Bills OG O’Cyrus Torrence: Joining Buffalo ‘A Wild Ride’

The Buffalo Bills selected Florida offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence with pick No. 59 in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Buffalo Bills continue to receive rave reviews for their performance in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Highlighted by their advancement to pick No. 25, thus choosing Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid, the Bills maximized the value of their six selections over the past three days. 

However, their acquisition of Florida offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence with pick No. 59 in the second-round may end up providing the greatest return on investment. 

Torrence was considered one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2023 draft class. After all, the 6-5, 330-pound lineman was coming off a stellar season for the Gators, to whom he transferred before the 2022 season — following his head coach, Billy Napier, from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

Still, Torrence surprisingly found himself falling from the first-round into the latter stages of the second round. But getting the call from Buffalo clearly reignited his excitement — especially at the thought of becoming a part of Bills Mafia. 

"A wild ride,” Torrence said of his becoming a Bill. ”Really just looking forward to what's to come and just being able to see myself in this place in this culture and environment. It's starting to feel more and more surreal."

Despite the presence of left guard Connor McGovern and right guard Ryan Bates, Torrence has the chance to earn a significant spot along Buffalo's offensive line — even as a rookie. Aside from some early questions surrounding his quickness in pass protection, he possesses solid, pro-level fundamentals. Torrence is at his best in run-blocking schemes, while remaining physically resistant at the point of contact. His versatility allows him to play either on the left or right, which was likely a notable factor for Buffalo’s interest in his services. 

Above all, Torrence is a competitor. Having been considered a potential first-round pick last year, Torrence didn’t necessarily need to transfer to Florida. He wanted to prove himself against SEC competition. As a result, he joins the Bills having already been battle-tested. With Buffalo once again expected to be among the AFC’s top contenders for its title, the ex-Gator sounds ready to get to work. 

"They're building something very special, and they've been working on it for a while with Coach McDermott,” Torrence said. “And just the way the whole organization has had a shift over the past couple of years is something I've noticed in this process, and I've been able to from my eyes how or why it's shifting like this, just cause of the pieces that they bring in, the guys they bring in, the coaches and things like this."

Regardless of his fall into the depths of the second-round, Torrence seemingly possesses both the skill set and intangibles to provide stout protection for quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills’ high-powered offense for the foreseeable future. 

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL.

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