What the Buffalo Bills should do with their first three picks in the NFL Draft

The Buffalo Bills could be staring at an opportunity to secure themselves behind Patrick Mahomes or exploding past the AFC-leading quarterback.

The Buffalo Bills are once again looking for a way to get past Patrick Mahomes after an impressive regular season with a disappointing result.

Once again, Josh Allen came up short against Mahomes. Despite Allen beating Mahomes out for MVP on the ballot, he struggled to beat him on the gridiron. With the team paying Allen an arm and a leg, it’s clear he isn’t going anywhere.

However, the Buffalo Bills will need to find a way to boost Allen past Patrick Mahomes with pieces around him. Free agency is over, but there’s hope in the 2025 NFL Draft. Here’s how the Bills can have the perfect draft.

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

#1 – Round 1, Pick 30: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

The Bills tried to beef up the wide receiver room in the NFL Draft with Keon Coleman in 2024. It hasn’t worked out yet, and with Coleman receiving punishments in practice, the team should take another stab at bolstering the wide receiver room.

Matthew Golden serves as potentially this year’s Xavier Worthy. The Bills watched the young prospect flourish with the Chiefs. This year, the team should look to get much faster on the outside with Golden. Golden turned heads at the NFL Combine with his speed and is coming off his best college season with nine touchdowns and 987 yards.

#2 – Round 2, Pick 56: Kyle Kennard, Edge, South Carolina

The Bills said arrivederci to their veteran pass rusher Von Miller earlier this offseason, replacing him with veteran Joey Bosa. Bosa’s one-year deal, injury history, and upcoming 30th birthday indicate that he isn’t the long-term fix for the Bills.

That’s where Kyle Kennard out of South Carolina comes in. If Kennard is given Bosa as a mentor and allowed to learn as a rotational guy at first, he could be a star with a sky-high ceiling. The pass rusher earned 11.5 sacks in 12 games with the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2024, leading the SEC in the category.

#3 – Round 2, Pick 62: Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

James Cook has been productive for the Buffalo Bills, but he’s heading into an age-26 season. Not only that, but he has been clear about earning breakout money. If the Bills pay the back every dime he wants on the heels of Josh Allen, it could set a cap-strapped future for the team, which could hurt them long-term.

Drafting a rookie behind Cook sets the Bills up with great leverage heading into negotiations with him. If the Bills don’t get the response they’re looking for, they could ship the running back at the trade deadline and let Johnson take over.

Cook has reportedly asked for $15 million but started at $700,000 in his first season, according to Spotrac. As such, the decision to draft Cook could save the team $14 million, which could be used on a player at a different position. If the goal is to defeat Patrick Mahomes, money cannot be handed out when there are cheaper options.

Johnson logged 1537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024.