Buffalo Bills Have 3 Chances to Find Next Matt Milano at NFL Draft

The Buffalo Bills have three fifth-round picks to make on April 27 at the NFL Draft. In recent years, Round 5 has produced Bills' starters Matt Milano and Khalil Shakir.

Buffalo Bills Matt Milano makes a face as he watches the action on the large screen hanging over the / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Rochester Democrat

There'll be plenty of reasons for Buffalo Bills' fans to watch Day 3 of the NFL
Draft on April 27.

With the Bills slated to pick eight times from Rounds 4 through 7, Buffalo has multiple opportunities to uncover a hidden draft gem that will fortify the team's roster depth and potentially earn a starting role at some point in the future.

Taken in Round 6 two years ago, Villanova's Christian Benford beat out first-rounder Kaiir Elam for a Week 1 starting assignment as a rookie. Remember Stevie Johnson? He was a seventh-round selection in 2008.

During general manager Brandon Beane's tenure, Round 5 has been fertile ground for Buffalo and the potential is there again this year.

The Bills have three fifth-round selections heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, which kicks off in primetime on April 25. In addition to its own pick at No. 163 overall, Buffalo has the No. 160 selection (from its midseason trade with the Green Bay Packers for Rasul Douglas) and the No. 144 choice (from the offseason trade of Ryan Bates to the Chicago Bears).

With the No. 163 selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Bills landed All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano. That round also produced tight end George Kittle and running back Aaron Jones.

In 2018, Buffalo used fifth-round selections on offensive guard Wyatt Teller and defensive back Siran Neal. Teller went on to achieve All-Pro status with the Cleveland Browns while Neal was a core special teamer for the Bills over the past six seasons before leaving in free agency.

In 2022, Buffalo snagged receiver Khalil Shakir with the No. 148 overall pick. He has since averaged 15.8 yards per catch while carving out a role for himself in the Josh Allen-led offense.

"Any of those [picks] that we acquire are always assets," said Beane.

Simply put, these aren't "throw-away" picks even though they won't be made in primetime. Successful franchises find foundational pieces on Day 3.