Pick Six For 2025 NFL Draft – March

My first Pick Six for this year was back in August 2024, when my RD1#30 was EDGE J.T. Tuimoloau, followed by Kevin Winston, and Nazir Stackhouse. Here are six players I’ve identified as fits for our team at each pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. I’ll be doing my final Pick Six two weeks before the real thing. Let’s get with it!

RD1#30

Matthew Golden, the draft’s fastest WR and who I’ve heard compared with a faster Stefon Diggs, has that turquoise “Combine interview” designation in the last column. Golden was one of just three SEC WRs with 40+ first down receptions, 11+ contested catches, and 300+ YAC last season. His high explosion factor was helped by his high school long jump record of 21′ 8.5″. Emeka Egbuka weighs more than Golden, and is your YAC Monster with sure hands and terrific route-running and separation. Emeka can double as a kick returner (605 yards in his career, nearly double that of Golden). Both Golden and Egbuka are primarily slot guys –where you’ve played Khalil Shakir. Ohio State was the most-scouted school this year, so you’ll see a Buckeye at almost every pick. Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston had a nice Combine with a 4.29 forty, a 39.5″ vert, and a 10’9″ broad jump, making him the draft’s fastest corner (ex-Bill Kaiir Elam’s 4.39 was Top 7 at the 2022 Combine). Next, the EDGEs. While at Purdue, Nic Scourton led the Big 10 in sacks, and it’s easy to see why: heavy hands, deep toolbox of pass-rush moves, and some impressive burst and flexibility for his size. Watch this year’s TAMU vs LSU game; Scourton had 7 pressures, 6 hurries, & a sack in that game alone, and Bills scouts were there to see it. Scourton is the youngest of the players the Bills will consider here, and will be unable to drink in NY until after final training camp cuts. Donovan Ezeiruaku‘s Pass Rush Win Rate of 16.9% this year was stratospheric. His assets are lower body strength, length, motor, bend, and effective handfighting. Critics suggest his sacks came against bottom-feeders, and he was inconsistent. Whaaa…? Donovan made 6 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 sack on undefeated Mizzou in one scouted game, and 6 tackles and 0.5 TFL against VaTech, the other scouted game. Sounds consistent to me. The Combine elevated Ezeiruaku some more: 34.5” arms (topping Rousseau’s by 1/8″), 90th+ percentile shuttle, and 90th+ percentile 3-cone. Derrick Harmon is the Bills’ most-scouted 3-tech. He earned PFF’s Highest-Graded Defensive Tackle honors after 6 weeks in the 2024 season. Harmon’s had the most “Havoc Snaps” among NTs, and that’s 10 more than the next man up. Harmon’s 17.6% pass-rush win rate is first among P5 interior defenders with the most pressures by a DT in CFB (55).
Best Bet: CB Maxwell Hairston, but RD2 better be full of D-Line. In 20 career starts, Hairston allowed just a 72.7 passer rating, and made 6 INTs and 8 PBUs. Kentucky was Ray Davis’s school; I can’t imagine going up against him in practice and not getting better.

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RD2#56

Don’t feel the pressure to take a WR here just so you can obtain a fast guy. There’s one in each of the Bills’ first 5 picks with a sub-4.4 forty! Two playmakers, two EDGEs and two DTs might occupy this pick. Elic Ayomanor is recognized as one of the best downfield blockers in the college game. In addition to his blocking, the athletic Elic caught 11 passes for 96 yards and a TD in Stanford’s ACC opener at Syracuse in front of three Bills scouts. In an earlier game, a Bills scout saw Ayomanor lead all receivers with a 7-catch, 107-yard performance in a loss to TCU. While I like TreVeyon Henderson better to complement the current Bills’ running back stable, Quinshon Judkins at least made it to #56. You say you like Angry Runs on the highlight films? Quinshon is an angry runner. Judkins’ 81 explosive runs (10+ yards) over the last two seasons and 5th-Most Yards After Contact in 2023 (871) certainly qualifies him for RD2 selection (especially if you traded Cook or are considering a draft-and-trade). You can tell Quinshon LOVES playing behind the OL at Ohio State. Who wouldn’t? One concern: His 3.8 YPC vs AP-ranked teams at Ole Miss, and when he had a chance to boost that behind one of the best OLs in college, he disappointed me some: 66 carries, 273 yards, 4.1 YPC. You also won’t be using Judkins for pass blocking; he’s the least accomplished of my top 15 RBs. The EDGEs are strong contenders whether or not you picked one in RD1: J.T. Tuimoloau (“TOOEY-mo-lo-aow”) has logged 34 Sacks + TFL pressures in 37 games. Those are numbers that Brandon Beane has always looked at for his EDGE rushers, and likes how quickly Tuimoloau gets home. Of the 20 pass rushers with .75 career pressures per game or more, Tuimoloau has the most Bills scout visits in the last 2 years. Princely Umanmielen (“Oo-mahn-me-YELL-in”) started 28 of the last 29 games, and for Beane right now, availability is an ability. Watch his scouted Ole Miss and Georgia games: 4 sacks, 2 resulting in fumbles against UGA, and 2 solos, 3 assists and 1.5 sacks against Ole Miss. In his third scouted game vs Kentucky, Princely was a force: 5 tackles (2 solo), 1.5 sacks and 3 TFL. Alfred Collins (6-5 332 4.85), the 1-tech, impressed in the Bills-scouted game vs Georgia, notching 6 tackles and 3 pressures. Teams like Alabama struggled to block him without resorting to holding. He met with the Bills at the Combine. T.J. Sanders (6-3 297 4.92), a 3-tech, just might get to the Bills’ #62 pick. Sanders put up 2 tackles, a sack, and a TFL in the scouted game that Beane and 2 other scouts saw when his South Carolina Gamecocks defense shut down then-#10 Texas A&M, 44-20.
Best Bet: DT1T Alfred Collins. His forte is defending against the run, and the Bills are one of the league’s worst at that.

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RD2#62

You’ll get to the seventh Bills’ pick at #170 before the pickings get slimmer at EDGE. All of the EDGEs to that point received at least a ScoutScore of 8. The most-scouted at this pick was Josaiah Stewart (6-0 248 4.6). Short, undersized, blah, blah, blah, but Stewart’s incredible upper body strength just hits you on tape. Scouts love his raw, natural ability. It’s raw because Josaiah only started playing as a high school freshman. Stewart’s personal-bests have come against stiff competition, including 7 Tackles vs Alabama (scouted) and 3 Sacks against USC in 2023 (scouted). Stewart showed his performance against the Trojans was no fluke, notching 2 sacks and 3 tackles against USC in a scouted game in 2024. I’ll remind you that you already have an undersized producer on the Bills in Javon Solomon (6-1, 246, 4.72). The antithesis of Stewart is Jordan Burch (6-5 279 4.63), who can give you some 3-tech/EDGE interchangeability. Burch is listed on Feldman’s Freaks List, and his ceiling’s pretty high. In the 2024 scouted game against Michigan State, Burch had 2 tackles and 2.5 sacks for the Ducks. Kyle Kennard, the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, had a Pass-Rush Win Rate of a very high 12.7%, and 10 Sacks this year against SEC competition. Kyle’s ability to effectively seal his edge makes him a valuable asset at the point of attack, contributing to his 132 career tackles. Kennard clicks instantly from rusher to that of a closer: 35 career tackles for loss, with 12 of those in his 6 games with SCAR. You also have the undersized 3-tech Omarr Norman-Lott (6-1 291 4.93) here with an exceptional 18.8% pass rush win rate in 2024, the best rate in the P4, albeit with some penalties for aggressive play that might drop him on BBB’s board. Or not! On the other hand, you have the oversized Deone Walker (6-6 331 5.28), who, despite being double-teamed frequently, was extremely productive, finishing with 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks a season ago. He has the most pressures of the 1-techs with ScoutScore of 8 or more. Deone worked on getting his weight down and his endurance up, although I think conditioning still needs improvement to be a three-down hogmolly. The athleticism is obvious, and it stands out even more due to his size. Deone has played stand-up EDGE rusher, 1-tech, and 3-tech. He moves all over on stunts. He wins with quick hands and short-area quickness. Walker could be a perfect heir to Daquan Jones’s throne with a good conditioning and nutrition program. He’s not the Bills’ 316-pound archetype, but is that archetype working? The lone offensive chess piece at this pick, Isaiah Bond, is a vertical field-stretcher and (more importantly to the Bills) is a top-tier blocker downfield. His anklebusting dekes are just fun to watch. Bond is a football player who’s been a track guy (10.48 in the 100), not the other way around. I see him used as a Swiss Army Knife player, not unlike Curtis Samuel.
Best Bet: EDGE Kyle Kennard. Perhaps most important, Kyle’s personality adds to the locker room. Just listen.

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RD4#109

I’m giving you a Pick-Seven here; so sue me. Now, if you still need a replacement or backup for DT1T DaQuan Jones, do it now! Jamaree Caldwell, Harmon’s sidekick on the Ducks, operates as a formidable DT1T in Oregon’s Bills-y 4-2-5 system. Previously with Houston, Caldwell made significant contributions in 2023, appearing in 11 games, amassing 27 tackles, and achieving 8.5 tackles for loss with 6.5 sacks, ranking fourth in the Big 12. He excels as a gap-clogger; he won’t get you sacks, but with Harmon tag-teaming with Oliver next to him, it would be hell trying to block everybody. Watch 340 pounds move quickly! Two linebackers are attractive here: Danny Stutsman‘s 3-down versatility and Tremaine-like size (6-4 243 4.65) make him ideally-suited for a 4-2-5 ILB, although he’s not quite as fast as the Bills’ starters. He’s a tackling machine, though, ranking in the Top 5 in this class. The best argument for a long look at Lander Barton isn’t that he played with Cole Bishop. It may not be that he has Tremaine-like size at 6-4, 242 with Milano’s speed, 4.64. It’s Lander’s trajectory. In 2023, Barton led the LB room at Utah for the first 7 games at before sustaining a season-ending injury, and had 34 tackles (0.5 TFL) at the time of his injury, still ranking third on the team. Beane wants LBs who can handle pass catchers up the seam like Barton. He had 3 tackles and 6 tackles in the scouted games vs OK State and Arizona, respectively. If you haven’t addressed corner or safety yet, consider these: Zy Alexander, a transfer after 3 years at FCS school SE Louisiana, moved to LSU and, under the tutelage of the now-Bills’ DB Coach Jahmile Addae, immediately ranked #2 among all CB draftables in solo tackles per game. Recovering from ACL surgery, Zy sat out the opener against USC, a scouted game, then returned for 4 tackles and a PBU in the scouted game vs Florida. His teammates call him “The Silent Assassin“. The most-scouted Safety was Lathan Ransom of the Buckeyes. Known for his toughness and veteran presence, Ransom amassed 152 career tackles, with a team-high 97 solo stops. Ransom was named the Highest-Graded Run Defender in College Football by PFF in 2024. Brandon Beane will ogle at the tremendous size-speed combo of Dont’e Thornton (6-5 214 4.26) of Tennessee, and might even choose him earlier than #109. Despite a November 2024 upper body injury, Thornton led the nation with six receptions of 50-plus yards, and topped the FBS in average yards per catch at 25.88. We know a field-stretcher is needed, and those Isabella-Hamler waterbug types can’t block downfield as well as Thornton. This season, Dont’e put up a 118-yard, two-TD game against Vanderbilt, scouted by the Bills. That included a personal-best 86-yard touchdown. Field. Stretcher. Your bonus in my Pick-7 is Jared Ivey, whose only flaw is his advanced age (less than a third of mine). Ivey, a transfer from Georgia Tech now in his third year at Ole Miss, played opposite Princely Umanmielen. He played in all 13 games last season, starting 12, and led the team with 11.5 tackles for loss and tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks. Ivey achieved career-highs in tackles (46), TFLs, and sacks, earning 2023 Peach Bowl Defensive MVP and All-SEC First-Team honors. Ivey has played in 49 career games, starting 35 of them. When Rousseau needs a break, just hook up the Ivey. See what I did there?
Best Bet: WR Dont’e Thornton. Dont’e has one of the best Average Depth of Target (aDOT) and Yards After Catch (YAC) marks in the draft class, and YAC monster with size is exactly what Beane needs.

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RD4#132

By the end of this round, you should have accumulated the in-person solutions to the Bills’ defensive woes, and added an offensive threat as well. SS Malachi Moore is more of a solution to the Bills’ need for Safety depth than perhaps FS Billy Bowman. Moore has 36 starts over 5 years with ‘Bama, one of the Bills’ 6 most-scouted schools. He’s a permanent Team Captain and a SS in a 4-2-5 scheme also similar to the Bills’. Malachi excelled in Alabama’s scouted win vs USF, putting up 7 tackles and 2 PBU. Malachi’s community service efforts were also recognized with a spot on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. The redshirt senior is outstanding in man coverage –something the Bills want to do more with in 2025– and holds his own in zone. Jeffrey Bassa has the chameleon size and ability to play as a strong safety or a click ‘n’ close ILB in a 4-2-5, and has been a crucial leader for Oregon’s vastly-improved defense, playing in 53 games and starting 40. Bassa recorded six games with five or more tackles in both 2023 and 2024. In 713 total defensive snaps, Bassa earned impressive grades from Pro Football Focus, receiving a 76.1 overall defensive grade, highlighted by an 83.9 in tackling, 80.3 in pass rushing, and 76.7 in coverage. Bassa’s 27 total pressures tied for second-most on the team, with 17 hurries and 10 QB hits. He has special teams experience on all ST units, is rarely penalized, possesses great arm length, closes with burst and acceleration, and is a quick lateral mover. Perhaps you’d need an additional DL (you are taking two, right?!?), and Elijah Roberts is among the most productive and experienced pass rushers in the 2025 draft class. Roberts, a 3-tech, was downright dominant for the much-improved Mustangs over the previous two seasons, accumulating 17.5 sacks. He more recently impressed at the East-West Shrine Bowl, recording the sack to end the first half. If it’s EDGE you need (I said you’re taking two, right?!?), Tyler Baron has the EDGE class’s best interview (just listen). Miami’s defense yielded the fewest Points Per Game By Year since 2014. Baron’s career stats include 52 games, 23 starts, 114 tackles, 56 of them solo, 10 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, and 1 pass breakup. Hey, wasn’t Greg Rousseau a Hurricane? Hello! Do you have your field-stretcher yet? I think it’s your last chance: Kyle Williams (we’ll never forget the name) was one of the Senior Bowl Day 2 standouts after Wednesday’s session … and ESPN did it again after Day 3 Thursday. Kyle’s an easy separator at every level of the defense. He was the fastest WR at the Senior Bowl (21.36 MPH), and 2024’s King of YAC: 20 broken tackles on 70 catches. Williams does it with deceptively-quick speed and ability to stack defensive backs vertically with decisive releases. His performance against Washington highlighted his skill, as Williams made improbable catches and forced multiple defensive pass interferences. Williams was the only WR in the country to average 8+ YAC per reception and make 10+ contested catches. Can you name all of the Williamses the Bills have drafted?
Best Bet: SS Malachi Moore. If Beane wants Cole Bishop’s college production in the passing game (Cole’s sum of PBU+INT was 15), he’d more than double it with Malachi’ ‘s 32.

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RD5#169, RD5#170, RD5#173, and RD6#177

The Bills now make as many as FOUR picks in the space of 8 picks #169, #170, #173, and #177! This is less of a Pick-6 than it is a smorgasbord, a buffet where you can pretty much pick and choose players from any of the next four graphics. This will round out each position room, serve as niche players that do one thing well, be a way to groom a high-ceiling developmental player for success down the road, and special-teams aces. I expect that Big Baller Beane will use one or two of these picks to move up as necessary to select his guys, so, of course, “TRADE UP” is the option for #169, #170, #173, and/or #177. I will be mentioning only my favorites here on in.

Best Bet: EDGE Fadil Diggs. Pronounced “fuh-DILL,” transferred from Texas A&M to Syracuse for his redshirt senior year. In the scouted game vs UNLV, Diggs had 4 solo tackles, and led the team in both sacks (2) and TFLs (2). In a second scouted game, Diggs recovered a fumble to seal an OT win against VaTech in overtime. Diggs is explosive. He’s effective as a QB spy. He was often dropping into bracket coverage on the opposing ‘X’ receiver. Diggs has known ‘Cuse Head Coach Fran Brown since seventh grade, when he used to play 7 on 7 with Duce Chestnut and one of my favorite free safeties, Alijah “Cinco” Clark. Fadil Diggs is not related to Stefon Diggs, but Beane would make fans happy by giving Fadil –not Stefon– the #14 jersey.

Diggs’ teammate, Oronde Gadsden (6-4 243 4.56), runs that blurry line between WR and TE. He has the TE class’s highest YPC vs AP-ranked teams (17.1), and boasts the best catch rate among tall WRs at 67%. Despite being a WR-TE tweener –possibly a thicker Justin Shorter– Gadsden’s position is merely a label—just label him VW –Versatile Weapon. In the 2024 scouted game vs UNLV, Gadsden led all TEs and WRs with 10 catches for 142 yards. In 9th grade, Oronde honed his skills daily against future NFL stars Patrick Surtain II and Tyson Campbell. Gadsden’s athletic lineage traces back to his father of the same name, who played 6 years with Marino’s Dolphins.

Best Bet: Phil Mafah is the #2 passblocker in the 2025 RB class. He had his longest run of the year with a 49-yarder against Duke –a Bills-scouted game. All told, Mafah had 8 TDs against 0 fumbles in 2024, with 13 catches of 16 targets (81.3%). Mafah’s best outing was against Louisville (30-171-2 TD; 5 of 5 receptions) –and that was also a scouted game. He is one smart Mafah, being an annual All-ACC Academic Team selection. At 6-0 234 with 4.46 speed, Phil fills the body type reminiscent of former Bills snowplow, Leonard Fournette (6-0, 240, 4.51).

If it isn’t Phil Mafah, “Rocket” Sanders and Kalel Mullings are my best bets to be the Bills’ “Thunder” back. Sanders (6-0 217 4.46) impressed Beane in a scouted game with a 20-144-2 TD stat line this year against Texas A&M, adding 92 yards on 5-of-5 receiving for good measure. He’s on Beane’s short list, and the Bills won’t be looking much earlier at RB than where Rocket is supposed to land. Mullings (6-1 226 4.5) delivered a standout performance with 17 carries for 159 yards and 2 TDs in a scouted 27-24 win over USC, then beat that with 24-211-2 TD vs Minnesota. I checked to see if Jor-El was his father. IYKYK.

Jake Majors, a fifth-year offensive lineman, has 46 games played and 45 starts at Texas. He earned Outland Trophy National Player of the Week on September 10 and SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week on September 9, following a significant road victory at Michigan. Majors has been recognized as a semifinalist for both the Campbell Trophy and the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award in 2024, reflecting his excellence on and off the field. A 2024 preseason watch list candidate for the Rimington Trophy, he was also a 2023 Joe Moore Award semifinalist. Majors earned Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors three times from 2021 to 2023. In Majors, you have a versatile, experienced Center who can play LG. Majors was my Best Bet in my IOL Elimination Game here .

Willie Lampkin is an undersized Center, but he’s a HS wrestler. He earned First Team All-ACC in 2024, and won the 2024 Jacobs Blocking Trophy, the ACC’s biggest honor for offensive hogmollies. His UNC offense was first in the ACC in passing and third in rushing, paving the way for Omarion Hampton, who amassed 1,504 yards on the ground (If you take Hampton, rhyme it with Lampkin). Lampkin was moved from Shrine Bowl to the Senior after his performance, but alas, Willie was a Combine Snub Extraordinaire.

Best Bet: DT3T Vernon Broughton had a formal interview with the Bills. With QBs getting rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds, the Bills will appreciate Broughton’s rapid ability to generate pressure. In the Longhorns’ SEC Championship game against Georgia, a highlight for scouts, he recorded a season-high 6 tackles. As a fifth-year defensive lineman, Broughton has played in 55 games with 16 starts, accumulating 69 career tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and four fumble recoveries. Vernon’s smart as he is athletic, being an All-American and a finalist for the prestigious Watkins Award, recognizing top African-American male high school scholar-athletes.

Best Bet: OLB/ED Shemar James is just a locker room fit. James had 4 tackles, an assist, and INT in the scouted game vs Miami, and then 5 solos and 2 sacks against LSU. Shemar was named the fastest LB at the Senior Bowl (20.71 mph). Watch this nice deep dive with film; you’ll become a member of the James Gang. Game Disruptor. Remember, Von Miller was a LB who generated pressures; your Von is now Shemar.

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RD6#206

Jonah Monheim is, with Jake Majors above, my two best guesses for a LG-OC hogmolly. Monheim was PFF’s highest-rated returning OL pass-blocker, a four-year starter at USC, but 2024 is his first season playing Center. Monheim’s refined hand technique complements quick feet and athleticism. Monheim’s explosiveness is evident, which helps as USC’s offense (and the Bills) do a lot of pulls and stunts. Monheim really excels in space—whether leading the way on screens or pulling outside. The Bills saw the Michigan (Josiah Stewart), LSU (Bradyn Swinson), and Maryland (Jordan Phillips) games, and Monheim’s performance against each. QB Taylor Elgersma (6-4 216 5.1) lives nearby in Ontario, Canada. He threw 76 TD to only 28 INTs for Wilfrid Laurier, and he didn’t look out of place as the first Canadian quarterback to ever play in the Senior Bowl. He’s my other Combine Snub Extraordinaire; it was a technicality that prevented him from showcasing his athleticism. Some scouts regard SS Hunter Wohler as the best zone safety in the draft, having led all Big Ten defensive backs with an impressive 120 total tackles. This achievement marks the highest tackle count for a Badger DB since 1991, and he was the only defensive back in the country to have 110+ tackles and multiple interceptions this season. Wohler’s performance included three double-digit-tackle games. The Bills sent no credentialed scouts to Wisconsin games, but they caught him at the Senior Bowl, the Combine (no mention of a visit), and Pro Day. Chimere Dike (“CHIM-ray DEE-kay”) posted an In-Game Athleticism (IGA Score®) of 72.9, ranking him in the 73rd percentile among draftable wide receivers, and is a wonderful guess for late Day 3 field-stretcher.
Best Bet: QB Taylor Elgersma. Elgersma’s raw tools and howitzer arm make him the highest-ceiling prospect, and his motivation is over the moon.

Editor’s babble: Liquid gold for NFL Draft preparation. We are grateful for all of Dean Kindig’s contributions to our blog. You can also find Dean on Xwitter @TCBILLS_Astro.