The Buffalo Bills enter the 2018 NFL draft with nine picks. It's likely that some of the selections get packaged in trades, but the Bills can address many of their needs with their current selections. Considering the number of holes the team has on their roster, the success of this year's draft class will go a long way in determining if Buffalo can contend long-term in the AFC East.

It generally takes teams a few seasons to know if they had a successful draft class, but that's not always the case. Look no further than Buffalo's 2017 draft class. Sean McDermott's first rookie class was successful in year one. The Bills added the Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up late in the first round while also finding a left tackle of the future. Buffalo also found a productive linebacker and picked up a first round pick in 2018. When you look at the overall draft, it's fair to say that Buffalo had one of the best draft classes in 2017. One draft analyst, Mel Kiper Jr., believes Buffalo's 2017 class tied for the second best draft class in the league.

Kiper Jr. re-graded the 2017 NFL draft and although the draft analyst dropped Buffalo's grade, they still finished tied among the best rookie classes in the league. After originally giving the Bills' rookie class an A-, Kiper re-graded the rookie class as a B+.

Here is what Kiper said about Buffalo's 2017 rookies.

This is a great class, and it gets a boost with Buffalo picking up an extra first-round pick in 2018 for trading down from No. 10 with Kansas City. The Bills already have used that extra draft capital to get in contention to move up in April's draft and pick their quarterback of the future, though they still like fifth-round pick Nathan Peterman -- I wrote last year that I wouldn't be surprised if Peterman, now known for his disastrous five-interception debut, "is the starter in a year or two" -- and added AJ McCarron on a short-term deal. After moving on from Tyrod Taylor, they have to find an answer there. This was a 2017 playoff team, but the Bills overachieved.

As for the picks, first-round cornerback Tre'Davious White started every game and had four interceptions. Now they need to figure out the spot across from him. Dion Dawkins was so good filling in for Cordy Glenn at left tackle that Buffalo traded Glenn and installed Dawkins on the blind side. Linebacker Matt Milano had 43 tackles in limited snaps and looks like a useful Day 3 pick. I liked the pick of wide receiver Zay Jones on Day 2, but he did not have a great rookie season, catching only 27 of 74 targets.

If Jones improves and Peterman turns into a competent starter, this class is an A without question.

The only team to finish with a higher grade than the Bills were the New Orleans Saints (A). Buffalo's B+ grade tied them with the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers.