The Buffalo Bills hit on several players in their 2022 draft class. It could take nearly a quarter billion dollar hit to their wallet to keep them all.
Running back James Cook, linebacker Terrel Bernard, wide receiver Khalil Shakir and cornerback Christian Benford are entering the final year of rookie deals.
The cumulative total of their next estimated contracts is $220 million, according to Spotrac.
Cook, Shakir and Benford could each warrant more than $10 million annually, with Benford’s market value a four-year, $91.9 million deal at $22.6 million per season. Shakir is estimated to command $19.3 million per year in the open market, Cook $10.2 million and Benford $6.7 million.
Each player in the quartet had a base salary of about $1 million in 2024.
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More than 10% of the Bills’ current roster is talent they drafted in 2022. The draft class has played 235 games for Buffalo and six players are still on the team.
In addition to the four four-time starters, cornerback Kaiir Elam was selected in the first round and linebacker Baylon Spector in the seventh round. Add offensive lineman Alec Anderson and cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram, who were signed as undrafted free agents and played in all 17 games in 2024, and Buffalo has eight players general manager Brandon Beane plucked out of college in 2022.
Players on rookie contracts can begin extensions or negotiations after their third season.
Only first-round picks are eligible for a fifth-year option and the Bills may eschew exercising that right. Elam has started multiple games in each of his three seasons but has been inconsistent amid heavy scrutiny. Elam struggled filling in for the injured Benford in the AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. His fifth-year option is projected at $11.7 million.
Cook, a who-time Pro Bowl selection, tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns and rushed for 1,000 yards for the second straight season. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry in the playoffs and became the first Bills running back with a 100-yard game in the postseason since 1995.
Bernard was a 2024 team captain with quarterback Josh Allen. He had 104 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and one fumble recovery in 13 games.
Shakir led the Bills in receptions (76) and receiving yards (821) with career-highs and had four touchdowns in 2024. The shifty slot receiver had 597 yards after catch, second in the league among receivers behind Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase. Since 2023, Shakir leads all NFL wide receivers in catch rate. He set an NFL record with catches on 30 consecutive targets.
Benford, who was the 25th cornerback selected in the 2022 draft, had the fifth-highest cornerback grade (82.6) in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2024. He recorded 64 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one sack and one fumble recovery in 15 games. Benford only allowed 316 yards in coverage and 86.6 passer rating against, and received a fifth-place vote for Defensive Player of the Year.
