The NFL draft is just days away and this is one of the most uncertain fields in years.
The current order of the first round remains intact for the first time in the common draft era (1970), with no trades made. It’s also not seen as a top-heavy draft, which means the Buffalo Bills have plenty of options with the 30th pick.
Buffalo currently has 10 picks to utilize, including three in the first two rounds. The Bills join the Chicago Bears as the only teams to have three picks in the first two rounds.
Cornerback and defensive tackle remain the two big needs for the Bills, but they could also use an edge rusher. Running back, wide receiver and linebacker are also needed for the future, while backup quarterback and offensive line depth may also be positions they seek to address.
Here are two options for every round.
First round
Trey Amos, cornerback, Ole Miss: Amos is a name connected to the Bills often in mock drafts and he was among the team’s 30 allotted pre-draft visits.
Amos showed explosiveness with a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and a 32 ½-inch vertical leap at the NFL scouting combine. He is physical in press man coverage, but he’s most consistent in zone coverages.
He played his first three seasons at Louisiana, where he was a teammate of guard O’Cyrus Torrence. He played for Alabama in 2023 and was a first-team All-SEC pick for Mississippi last season.
Amos isn’t a great tackler, but he’s willing and had six takeaways in five college seasons. He’s viewed as being on the bubble between the first and second rounds.
Derrick Harmon, defensive tackle, Oregon: Harmon might be the second best tackle in the draft behind Michigan’s Mason Graham. He could also fit behind players like Walter Nolen and Kenneth Grant, depending on the team.
Defensive tackle is a deep position this year, but there might be a run in the bottom half of the second round and it doesn’t seem likely Harmon will slip into the second round if the Bills chose to trade back into the early second round like they did last year.
At 6-foot-5, 313 pounds, Harmon has the ability to penetrate on passing downs and play two gaps on running downs. DaQuan Jones is the only 1-technique tackle on the roster, so it’s a need for the Bills now and for the future.
Second round
T.J. Sanders, defensive tackle, South Carolina: Sanders was a top-30 visitor and he doesn’t have the size of Harmon at 297 pounds, but he’s a solid two-gapping defensive tackle.
Sanders rarely gets bowled over and the Bills need a defensive tackle who can gobble up blocks for teammates. Buffalo does have a penetrating style up front and he can make plays if needed, finishing his four-year career at South Carolina with 18 tackles for a loss and 9 ½ sacks.
Xavier Watts, safety, Notre Dame: It doesn’t seem likely the Bills would draft a safety with one of their first three picks. Rookie safeties rarely play prominent roles in Sean McDermott’s defense and with last year’s second-round pick Cole Bishop primed to move into the starting lineup, it’s far-fetched to think the Bills would pair him with a rookie.
But if there is a safety the Bills might not want to pass up for the future — Taylor Rapp can be moved after this year and Damar Hamlin signed a one-year deal — Watts might be the guy. The Bills were missing a rangy safety that could make instinctual plays last season and Watts is the type of player McDermott covets at safety.
Watts, who played receiver as a freshman and linebacker as a sophomore, had 15 takeaways in the last two seasons at Notre Dame.
Third round
Darien Porter, cornerback, Iowa State: Porter might slip into the second round after an impressive pre-draft period. The Bills don’t have a third-round pick, but with a low first, two seconds, two fourths and three fifths, they could move around to hop into the third rather than wait 47 picks between the second- and fourth-rounds.
Porter has legitimate speed at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds. He played six seasons at Iowa State, moving to cornerback from receiver midway through and had the football acumen and instincts to excel in Iowa State’s zone-heavy defense.
Like Amos, he’s not a tremendous tackler, but he’s willing.
Femi Oladejo, EDGE, UCLA: Oladejo is another top-30 visitor who switched from off-ball linebacker to the edge. At 6-foot-3, 259, he’s a bit stockier than the Bills typically go on the edge but his 36 ½-inch vertical jump shows he’s explosive.
Oladejo might need time to develop his pass-rushing plan, but the Bills aren’t in a position to throw a rookie out immediately after adding Joey Bosa and Michael Hoecht in free agency.
Fourth round
Tory Horton, receiver, Colorado State: A top-30 visitor, Horton might offer the special teams element the Bills desire in a receiver. With four receivers locked into the 2025 roster who don’t contribute on special teams, it’s hard to see the Bills taking a fifth in the draft, but the Bills do covet a fifth receiver who plays special teams.
Horton had three punt returns for touchdowns in a five-year career that started at Nevada. At 6-2 ½, 196, Horton was productive in every season, although he missed the back half of his final season with a knee injury.
Chris Paul Jr., linebacker, Ole Miss: Matt Milano is heading into the final year of his contract, so the Bills will be in business for a depth linebacker at the least. Dorian Williams was adequate in Milano’s absence last season, but still struggles in coverage.
Paul has good instincts and does his assignment within the scheme but might lack “wow” plays in the NFL. He also lacks size at 6-1, 222, but the Bills have never cared about that with their linebackers.
Fifth round
Dylan Fairchild, guard, Georgia: The Bills return their entire offensive line (and reserves) from last year, but left guard David Edwards is entering the last year of his deal, as is Pro Bowl center Connor McGovern. It would be surprising to see both walk, but the Bills might want to stock up just in case.
Fairchild was an All-American last season and played next to current Bills center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger in 2023. He’s a left guard who can pull adequately at 6-5, 320 and could be good enough to become an NFL starter.
Jack Kiser, linebacker Notre Dame: Kiser was a six-year player for Notre Dame. He isn’t a physical specimen but his instincts and understanding of the scheme put him in positions to make a lot of plays.
Kiser could be a Baylon Spector-type player who can start in a pinch, play on third downs and play a vital role on special teams. The Bills love those players, especially when they force 10 takeaways like Kiser did in college.
Sixth round
Jackson Hawes, tight end, Georgia Tech: Quintin Morris is currently unsigned and the Bills like themselves a blocking tight end who can be an adequate receiver. Hawes can be a nasty run blocker who could help the Bills avoid playing six offensive linemen at such a high clip.
Hawes spent five years at Yale to earn his degree and made 16 catches for 195 yards at Georgia Tech. A third-string tight end isn’t a glaring need but these are the rounds to address those areas.
Tyler Baron, EDGE, Miami: Baron fits Buffalo’s edge model at 6-5, 258. He ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash at the combine and is able to locate the ball. His 40 time didn’t translate to quickness off the edge, but he played as an inside rusher at times in his first four seasons at Tennessee.
In five college seasons, Baron recorded 19 seconds and 39 tackles for a loss.
Seventh round
Arian Smith, receiver, Georgia: The Bills don’t have a seventh round pick but that doesn’t mean they won’t be the end of the draft. They didn’t have any in 2023 and finished with two. If they have one and he’s available, Arian Smith might be worth a shot.
Smith is the fastest player in the draft as a former NCAA first-team All-American sprinter who ran 10.1 in the 100 meters in 2021 before focusing on football. He averaged 36.5 yards on his 10 college touchdowns.
But Smith is just 179 pounds and didn’t hit 10 catches or 200 yards in any of his first four seasons before catching 48 passes for 817 yards last season.
Nash Hutmacher, defensive tackle, Nebraska: If there is a McDermott-oriented prospect, Hutmacher is the guy and he worked out privately for the Bills. A four-time state wrestling champion in South Dakota who also wrestled for one season at Nebraska, Hutmacher comes with NFL strength.
At 6-3, 314, Hutmacher’s short arms led to being viewed as a defensive tackle instead of an offensive tackle during his recruitment and a sluggish first step made him a nose tackle in college. But Hutmacher is hard to move and eats up blockers, making an occasional splash play against the run.