• Wide receiver becomes an even bigger priority: After trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, Buffalo should look to add a wideout early in the 2024 NFL Draft.
• The Bills' interior offensive line could get a big boost if they pass on a receiver in Round 1: It's not a guarantee that Buffalo will be locked in on a wideout in the first round. Look for the team to address the trenches if that's the case.
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With the Bills trading wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, we figured it would be a good time to get to them in our 7-round mock draft series. With wide receivers now a major need for them, we explore what a draft haul could look like for them picking at the back end of round one.
ROUND 1, PICK 28: IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
We don't have the Bills trading up into or around the top 10 for a receiver to replace Stefon Diggs, because that would require shipping off a valuable pick package for a non-quarterback. Now, they could move up a few spots, but here I wanted to showcase a mock draft where they did not budge.
Unfortunately, none of the top wide receivers were available for the Bills at No. 28, so I opted to go in a different direction, giving them a trench player in Jackson Powers-Johnson who can play either center or guard following the departure of Mitch Morse.
ROUND 2, PICK 60: WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington
With Diggs gone, the Bills' wide receiver room features Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and Justin Shorter. They desperately need a WR1 type, and with them not taking one in the first round, it's a necessity to draft one here, as they don’t pick again until the fourth round. Polk at least provides the vertical ability and contested-catch potential in a vertical offense that will still help maximize Josh Allen’s arm.
ROUND 4, PICK 128: EDGE Javon Solomon, Troy
Greg Rousseau is basically the only solidified starting edge defender on the roster right now. Von Miller and A.J. Epenesa remain, but they could both be gone after this upcoming season. Solomon is undersized for an edge rusher, at just 6-foot-1 and 246 pounds, but his 33 7/8-inch arms and 80 1/4-inch wingspan rank above the 75th percentile for the position. He switched from off-ball linebacker to edge in 2023 and had an All-American year with 16 sacks and a 17.1% pass-rush win percentage.
ROUND 4, PICK 133: DI Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa
Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones are the Bills' two men in the middle for the next few years, but the team could use some youth there, with DeShawn Williams (31) and Austin Johnson (29) as the only rotational backups. Boyd would bring the Bills some new juice as a pass rusher, having earned an 89.4 pass-rush grade this past season. That pairs well with whom I selected for Buffalo 11 picks later.
ROUND 5, PICK 144: DI Tyler Davis, Clemson
As previously mentioned, the Bills could use some younger players on their interior defensive line. With Boyd, they get a young three-technique defensive tackle who can be used in pass-rush situations, whereas Davis can be a strong run-stopping presence.
Davis has a ton of experience as a four-year starter. His measurables hold him back from being a mid-round pick (arms and wingspan rank below the 10th percentile), but his consistency, high motor and positional versatility along the inside would be useful for Buffalo.
ROUND 5, PICK 160: WR Isaiah Williams, Illinois
We were able to snag a receiver in the second round, and would have liked to do so again before this, but with Buffalo seemingly in multi-year rebuild mode, we don’t have to get desperate. They could hit that need hard next offseason via trade, free agency or the draft.
Williams is a steady receiver presence who was a high-percentile separation player (90th percentile overall, 66th percentile versus single coverage) over the past three years.
ROUND 5, PICK 163: S Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest
With Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer not on the roster, the Bills will need to bring in additional secondary talent. They have Taylor Rapp and Mike Edwards, but that shouldn't stop them from making a draft addition or two.
Mustapha has good athleticism and hit power, but he needs to shore up his tackling. He can be decent in two-high coverage situations, but you don’t want him as a lone single-high coverage player too often.
ROUND 6, PICK 200: RB Cody Schrader, Missouri
Schrader may lack the overall athleticism/size to be a consistent difference-maker beyond his offensive line, but he has everything else you'd want to try to make up for it: vision, elusiveness, determination and a physical running style.
ROUND 6, PICK 204: LB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri
Despite his less impressive measurables, Hopper is a good athlete with potential as a coverage defender and pass-rusher. His play speed is a pro and a con for him. If he can be more appropriate about when to turn on the jets and when to be patient, he could be a contributing linebacker and special teams standout.
ROUND 7, PICK 248: IOL Layden Robinson, Texas A&M
Robinson is a good project interior lineman for a zone-blocking scheme. He needs to work on his pass-blocking consistency to become a preferred depth player or a starter.
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