Buffalo Bills Draft Targets: Day 1
I covered some Trade Scenarios I can see being in play early in the draft for Brandon Beane, as well as a big move up the board in my Free Agency Review. Today, I will cover the players I hope are in play when the Bills make their first-round pick, and what I predict will happen with their first-round selection. I don’t know their draft board, and I don't have access to all the medical information, so this is strictly based on what I believe the needs are for the Buffalo Bills and the players I believe fill those needs. I will complete a couple of mock drafts (one with trades and one without) before Thursday for fun to see how I match up with what happens over the weekend. I will also cover who I would like to see the Bills target on Days 2 and 3, once the previous rounds have been completed.
Buffalo Bills Roster Priorities
Defensive Tackle/Cornerback - I’m not breaking any news here. I have them both equally important. Buffalo needs a CB2 to pair with Christian Benford for the long term, and they need someone next to Ed Oliver who can make his life easier. I expect both positions will be prioritized early. I won’t be surprised if they double dip on either position.
Defensive End - Only Greg Rousseau and Javon Solomon are under contract after this season. They need to add more youth and cost control to the position group.
Wide Receiver - I like Buffalo’s wide receiver group more than most, but it’s still an area that can and should be upgraded if the right player is available.
Interior Offensive Line - Connor McGovern and David Edwards are expiring contracts, and O'Cyrus Torrence is eligible for a lucrative extension after this season. They won’t be able to pay all three, so I expect at least a guard to be in play and possibly a center if McGovern has priced himself out and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger isn’t their long term solution.
Linebacker/Safety - I like both of these groups and would prefer the Bills' draft competition for Baylon Spector and Damar Hamlin over a player who would be looking to start in 2025.
Tight End/Running Back - Unless James Cook is being moved the running back room is all set. The Bills will not be rostering four RBs with Reggie Gilliam. Tight End 3 is open with Quintin Morris’s departure, and only Zach Davidson is under contract. Competition for that spot can be gained in the late rounds or UDFA market.
Players to Target in Round 1
Defensive Tackle: Kenneth Grant, Michigan, Walter Nolen, Ole Miss, Derrick Harmon, Oregon. I would love Kenneth Grant, but I do not see him getting out of the top 20. Nolen is just under 300 lbs and 6’4”, while Harmon is close to 315 lbs at 6’5”. Both would fill an immediate need and have the benefit of DaQuan Jones being on the roster if they aren’t ready to start week one.
Cornerback: Jahdae Barron, Texas, Trey Amos, Ole Miss, Sharon Revel Jr., East Carolina. I don’t believe Will Johnson will slide to a range close enough for the Bills to move up and snag him unless they jump into the 15-17 range. I would love Barron for the Bills, and he may be available in the low 20s. Amos has been climbing the rankings, and I prefer his size (6’1” 195 lbs.) to that of Maxwell Hairston (5’11” 183 lbs.) from Kentucky. Revel Jr is coming off an ACL injury, which is a risk, but he was regarded as a top 15 draft pick before the injury and should be available at 30. Buffalo’s recent signing of Tre'Davious White makes me feel better about Revel Jr because he would not have to rush back from injury to be a starter in Week 1.
Dark Horse Candidates in Round 1
Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College & WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa St. Both of these players are if the DT/CB options are not there at 30 and a draft up or back doesn’t materialize on draft night. Ezeiruaku is an interesting prospect. He is considered undersized at 6’3”, 248 lbs. but he led all of FBS in sacks, 16.5, and pressures, 69, in 2024. His size doesn’t concern me because I envision him in a role similar to that of Von Miller or Leonard Floyd while they were in Buffalo.
Higgins is a 6’4” 214 lb. perimeter receiver who can stretch the field and has been compared to Nico Collins. WR is not a position that I expect Buffalo to target in round 1, but Higgins would add an element to the offense they do not currently have on the roster.
Bills Selection Prediction
Buffalo will not make their selection at 30. I believe it’s a 60/40 split between trading back and trading up. I am leaning they trade out of the first round into the early 2nd with a team in the 33-40 range. I see this happening for two reasons. A cluster of the cornerbacks they like are still available, and they gain a 3rd rounder or high enough 4th round pick that they can use to get into the third round in a separate trade. Brandon Beane mentioned he doesn't have thirty players with a first-round grade in this year's draft. "Not 30…It's probably in the ballpark (compared to the last few years)," Beane said yesterday during his press conference.
The only way I see the Bills trading up in the first round is if Will Johnson and Jahdae Barron are both available when Atlanta is on the clock. 15 is the highest I envision them being comfortable to trade up. Atlanta, Arizona, and Tampa Bay, at 15, 16, and 19, are the teams I see as the best options to make a deal.
In Beane We Trust. Go Bills!
