The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with just over one week to go. As the draft picture becomes clearer, what the Bills will do with their top selections remains to be seen.
The week before the draft usually brings additional information as teams begin to finalize their draft boards, whether through prospect visits or more information leaking out. The Bills will hold their annual pre-draft press conference ahead of the event, which could shed some light on which way they’re leaning.
Until draft week arrives, let’s take another look at how the Bills could logically build through the draft this year. Here is my penultimate Bills-only mock draft.
The pick at No. 30 — Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
The Bills haven’t used a draft selection on a one-technique defensive tackle since they took Harrison Phillips in the third round in 2018, but the need for them to select one in 2025 is as clear as it has ever been. The Bills have 33-year-old DaQuan Jones as the only one-technique who is a lock for the final roster, and he’s out of contract after 2025. Generally speaking, taking a player at that position with this early of a pick isn’t an ideal use of a draft resource if the player is only going to be an early-down run-stuffer. But if they can become a three-down asset, that’s where the pick becomes a worthwhile investment.
That’s where the 6-foot-3, 331-pound Grant comes in, who is a tremendous run-stuffing one-technique with some projectable pass-rushing ability. At this point, Grant is more of a clean-up pass-rusher than one who disrupts the pocket, and early on in his career, he may be nothing more than that early-down asset who has to come off the field for obvious pass-rushing situations. However, there is more of a nimbleness to his movement abilities than other massive one-technique run-stuffers. He’ll never dip and rip through blockers, but through his power and movement skills, there is a path to seeing him develop as an asset on third downs. With a drop-off at the position from Grant to the next batch of one-technique defensive tackles, No. 30 could be the right time to strike. He could become the starting one-technique alongside Ed Oliver as early as this season, shifting Jones into more of a rotational role.
The pick at No. 56 — Oluwafemi Oladejo, Edge, UCLA
In my annual mock offseason back in late February, ahead of the NFL Combine, I had Oladejo as the Bills’ selection in the early fourth round. However, as the draft process has played out, Oladejo being available that deep into the draft seems quite unlikely based on his testing and the overall pass rusher appetite in the NFL. Oladejo is by no means a finished product, and this is a pick with a massive projection attached to it. But it’s hard to ignore the possibility of the Bills seeing an opportunity in Oladejo. He didn’t become a full-time edge rusher at UCLA until three games into the 2024 season, serving as a middle linebacker before that. But Oladejo took to the role, even without the experience or nuance years of playing there could provide, and managed 4.5 sacks last season. At 6-foot-3, 261 pounds and an arm length of nearly 34 inches, Oladejo is the exact fit of what the Bills generally covet at the position. He shows both good speed and power, and as a former middle linebacker, Oladejo has a keen sense of defending the run that some edge rushers can struggle with. If he develops as a pass rusher, there is an outcome of a long-term starter that he can access at a reduced draft day cost.
The Bills have their 2025 starters figured out in Greg Rousseau and Joey Bosa, along with their top rotational defensive ends in A.J. Epenesa and Michael Hoecht. With all of those pieces in place, Oladejo doesn’t need to make a starter-level impact as a rookie. That affords him time to develop while the Bills give him some rotational snaps here and there, and can likely use him on core special teams units in the meantime due to his athleticism and linebacker experience. If the Bills are interested, they could even try a move up from No. 56 to ensure they get him.
The pick at No. 62 — Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina
At first thought of as a first-round pick in this year’s class, Revel’s stock has been slowly declining, likely due to injuries. He suffered a broken hand in 2022 and, most recently, suffered a torn ACL during a practice last September. But on the field, Revel is an excellent prospect. When you watch his film, the fit and the talent are clear. At almost 6-foot-2, 194 pounds and a 32.625-inch arm length, along with the varying scheme abilities, ball skills and tackling ability make him a potential top cornerback in Buffalo for years to come. The Athletic’s draft expert Dane Brugler said, “Revel is a boundary bully with terrific speed, length and ball-tracking skills. He has the talent of an NFL starter.”
In terms of Revel’s 2025 path with the Bills, having Dane Jackson in-house as a potential bridge starter will allow them to bring the rookie along slowly if that’s what Revel’s injury recovery dictates. The team also has JaMarcus Ingram as an option if he were to outplay Jackson during the summer. By the time training camp rolls around, Revel will be roughly 10 months removed from the injury, and the usual return-to-play timeline is between nine-to-12 months. By some point, Revel should be ready to contribute in 2025, and potentially be Christian Benford’s running mate for the next four seasons.
The pick at No. 109 — Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas
With what the Bills did in the offseason by adding Damar Hamlin and Darrick Forrest, they don’t need to come away with a safety in the draft, and they certainly don’t need to force a pick of one early. But at this point in the draft, safeties with traits that the Bills tend to look for become a better value. With how the position is valued, the likelihood of finding a starting-caliber player at safety goes up compared to other positions. Other teams will chase measurables at the position, but the Bills are all about instincts, high football IQ and ball skills. Prototypical size matters to the Bills for some positions, but safety isn’t one of them.
With the outline of what they’re looking for, Mukuba would be a strong fit as a potential long-term starter at free safety next to Cole Bishop. Mukuba’s plus instincts and IQ overcome some of his average athletic testing, and he proved it with five interceptions in his final year of college. He’s also a potential plus in run-defending, making him a potential all-around fit to what the Bills generally look for in a free safety. Taylor Rapp is the locked-in starter for 2025, so in the interim, Mukuba offers special teams value as an experienced member of kickoff return and punt coverage units.
TRADE!
Trade details: Bills trade Nos. 169 and 170 to Commanders for No. 128
The pick at No. 128 — Brashard Smith, RB, SMU
It was telling last year that, when the Bills arrived at the postseason, they deemed return specialist Brandon Codrington a non-essential component to their game-day roster. Much of that had to do with a lack of functionality to provide a role anywhere else. Finding someone who can be their catch-all return man while providing value to their side of the ball is essential. That’s where Smith comes in, boasting a versatile skill set as a former receiver and developing running back. This pick would help them now on special teams. But he’s also an insurance policy in case James Cook leaves in free agency next year, and if Cook stays, Smith would conceivably take over the Ty Johnson role for the long term, beginning in 2026. Taking advantage of the strong depth of this year’s running back class makes a lot of sense, too. Can the Bills actually roster four running backs on their 53-man roster? They sure can, especially if that player is their return specialist or a possible core special teamer like Smith would be.
The pick at No. 132 — Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
After the Smith pick, the next special teams objective is to find someone who can help on coverage units while also providing value to their side of the ball. Felton is the best of both worlds and is a fit for what the Bills are likely looking for all the way around. On offense, Felton has excellent speed in a 6-foot-1 frame that can help challenge defenses vertically, along with good run-after-catch abilities to maximize his chances. He also has the versatility to have his home base at Z-receiver and can also line up inside at slot receiver. With the right coaching, there is some down-the-line starting potential. But in the meantime, Felton has experience on both kickoff and punt coverage units, which will serve him well early in his career.
The pick at No. 173 — Carson Vinson, OT, Alabama A&M
As we pointed out last week, the Bills have a sneaky need along the offensive line due to some aging and expiring contract issues on the way in the next few seasons. But for roster flexibility reasons, the likelihood is that they’d have only one draft pick to use on an offensive lineman while planning to keep him on the 53-man roster. It would be Ryan Van Demark’s spot. He took a step back last year and fell on the depth chart behind rookie Tylan Grable. If the Bills can find an encouraging developmental offensive lineman with starter traits to stash on the inactive list all year, that’s an intriguing proposition. Enter Vinson, who has outstanding athleticism in a 6-foot-7, 314-pound package with an arm length of 34.5 inches and is a noted hard worker. Vinson spent his entire college career playing left tackle. He can learn from offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, and veteran left tackle Dion Dawkins before ever seeing the light of day as a full-time starter.
The pick at No. 177 — CJ Dippre, TE, Alabama
Another pick and another one with special teams value in mind. Are you sensing a theme here? With all of their special teams turnover this offseason, Dippre would be a welcomed addition as he totaled 529 career special teams snaps in his time at Maryland and then Alabama. On offense, he has workable traits as both a blocker and receiver, and likely best projects as an in-line tight end. That skill set would become Dawson Knox’s direct backup, and potentially, Knox’s replacement should the Bills move on within the next few years. Even if they keep Knox, Dippre could be a four-year special teams piece on a cost-controlled deal while serving as their third-string tight end.
The pick at No. 206 — James Burnip, P, Alabama
The Bills added punter Brad Robbins on April 1 to provide competition for Jake Camarda, but without any guarantees on the Robbins contract, that doesn’t rule them out from drafting a long-term punter to have on a low-cost four-year deal. Burnip specializes in hang time and taking away return yardage, making his approach quite valuable and generally what the Bills have looked for in a punter.
Bills 2025 mock draft class (4/14)
(Top photo of Kenneth Grant: Junfu Han / USA Today)