Conventional wisdom says the Buffalo Bills don’t need to expend any more capital on adding offensive weapons. They’re a juggernaut on that side of the ball, even finding themselves on the scoreboard more often than the almighty Kansas City Chiefs. They led the AFC in points scored last season.
With the No. 30 overall pick, the Bills could use the opportunity to add more depth to their defense, selecting either a young pass-rusher to compliment Jerry Hughes or cornerback to challenge Levi Wallace.
But what’s the fun in that?
Let’s be honest: It would be awesome for the Bills to go offense in the first round. Who doesn’t want to see Josh Allen surrounded with even more weapons?
There is recent precedent for a stacked Super Bowl contender prioritizing offense in the draft. Two years ago, the Chiefs selected wideout Mecole Hardman with their first selection, despite Patrick Mahomes being in the prime of his career and their receiving corps being awesome. Last April, they drafted running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire at No. 32 overall.
Mahomes doesn’t necessarily need the help. As a franchise quarterback, he’s getting paid to elevate the talent around him. But the Chiefs still decided to add to their biggest strength. Their aggressiveness is admirable, and notably, hasn’t prevented them improving on defense.
They’ve drafted their offensive stars (Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill) and acquired two of their main defensive stalwarts (Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark) via trade or free agency.
The Bills feature a fixture of veteran and homegrown talent on both sides of the ball. Importantly, their defensive core is intact. Cornerback Tre’Davious White, safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, and linebackers Tremaine Edwards and Matt Milano are all under control for multiple years.
That means Buffalo doesn’t have immediate needs on defense. It would not be negligent for general manager Brandon Beane to choose Clemson running back Travis Etienne over cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. from Florida State.
If there is a weak point for the Bills offensively, it’s at running back.
Devin Singletary doesn’t possess playmaking ability (4.4 yards per-carry in 2020) and Zack Moss underwent ankle surgery in January. With that in mind, legendary NFL writer Peter King has the Bills picking Etienne in his latest mock draft.
“Etienne would be a great puzzle piece in an offense that craves speed in the backfield,” he writes.
Etienne was a beast in the SEC, scoring 78 touchdowns in four seasons. He could give the Bills another elite red zone threat.
ESPN’s Todd McShay reports the Bills are exploring trading up for Etienne’s services.
The Bills need as much firepower as possible to overtake the Chiefs. That’s why it’s even tantalizing to think about Beane making a draft night trade for Julio Jones, which Stephen A. Smith suggested Tuesday on ESPN.
Just imagine Stefon Diggs on the left and Jones on the right — with Cole Beasley in the slot. Defenses would be helpless.
Allen is a generational quarterback who will hopefully remain in Buffalo for the next decade. Down the line, he will probably be forced to work with less talent. That’s what happens with every elite quarterback, from Tom Brady (New England Patriots version) to Russell Wilson. There’s only so much money to go around.
But right now, the Bills have an opportunity to load up around Allen. Let’s see them do it.