Solid Starter
O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida – Round 2 
In my final mock draft, I had the Bills taking Torrence, albeit in the first round, so landing Torrence in the second round was a good value selection for them. Buffalo wanted to add some size and toughness to its offensive line this offseason, and Torrence looks capable of being a plug-and-play starter for the team.
As a run blocker, Torrence (6-5, 335) has heavy hands with sheer power at the point of attack to generate movement. He can latch on to defensive tackles and use his strength to manipulate them out of their gaps. Finding nasty bullies up front is getting more difficult as the uptempo and spread offense have changed the game, and Torrence is a rare college blocker who enters the NFL with a mean streak to set a physical tone at the point of attack. He blocks through the whistle, pushes defenders around, buries them into the ground, and finishes them off with violence. Torrence has developed strength to push linemen out of their gaps and open holes in the ground game. As a pro, Torrence should be a real asset as a run blocker.
In pass protection, Torrence has a strong anchor and can stand up bull rushers with ease. Even though Torrence is not a great athlete, he moves well for his size to tie up speed rushers. Torrence uses his strong hands and big mass to sustain blocks well. His power helps him to recover by jarring defenders off their rush, allowing Torrence to regroup and tie them up. Fast interior defensive tackles or defensive ends who move inside in passing situations could give Torrence problems early in his NFL career, but over time, he should be a steady pass protector.
The issues with Torrence that caused him to slide out of the first round were a bad body and some medical concerns. However, immediately Torrence can start competing for playing time against Connor McGovern and Ryan Bates. Before long, Torrence should beat one of them out for a starting guard position. It would not surprise me if Torrence has become a solid starter for the Bills by the end of his rookie season.
2022: James Cook, RB
2021: Spencer Brown, OT
2020: A.J. Epenesa, DE
2019: Cody Ford, OT
2018: Harrison Phillips, DT
2017: Dion Dawkins, OT/G
2016: Reggie Ragland, LB
2015: John Miller, G
2014: Cyrus Kouandjio, OT
2013: Robert Woods, WR
Most Likely To Bust
Dorian Williams, LB, Tulane – Round 3 
The Bills were in the market for linebacker depth and starting competition after losing Tremaine Edmunds in free agency. Last year’s third-round pick, Terrel Bernard from Baylor, is the favorite to start next to Matt Milano in 2023. While Williams could factor into that competition. Bernard is a year ahead of Williams, so Bernard is the favorite. Additionally, Williams needs some development for the pro level. Williams definitely needs to get stronger to take on and shed blocks. He also will need refinement with his pass-coverage technique.
For third-round picks, they are expected to start out as backups and develop into starters. Williams may not progress to that level, and he could end up being a backup only. Of Buffalo’s early-round picks, Williams could be the most likely to disappoint.
2022: Terrel Bernard, LB
2021: Gregory Rousseau, DE
2020: Gabriel Davis, WR
2019: Dawson Knox, TE
2018: Josh Allen, QB
2017: Tre’Davious White, CB
2016: Cardale Jones, QB
2015: Karlos Williams, RB
2014: Ross Cockrell, CB
2013: E.J. Manuel, QB
Potential Boom Pick
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah – Round 1 
With Dawson Knox on the roster, it was surprising that the Bills drafted a tight end in the first round. However, they evidently felt that Kincaid was too good of a receiving weapon to pass on. The versatile Kincaid can play tight end in double -ight end sets with Knox, but the Bills believe that Kincaid can also split out wide as a wide receiver.
For the NFL, Kincaid (6-3, 241) looks like a future three-down starter. He has the skill set to be a dangerous receiver down the seam and in the red zone, like he was in college. Kincaid has the quickness to get downfield, and he has a surprising burst for a tight end. Kincaid has excellent hands and is very skilled at going up high to make receptions over defensive backs. Even though he isn’t the biggest of tight ends, he has good body control and uses his size well to shield the ball from defenders to make receptions. With good play strength, Kincaid uses his power to disengage from defenders to get open after contact is initiated. Kincaid runs good routes, is smart to find the soft spots in zone, and shows good feel as a receiver. After the catch, Kincaid is a tough runner who has a burst, will weave through the secondary, and possesses the ability to break tackles. As a pro, Kincaid should be a reliable and steady weapon in the passing game.
Kincaid is going to be a solid contributor in blocking for his NFL team. In the ground game, Kincaid is a quality blocker who should be a reliable asset to a team’s running offense at the point of attack. He also could help in pass protection, chipping defenders and tandem blocking with offensive tackles. Thus, Kincaid isn’t limited to one part of the offense and can be out there on every down. He could turn into a long-term quality starter in the NFL.
With Knox signed to a long-term deal, Buffalo had a lot of love and a serious plan to utilize Kincaid to take him in the first round. Thus, I could see Kincaid as having boom pick potential for the Bills.
2022: Kaiir Elam, CB
2021: Carlos Basham, DE
2020: Zack Moss, RB
2019: Ed Oliver, DT
2018: Tremaine Edmunds, LB
2017: Zay Jones, WR
2016: Adolphus Washington, DT
2015: Ronald Darby, CB
2014: Sammy Watkins, WR
2013: Marquise Goodwin, WR
Future Depth Player
Nick Broeker, G/C, Ole Miss – Round 7 
The Bills landed a nice value in the seventh round with Broeker. During his career at Ole Miss, he lined up at a variety of spots and showed the intelligence to play different positions. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder could have gone a few rounds higher, but he managed to slip in the draft. Broeker could be cross-trained at guard and center because he has the skill set to play any position on the interior. If he were to become a starter at guard, it would help him to add 5-10 pounds of muscle. Broeker might start out on the practice squad, but he could become a valuable game-day backup to provide depth at guard and center.
2022: Khalil Shakir, WR
2021: Marquez Stevenson, WR
2020: Jake Fromm, QB
2019: Jaquan Johnson, S
2018: Siran Neal, S
2017: Nathan Peterman, QB
2016: Jonathan Williams, RB
2015: Nick O’Leary, TE
2014: Seantrel Henderson, OT
2013: Duke Williams, S
Walt’s 2023 NFL Draft Grades:
27. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah – A+ Grade
The Bills had some major problems in the red zone last year. Dalton Kincaid will help solve those issues. With all of the first-round receivers off the board, moving up for a top tight end prospect makes a ton of sense, especially when it comes to jumping Dallas, which really needs to address the position. Kincaid could have gone much earlier than this, so I love this value.
59. O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida – A+ Grade
Wow, what value! Charlie Campbell slotted O’Cyrus Torrence to the Bills – in the first round! I had Torrence to the Chiefs a few picks later. Torrence is the No. 2 guard in the class after Peter Skoronski, so the Bills are getting an incredible bargain at the end of the second frame. Torrence will be essential for the Bills, who had to bolster their interior blocking.
91. Dorian Williams, LB, Tulane – D Grade
A linebacker was needed with Tremaine Edmunds gone. The thing is, the Bills could have drafted Dorian Williams later than this. Williams is a linebacker-safety tweener. He’s fast, but he needs to get much stronger to play significant defensive snaps.
150. Justin Shorter, WR, Florida – C Grade
Justin Shorter is a massive receiver (6-4, 229), but didn’t play to his size at Florida. He also dealt with some injuries. The Bills needed a receiver, but they could have gotten someone better than this.
230. Nick Broeker, G/OT, Ole Miss – A Grade
Nick Broeker is a versatile lineman who can play tackle and guard. He’ll be very useful as a backup because of his ability to play multiple positions. I thought he would have been chosen much earlier than this.
252. Alex Austin, CB, Oregon State – B+ Grade
Alex Austin is a good athlete with quality size. He has nice potential, so I like this pick. He’s a raw player, so he needs development, but you have to swing for the fences in the final round.
2023 NFL Draft Team Grade: B+. Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
Buffalo Bills Season Preview
NFL Picks - Oct. 30
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Oct. 30
NFL Power Rankings - Oct. 28
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
