Being a general manager in the NFL is not an easy job. You are tasked with building a roster capable of winning during a grueling season, and a culture that's able to sustain winning for multiple years.
Along the way, you're bound to make people angry. In the case of Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane, the people he made upset were other NFL GMs.
Beane traded up twice during the 2022 NFL Draft. He traded up on Day 1, moving to select Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam at 23. On Day 3, the Bills moved up again to 148 to select Boise State wide receiver Khalil Shakir.
It was the Shakir selection that made NFL GMs upset. “I got a few texts from around the league after that one,” Beane told Mike Silver, writing for Bally Sports. According to Silver, those texts boiled down into one message: "Damn you for taking him. We wanted him."
There are a few GMs who aren't known for making moves up in the draft, but Beane doesn't mind being aggressive, as he told Silver.
“If there’s a guy I really like that I think stands out above the others, then why chance it? Are you ever gonna bat 1.000? No. But if you have that much conviction about someone, go get him," Beane explained.
“I’d rather give up another pick and know I get a guy I’m excited about. I always ask myself, ‘How pissed am I gonna be if I lose that player?’ That’s how I approach it. I’m not sure it’s the right way — but it’s the way I’m wired.”
The Bills certainly got players they were excited about. Beane explained to the media that Elam was the last player available on their draft board they'd given a first-round grade to.
And, clearly, Shakir wow'd the Bills brass. The team gave up a sixth-round pick in order to move up 20 spots with the Chicago Bears to select the 22-year-old pass catcher. “Very smart, cerebral, tested well with our guys,” Beane said of Shakir after making the selection. “Very high character and he works hard. People at Boise speak very highly of him and he fits our DNA.”
It's clear to see why Buffalo is excited about their new pass catcher. He holds the highest career grade out of any of the receivers picked in the draft, according to Pro Football Focus.
Furthermore, he had a productive final year in college. He recorded 77 catches, racked up 1117 yards, and hauled in seven touchdowns. He was also used as a return man on occasion, and even saw 21 carries out of the backfield.
