The Buffalo Bills are going through a transition phase of their franchise as they have moved from some of the veterans that had been huge contributors to the recent winning ways. Since Buffalo still has star quarterback Josh Allen under center, the organization is still trying to build a capable team around him and some of the players that could step up are the younger players on the team.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com recently put out a list of the rookies that he believes will make an immediate impact for their respective teams despite not having played a down in the NFL at the time of this writing. Reuter made sure to cover both sides of the ball for his article and the Bills have three players that made Reuter’s list which is something that should bode well for a franchise looking to remain competitive while getting younger and cheaper.
The Bills made 10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft so there are plenty of players who could be chosen for the 25 spots that Reuter picked so Buffalo coming away with three of those positions should mean great things moving forward. With that being said, here are the three players that made Reuter’s list along with what he had to say about those players.
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Davis was picked 128th overall (fourth round) and after an impressive career during his five seasons at the collegiate level, he comes into the NFL as someone who could make an impact for the Bills as the power back to starter James Cook’s speed. Latavius Murray is no longer with the Bills so someone has to take his place as the change-of-pace back and Davis could be that given that he’s arguably the closest in skill set to Murray, more so than Ty Johnson and Darrynton Evans.
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“Davis could be the thunder to James Cook ‘s lightning in the Bills offense, giving Buffalo a more powerful one-two punch than it had with Cook and Latavius Murray in 2023. The rookie will thrive in the red zone, taking some of the pressure off quarterback Josh Allen , who ran for 15 scores last season ( Cook had just two rushing touchdowns). Defenses filling the box against Davis on early downs could be surprised by his ability as a receiver out of the backfield.”
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Bishop was taken with the 60th overall pick (second round) after playing at Utah and showing the football world what he can do thanks to his athleticism and football IQ. Even though Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are no longer with the team, Bishop still has to compete with Taylor Rapp, Mike Edwards, and Cam Lewis for playing time at safety. However, there are some people who believe that Bishop will be on the field in short order.
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“With Jordan Poyer departing for Miami and Micah Hyde still a free agent as he mulls his future, the door was opened this offseason for Bills GM Brandon Beane to ordain Bishop as one of the team’s new defenders. Bishop will be one of the league’s better tacklers from Day 1, stopping ball-carriers in the open field thanks to his plus athleticism and knowledge of the game. Bishop also proved capable as a blitzer while at Utah, and he was able to bait quarterbacks to throw his way in coverage. If Hyde does re-sign with the Bills, perhaps Bishop’s role won’t be quite as big right off the bat, but I think he could become a respected player early in his NFL career.”
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Hardy was taken with the 219th overall pick (sixth round) after a tenure at Penn State where he showed what he can do with the ball in his hands. Hardy is listed as a cornerback, but in actuality, his main value to the Bills in the early going will be what he can provide in the return game given that Buffalo has a lot of depth at cornerback already. The Bills understand that Hardy can also make some plays at corner thanks to his speed and quickness, but until he can make some headway within the cornerback room, he will be trying his hands with returning punts.
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“Buffalo is replacing Deonte Harty , who signed with Baltimore as a free agent, with Daequan Hardy in the punt-return game. Hardy led the FBS with two punt returns for touchdowns in 2023, making the first man miss before turning on the jets. Hardy could also join running back Ty Johnson in taking over for Khalil Shakir on kickoff returns if the Bills want the third-year receiver to focus on offense. Hardy is a competitive nickel corner, as well, but might need time to work into the role with Taron Johnson manning that spot.”
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