The Buffalo Bills have jumped up the NFL draft board in two of the last three years, and one insider believes they could be poised to do it again in 2025.
The Bills have some needs on defense after losing two players to suspension and more in free agency, leading some around the league to suggest the team could be “aggressive” in moving up to fill at least one of the needs.
Bills Have Ammo for ‘Aggressive’ Move
ESPN’s Matt Miller reported that the Bills are expected to be “active and aggressive” in meeting their draft needs. The team has a deep stable of picks — 10 in total, including two in the second round — and can use some of them as ammo to trade up in the first round, Miller reported.
“Don’t be surprised if they’re a team trying to move up in Round 1 for an impact defensive player,” Miller quoted a scout from a rival team.
The Bills have traded up in the first round several times under general manager Brandon Beane, jumping up in 2022 to take cornerback Kaiir Elam and again in 2023 for tight end Dalton Kincaid.
ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg added that the Bills may need to address their defensive line in this year’s NFL draft, especially after defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and defensive end Michael Hoecht were each handed six-game suspensions for violating the league’s rules against performance-enhancing drugs.
Even without the unexpected holes, Getzenberg suggested the Bills would still continue building their depth in the trenches.
“General manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott reiterated this offseason that building up front is a key part of their philosophy,” Getzenberg wrote. “The Bills have plenty of possibilities for the first two days, depending on how the board falls ahead of them. They have two second-round picks and a trend of trading picks in the first round.”
Bills Could Have Some Targets in Mind
The Bills may also have some options to round out their defense if they stay put with the No. 30 overall pick. NFL.com’s Eric Edholm predicted in February that the Bills could use their pick to take Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.
Edholm noted that Grant is a “massive” talent who could have a long-term future in Buffalo.
“I’m sure the Bills will look hard at the cornerback options, too, but they also need reinforcements up front,” Edholm wrote. “Grant is a massive body who can be groomed to eventually take DaQuan Jones’ spot.”
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein noted that the 6-foot-3, 342-pound Grant projects as a nose tackle who can use power to beat single blocks and double teams.
“He had some sack production in college, but it might not translate to the league. He’s expected to be a monster tester but needs to prove he can become a more consistently dominant force to be more than an average starter,” Zierlein wrote.
The Bills have already made some big changes in their defensive line, parting ways with struggling edge rusher Von Miller and signing Pro Bowler Joey Bosa. The Bills struggled at times to generate a consistent pass rush in 2024, especially in their AFC Championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
