Way-Too-Early 2025 Bills Mock Draft

I started a long discussion of the Bills’ 2025 draft needs on Xwitter. I used the results to drive my selections from the BuffaloFAMBase Big Board to do a “Way-Too-Early” 2025 Mock Draft.

The top tier of consensus from our discussions on Xwitter was EDGE, CB, and DT1T.

The Bills scouts’ top schools visited in 2023 were Ohio State and Michigan –so the front office agrees with you. Moreover, I predict 7 EDGE rushers will be drafted in RD1. Here, the Bills get one of the top EDGEs in J.T. Tuimoloau, who’s been a game-wrecker. He has power, burst, length, agility, and 34 Sacks + TFL pressures in 37 games, similar to AJ Epenesa did. It’s just that JT is faster and more nimble, helpful in setting up games with the interior D-Line. I think the Bills expected J.T. to declare for the 2024 draft, but he’s run it back with around 8 of his Buckeye buddies. Imagine Beane’s delight when dominant DT1T Kenneth Grant of Michigan is there for the first of his two RD2 picks. Grant is sure to be a RD1 come next April, so getting two defensive diamonds from the Bills’ top-two-scouted schools is a major win.

It’s a great class for corners in 2025, and Ohio State might see three of their corners drafted in rounds one and two. None of them would be off the table for the Bills, even in RD1. You have Denzel Burke and portal darling Davison Igbinosun as first-round talent, with starting nickel Jordan Hancock there at #60, the Bills’ second RD2. Hancock can learn behind Taron Johnson. Cam Lewis experienced a lower body injury in October, and other potential heirs to the slot corner spot are two UDFAs: Trill Williams of Syracuse (issues will be positioning and angles) and my best bet, Miami’s Te’Cory Couch. Couch led the team in PBUs three years in a row, and has clocked an unofficial 4.3. Te’Cory has been reliable for the Hurricanes (played in all 61 games over five seasons), and will surprise in training camp, but I’d expect the Bills to be still active at slot corner in the coming draft. Hancock was 6th of the Top Breakout CBs in 2023 ranked by In-Game Athletcism (IGA) Score –four of those 6 were drafted high last month.

The second tier of positional needs was at OT, WR, SAF, and yet another EDGE.

The Bills likely will bring in some competition for Right Tackle Spencer Brown, whose contract comes due after this season. Marques Cox transferred from N.Illinois (5 seasons), and has started in 34 of 36 career games, and surrendered only 3 sacks over 1000 snaps. Another EDGE, you say? The more I watch him, I’d actually take A&M’s Nic Scourton over Jeremiah Alexander as it says here. In fact, I have Scourton #21 on our BuffaloFAMBase board, so a good back-up plan would be Trey Moore of Texas. Scourton and Moore have piled up the pressures. Alexander hasn’t yet.

Next, we ought to look at speed at slot on the offense. Coleman vs Worthy wasn’t about speed; it was about downfield blocking and physical dominance at the catch point. K.J. Hamler (5-9, 178, 4.36) and Andy Isabella (5-9, 188, 4.45) are waterbugs behind the more-proportioned Curtis Samuel (5-11, 195, 4.31). Barion Brown is Hamler-sized (6-1, 173, 4.37), and may not solve the backup role any better than Hamler is, so Beane may opt for the next Samuel iinstead. I like J. Michael Sturdivant here, but he was gone.

Now, the depth at SAF in the 2025 draft would allow Beane to wait to mine the rich vein of safeties between RD4 and early RD6, and six of them catch my eye: Andrew Mukuba (PFN’s #1 Safety), Sebastian Castro (he and RD1-2 Xavier Nwankpa played with Bishop), Billy Bowman (Fastest forty time among all the safeties, also KR, but weaker in zone), Lathan Ransom (most-scouted safety in 2023), Bryce Anderson (a terror in 3 Bills-scouted games), and Aubrey Burks (One of the four best safeties in man coverage, and one of the highest career solos per game, but not scouted in 2023).

The third tier of positional needs is really repetition and depth fill. Some will put RB, a 3-tech IDL, a Punter, competition at LG, and even a swing at developmental QB in these last 3 picks. Others would like to trade picks for next year (not a bad strategy; Beane did it last month). Beane always hits on a special-teams ace in the late rounds, so no position is off the table for that skill.

At #171, I’d be tempted to draft DT3T-EDGE Aaron Graves out of Iowa. Graves is a WRESTLER. On a D-Line loaded with veteran talent, Graves recorded 16 total tackles (in zero starts) as a freshman. Of those 16, six were TFLs and 3 were sacks. Graves also plays basketball, and is a track guy. Expect him to catch fire this season. Yes, also Cole Bishop’s school. Ultimately, I went with Jordan Travis, a high-upside OT who is PFF’s highest-graded FCS offensive player. While Travis still needs technical development, he’s a fast learner. He’s at Princeton. He’s currently my #2 right tackle behind Ajani Cornelius, so I’m giddy that he’s there at #171.

Eight picks later, at #179, Beane will have some nice options. CB Jadhae Barron is the only active Big 12 DB with zero career red zone pass TDs allowed in coverage. WR Kaden Prather (6-3, 211, 4.54) from Maryland, Stef Diggs’ school, was an available option, as was WR Noah Thomas (6-5, 200, 4.46). A Bills scout was at the game where Thomas made four catches for 38 yards receiving and one score at Miami. Either has the potential to break out this year as a proven ‘X’ receiving option.

I went with Barron, and Thomas was still available at #204, while Prather had been taken.

Editor’s babble: It’s never to early for Dean Kindig’s 2025 draft analysis. We are grateful for Dean’s many contributions to our blog. You can also find Dean on Xwitter @TCBILLS_Astro.