Buffalo Bills Mock Draft Roundup 3.0

PROJECTED TRADE WITH MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Buffalo moves up to secure Thomas' 6-1 1/4, 197-pound frame, giving up their two fourth-round selections to Minnesota in the deal. The Vikings could stay put and take a defensive back themselves, but they currently only have four selections in this draft, so adding two early Day 3 picks might be worth the risk of moving down the board a bit.

Buffalo needs an infusion on the interior of its defensive line, and Derrick Harmon has plenty of admirers. I find his tape to be inconsistent, but when he flashes, he flashes pretty bright.

The Bills need some athleticism and speed at safety, so here comes the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Emmanwori, who was one of the stars of the scouting combine with a 4.38 40-yard dash and a 43-inch vertical. He would be a nice upgrade over what they have now, even though he's got some room to improve in terms of physicality.

Trade: Bills trade Nos. 30 and 109 to Rams for No. 26.

The Lions at No. 28 were likely taking a hard look at an edge rusher, so the Bills sent out one of their many Day 3 selections to the Rams to move ahead and secure Ezeiruaku, a defensive end who suits them perfectly. The Bills have usually coveted length, explosiveness and production at the position, and Ezeiruaku brings all of that with 34-inch-long arms, great testing scores in explosive metrics and 30 sacks in college — 16.5 of which came in 2024. Drafting him takes advantage of an excellent edge rusher class by getting a good value in the late first while pairing Ezeiruaku's rookie contract with the entirety of Greg Rousseau's contract extension through the 2029 season. Joey Bosa's presence can help Ezeiruaku come along slowly in 2025 and then take over a starting role in 2026. — Joe Buscaglia

Grant fills a need for the Bills. They recently signed DT Larry Ogunjobi, but he's facing a six-game suspension. Grant's raw upside and athleticism are tough to pass up.

Grant is among the most talented defensive tackles in this class, but his inconsistent tape and conditioning could push him down the board slightly. I love his fit for a Buffalo defense that could use a little more girth and power inside.

The Bills pass on the wider Kenneth Grant to stick with what appears to be a theme of the offseason in Buffalo -- get more explosive.

Buffalo is still looking to take down Kansas City, who lost two Super Bowls with Mahomes in the same way: struggling to contain the opponent's interior. The Bills already have Ed Oliver, but they can continue to build around him in the middle. Harmon's a physical and active rusher.

Buffalo should be eyeing the cornerbacks in this class, assuming it doesn't bring back free agent Rasul Douglas, who is still unsigned. But with Jahdae Barron, Azareye'h Thomas and Maxwell Hairston coming off the board in the previous six picks of this mock draft, the Bills probably would have to pivot. Perhaps they look at Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III to give quarterback Josh Allen another run-after-catch ace. But I'm going with Grant.

This 6-foot-4, 331-pound run stopper fits well in the middle of Buffalo's defensive line with Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones. Grant can push the pocket from inside too. He had three sacks and 17 pressures in 2024.

Nick Emmanwori is exactly what the Bills need in their run defense: a rangy safety who can clean up messes left over by an aggressive yet undersized front seven.

Buffalo's defensive overhaul continues with the selection of Walter Nolen. Buffalo is undeterred by the idea of teams finding some ability to run the ball because they can still often control the flow of the game, so more size up front isn't necessarily a must.

Still, when the Bills are in positive game scripts, Nolen can be a closer along the front with the rest of a talented group.