The 2025 NFL Draft is looming, and the Buffalo Bills have the 30th overall pick. Below is a full breakdown of their team needs and potential players they could take come draft night.
State of the Union
While the Bills have won the AFC East Division in five consecutive seasons and field one of the best quarterbacks in the league and reigning NFL MVP, Josh Allen, they have still failed to find the right pieces to get over the hump. The “hump,” in this case, goes by the name of Patrick Mahomes. Buffalo has racked up seven postseason wins since 2020 but sports a 0-4 postseason record against Mahomes and the Chiefs. Sean McDermott truly sees ghosts when Andy Reid is on the opposite sideline, and the best way to avoid being out-coached is by nailing the draft and offseason process so that talent simply takes over.
Despite coming up short in the AFC Championship game, the Bills still found plenty of success. Allen secured his first career MVP award (after being voted as the most overrated player in the league last offseason) and led the Bills to a 13-4 record. After dropping back-to-back early-season games to top AFC opponents––Baltimore and Houston––and falling to a 3-2 record, Buffalo won seven straight games and clinched the AFC East in its Week 13 win over San Francisco.
Labeled a “rebuild year” after letting go of many (washed) veterans and trading away their alpha WR1, Stefon Diggs, the Bills offense ranked second in both EPA/play and points per game. The “everybody eats” mentality is in full force and there are a few areas that Buffalo could look to add depth to. If the offensive success had bled into the defense, perhaps it could’ve been the year for the Bills to finally dethrone the Chiefs. Still, it was a solid season given the consistent injury trouble and 12th ranking in both points per game and EPA/play.
With the news of a recent monster extension for Allen along with other key pieces (Khalil Shakir, Greg Rousseau and Terrel Bernard), money will be tight. Now is the time for the Bills’ front office to put its big-boy pants on and start drafting meaningful contributors on cheap rookie contracts. Buffalo has 10 (!) draft picks to work with.
Free Agency Recap
Departures
EDGE Von Miller – Von Miller is a 36-year-old who hasn’t looked the same since tearing his ACL two years ago. He was also suspended for four weeks last season and only logged 32.8% of the snaps in the other 13 games. The Von Miller era in Buffalo reminds me of the classic saying about owning a boat––the two happiest days in a sailor’s life are the day he buys his boat and the day he sells it.
WRs Mack Hollins, Amari Cooper – Believe it or not, Mack Hollins led all Bills’ receivers in snaps and receiving touchdowns. He contributes on special teams, too, so it’s a tough loss but he is very replaceable and second-year wideout, Keon Coleman, figures to see an uptick in snaps as a result. Buffalo will still see Hollins often, though, as he signed with the Patriots on a two-year, $8.4 million deal. The Amari Cooper era was anti-climatic and it seems unlikely that he will be coming back.
Key Additions
EDGE Joey Bosa (Chargers) – As one 30+ year-old veteran leaves, another arrives. The Bills front office is at least aware they are missing a true difference-maker on the defensive line and are taking the risk with Joey Bosa and his injury history. It is still quite low-risk, high-reward considering it is just a one-year deal.
WR Joshua Palmer (Chargers) – The addition of Joshua Palmer doesn’t rule out the Bills addressing the position in the draft. Still, Palmer is a deep threat and could help stretch the field more often, something the Bills struggled to do last season. Palmer’s versatility and ability to line up everywhere will give him endless opportunities to make an impact.
S Darrick Forest (Commanders) – Not nearly as big as Bosa and Palmer but it addresses a major weakness in this Bills defense. Darrick Forrest is a 2021 fifth-round pick who has shown flashes of potential in Washington but struggled to log consistent snaps under the new regime last season. Buffalo lacks safety depth and Forrest has a shot to carve out a role depending on how the team decides to address the safety position in the draft whether that be early or late.
Team Needs
Interior Defensive Line – Ed Oliver has committed highway robbery since inking his contract extension and DaQuan Jones is 33 years old. Buffalo drafted DeWayne Carter as depth last April but he certainly doesn’t offer the upside that most of this draft class does. Perhaps Bosa can be a game-breaker off the edge but there needs to be interior pressure to help with both the pass rush and run defense. The Bills did sign Larry Ogunjobi to a one-year deal but he is facing a six-game suspension.
Secondary – Rasul Douglas is likely signing with another team and the re-addition of Dane Jackson doesn’t move the needle at all. The Bills traded 2022 first-round pick, Kaiir Elam, to the Cowboys, too, so things are looking even more bleak. They rolled out safeties Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp for much of last season and used a second-round pick on Cole Bishop last April but it is still a glaring need.
Potential Draft Picks
S Andrew Mukuba (Texas) – The cornerback room is weaker overall but at least it includes Christian Benford, a lockdown corner. And since Micah Hyde retired, the secondary hasn’t felt the same. Adding such a great coverage safety like Mukuba would bring back shades of the classic dominant McDermott defense. He was a four-year starter at Texas and plays with instincts, two qualities that scream at McDermott when identifying top draft talent.
S Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) – The secondary is truly in bad shape and it may be more important than the interior defensive line. If Mukuba’s undersized traits are a turn-off, Emmanwori needs to be the alternative. He’s an athletic freak standing at 6’3″ and clocking a 4.38 40-yard dash time. He relies on his athleticism and speed to make plays on top of offering versatility, which makes me think that McDermott will prefer him over Mukuba. Either way, he would immediately boost the run defense and Buffalo’s safety development track record is rather strong.
DT Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) – I’m aware that the majority of the mock drafts have had Kenneth Grant heading to the Bills but I’m not convinced that they’ll be aggressive and trade up. Nolen’s physical traits don’t jump off the page but he profiles similarly to Ed Oliver and relies on his explosiveness to make plays. Ogunjobi’s suspension certainly changes things and possibly makes DT a bigger priority here on top of Jones’s age and expiring contract.
