The Buffalo Bills have risen up the NFL draft board in two of the previous three years, and one insider believes they are primed to do it again in 2025.
The Bills have several defensive needs after losing two players to suspension and more in free agency, prompting some in the NFL to speculate that the team could be “aggressive” in trading up to replace at least one of them.
Bills Prepare for ‘Aggressive’ Move
According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, the Bills plan to be “active and aggressive” in addressing their draft needs. The organization has a large number of draft picks — ten in total, including two in the second round — and can use some of them to trade up in the first round, according to Miller.
“Don’t be surprised if they’re a team trying to move up in Round 1 for an impact defensive player,” Miller said, citing a rival scout.
Under general manager Brandon Beane, the Bills have traded up in the first round multiple times, including in 2022 to choose 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 received six-game suspensions for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
Even without the unanticipated gaps, Getzenberg predicted the Bills will continue to establish 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 said. “The Bills have a lot of options for the first two days, depending on how the board decides. They have two second-round picks and a track record of trading first-round picks.
Bills May Have Some Targets in Mind.
If the Bills keep the No. 30 overall pick, they may have several alternatives for bolstering their defense. In February, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm predicted that the Bills would utilize their draft pick to select Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.
Edholm described Grant as a “massive” talent with a potential 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,” according to Edholm. “Grant is a massive body who can be groomed to eventually take DaQuan Jones’ spot.”
According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, the 6-foot-3, 342-pound Grant projects as a nose tackle who can use his power to beat single and double teams.
“He had some sack output in college, but it may not convert in the league. He is expected to be a monster tester, but he must demonstrate that he can become a more consistent dominant force in order to be more than an average starter,” Zierlein stated.
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 to establish a consistent pass rush in 2024, particularly in their AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
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