buffalo chose another offensive guard to help protect Allen. In addition to Torrence, the team selected Nick Broeker out of Ole Miss with the No. 230 overall pick.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound player started on the offensive line for three seasons for the Rebels. This past year, he did not allow a single sack in 472 pass-blocking reps at left guard. For his performance, Broeker earned a Second-Team All-SEC nod.
7th round, No. 252 overall: Alex Austin, CB – Oregon State
To wrap up their 2023 NFL Draft, the Bills addressed the secondary with the No. 252 overall pick in the seventh round. They ended up choosing cornerback Alex Austin from Oregon State.
As a senior, he recorded a career-best 57 total tackles with 42 of them being solo. He also had 10 pass breakups and a sack. Most importantly, Austin had two interceptions, including a pick-six for 42 yards against Colorado.
