The Buffalo Bills have drafted several new players who might make an immediate impact on the offense in 2024.
After trading down twice and exiting the first round, Buffalo kicked off the second day of the draft by picking wide receiver Keon Coleman. At 21, Coleman is anticipated to be the Bills’ starting X receiver in 2024. The Florida State rookie also has versatility to play in the slot. With Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis leaving the team this offseason, Coleman is poised to get substantial targets right away.
Another potential imme
diate contributor is Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, a fifth-round pick. With the release of Mitch Morse, Buffalo has shifted Connor McGovern from left guard to center. Although Pran-Granger is primarily suited for center in the NFL, he will be competing for the left guard position this summer against players like David Edwards and Alec Anderson.
While Coleman and Pran-Granger are promising, NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter predicts that fourth-round pick Ray Davis might have the most significant impact among the Bills’ offensive rookies. In his 2024 NFL All-Rookie Team projection, Reuter included Davis as one of his two running backs, alongside Trey Benson.
Reuter wrote about Davis in his projection:
“Davis could complement James Cook in the Bills’ offense, creating a stronger one-two punch than Cook and Latavius Murray did in 2023. The rookie is expected to excel in the red zone, alleviating some pressure from quarterback Josh Allen, who ran for 15 touchdowns last season (Cook had only two rushing scores). Defenses focused on stopping Davis on early downs might be caught off guard by his receiving skills out of the backfield.”
Davis could play a significant role in Buffalo’s offense this season, though returning player Ty Johnson, who became the team’s No. 2 back late last season, might limit Davis’s playing time initially.
