The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Bills draft Georgia RB Cook, Baylor LB Bernard; Elam arrives
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. » Having addressed Buffalo’s key need at cornerback in the first round of the draft, Brandon Beane was comfortable playing a prolonged waiting game Friday night.
The Bills general manager not only acquired two sixth-round picks by trading back twice in the draft order, Beane filled positional depth needs on both sides of the ball for the two-time defending AFC East champions.
The Josh Allen-led offense gained a potential dynamic dual-threat with Georgia running back James Cook, chosen with the 63rd pick. Beane then used the 89th pick to add undersized but versatile linebacker Terrel Bernard of Baylor to a revamped defense, which already features the free agent addition of Von Miller, and a day after trading up to choose Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam in the first round.
“We definitely felt better after we got the corner last
night,” said Beane of Elam joining a secondary which lost starter Levi Wallace in free agency and with Tre’davious White’s status uncertain while recovering from reconstructive knee surgery.
“If you’re filling a need, one of your top needs that’s when you sleep good at night,” he added. “And so today, we just said, ‘Let’s let the board come to us and let’s see what’s there.’”
The patience paid off in several ways, including the Bills adding the 180th and 209th selections to make up for the fourthround pick Beane used to trade up two spots to secure Elam. Initially scheduled to make the 57th pick, Buffalo traded back twice in the order before finally picking Cook.
He was the third running back chosen in this year’s draft and is the brother of Minnesota Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook.
He joins an unsettled running back room that includes Devin Singletary, Zack Moss and offseason free-agent addition Duke Johnson.