The Bills' top corner (Tre'Davious White) is recovering from a torn ACL, and their 2021 CB2 (Levi Wallace) signed with Pittsburgh. Elam's father (Abram) and uncle (Matt) both played safety in the NFL. Elam has an ideal combination of size and speed (4.39 40-yard dash).
The Bills need a replacement for the departed Levi Wallace, and Booth, despite reportedly undergoing sports hernia surgery, will compete to be the answer once he's fully healthy, which should be for the start of training camp. He still has a lot of room to grow, but working with Tre'Davious White and Taron Johnson should expedite his development into a solid No. 2 corner.
Some smart, well-connected people we trust in media have floated Breece Hall's name here, and it's not the silliest proposition we've heard. But with a moldable No. 2 corner on the board -- especially with Tyreek Hill entering the division -- it would be hard to pass up Booth. He's still developing, but his upside is very good for this range.
Tre'Davious White is coming off an ACL tear, and Levi Wallace signed in Pittsburgh. The cornerbacks are coming off the board quickly, and while Gordon didn't run anywhere near expectations at the combine (4.52 in the 40), he has good 6-foot size and can play strong man-to-man coverage on the outside. He limited opposing receivers to just 15 catches and zero touchdowns in 2021 while picking off a pair of passes.
Beefing up the offensive line is a top priority for a Bills team that is close to securing a crown. Johnson is a polished blocker at the point of attack, with the athleticism and movement skills to shine in a zone-based scheme.
Between Kenyon Green and cornerback Andrew Booth, the Bills could do no wrong here. I went with Green as his addition positively affects their quarterback Josh Allen more so than Booth and helping Allen should always be at the core of every decision this franchise makes. Green is a rock-solid interior lineman who offers excellent size, length, and movement skills coupled with knockback type of power.
Joe Buscaglia: The Bills went above and beyond in free agency to address their defensive line. They've wanted to increase the velocity of their fastball on offense, yet they haven't added any substantial playmakers. That's where the draft comes in. The Bills were at their best when opposing defenses had to account for their run game, but it was inconsistent last season. Hall gives them three-down capability that fits what they want out of the position, and there is a lot of logic pointing to the Bills wanting an early-round running back with some of their free-agent moves.
Devin Singletary is also a free agent after 2022, which would allow Hall to platoon with Singletary in 2022 and then be the lead back in 2023.
Brugler: I think there is a better chance we don't see a first-round running back, but you can't count one out here with the Bills, and Joe does a great job laying out why. Hall is an easy player to like with his patience, vision and nose for the end zone, setting the FBS record with a rushing touchdown in 24 straight games. He would make the Buffalo offense better.
Johnson is a plug-and-play rookie at guard in the NFL. He is easily the top guard prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft and showed that and then some at the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl. He earned a career-high 84.4 PFF grade in 2021 and played more than 1,400 snaps at left guard and more than 700 snaps at left tackle in his Boston College career.
