NFL
By: Randall Slifer
This Buffalo Bill’s mock draft will involve a good number of trades as Buffalo has ten draft picks, and I do not believe we can fit all ten on our roster. Brandon Beane acquired an extra second-round pick in the trade with Stefon Diggs, so “Big Baller Beane” can move around this draft being in the top third of draft capital. Let’s get right into it with the first trade and pick:
*Trade with the New York Giants*
Bills send picks 30, 169
NYG send picks 34, 105
Round 2 pick 34: CB Shavon Revel Jr, ECU
Buffalo trades back and the New York Giants can pick up their 5th year option on a quarterback when they decide to pass at pick three in round one of the NFL draft. Buffalo selects Shavon Revel Jr, a rangy, dynamic cornerback that would be a top 20 pick if it was not for his injury during the 2024 season. At 6’2, 194 pounds possesses the size and elite speed to be a fantastic boundary corner. He has a high IQ in identifying routes and pattern matching to excel in zone and man coverage. He has great length with over 32 ½ inch arms and almost an 80-inch wingspan. He had nine pass breakups in 2023 where he dwarfed his competition with only allowing 250 yards and an NFL passer rating of 62.6 when targeted. Buffalo drafting Shavon gives the franchise an immediate cornerback on the other side of Christian Benford, and in the future, Shavon can take Taron Johnson’s nickel role in 2027 or 2028. Revel’s length, speed, and tackling ability in Buffalo’s nickel spot would be a match made in heaven for Sean McDermott.
*Trade with the Dallas Cowboys*
Bills send picks 56, 109, 177
Cowboys send pick 44
Round 2 pick 44: iDL Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
Buffalo makes another trade early to move up and get their two most glaring needs on the roster. Dallas wants to acquire a 4th-round pick as they have a gap from pick 76 all the way to pick 149. Tyleik will be only 22 when he starts his rookie year in the NFL with plenty of time to grow. He is a big three-tech coming in at 320 pounds and is arguably the best interior defensive line run stopper in the draft. He can drop his knee to cut off running lanes and plug up the middle, and his stack and shed are one of the most violent in the draft. He does not bring much pass rush to his game, but he is young and can grow into pressures, and sacks in the NFL. He has the strength and power to rush the QB, he just needs to learn to set his moves up properly to be efficient when his duties are not in run defense or contain. Tyleik is a powerhouse in the middle that Buffalo desperately needs on their roster.
Round 2 pick 62: Edge Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA
Buffalo has done their work on Femi Oladejo and he has traits that teams want to get into their edge positional room. Oladejo played most of his football career as a linebacker but took an edge approach with his final year. In 2024, UCLA increased his pass rush snaps from 13% to close to 50% during his final year. Oladejo ended with 33 pressures while hitting the quarterback 14 times. Femi had 7 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, which accounts for over two impactful plays made in the backfield. Oladejo growing into an edge position leaves his edge capabilities undetermined, but he has the traits and technique to be impactful in the NFL. He is fantastic in defending the run with his linebacker mentality and sets the edge well. Learning behind Joey Bosa and Greg Rousseau will be the best of both worlds, and Michael Hoecht can bring some lessons with his versatility as well in 2025.
*Trade with the Cleveland Browns*
Bills send picks 105, 170
Cleveland send pick 94
Round 3 pick 94: Kyle Williams, Washington State
The Cleveland Browns need to fill their roster, and they pick up an extra pick to only move back eleven spots. Buffalo needs a true X-receiver to play off Keon Coleman. Keon can win on the outside, but his run after the catch and strength can be best utilized in a slot role to give him more opportunities to excel at what he does best as a wide receiver. Kyle Williams’ separation ability is exactly what Buffalo needs to fill the wide receiver room. He can primarily start outside on the boundary and can take Curtis Samuel’s role as a Z receiver in 2026. His bolstering 1.55 10-yard split gives him the quick explosion to separate on short and intermediate routes, and he has 4.40 speed to win on his vertical routes. He is physical enough and has very good hand fighting to win in press man situations. Kyle was playing in Washington State, and the competition was not always the best, but he put up high end 100-yard games against Syracuse and Boise State while also bringing in a touchdown each game. Kyle Williams is a dynamic wide receiver that fits perfectly in Buffalo’s offense and will be staring down an extension coming into his third year.
Round 4 pick 132: S Jonas Sanker, Virginia
Buffalo has some interesting pieces in the safety room but possess more guys that play in the box as a strong safety role than free safety. Buffalo does not operate in separate safety positions and does want a safety who can perform both duties. Damar Hamlin’s coverage skills are average at best, and Taylor Rapp has better coverage, but continues to get injured as a very physical-style safety. Cole Bishop is a do-it-all safety but works best in the box. Jonas Sanker is a perfect yin to Bishop’s yang. Jonas Sanker is also a do-it-all safety, but his high IQ and understanding of offenses make him outstanding in zone coverage but can also identify and cover tight ends with his physicality. He is a reliable tackler at the line of scrimmage as well as in the open field. In 2024, Jonas was credited with 2 sacks, 8 ½ tackles for loss, and 65 solo tackles with only a missed tackle rate of 13%. Sanker is also a special team’s monster in punt block and field goal blocking with one blocked kick in 2024. Buffalo has not done extensive research on Sanker, but he was a part of the Senior Bowl, and the Bills draft senior bowl participants very often in the NFL draft.
Round 5 pick 173: LB Cody Lindenberg, Minnesota
Cody Lindenberg is an all-round linebacker that can fill out the linebacker room and brings competition immediately to training camp and beyond. The 6’3 240lb linebacker can become a workhorse defensive piece as he is sufficient in all levels of the game. He is very good at read and react, defending the run, and had some pass rush juice in 2024. Cody had over a 10 percent pass-rush win rate with eight pressures, one sack, and four QB hits this year. Lindenberg moves very well laterally and can follow the ball carrier and stays patient until he is ready to pick his lane to tackle. He averages almost eight tackles a game with 45 solo tackles and 5 tackles for loss. Matt Milano is now on a one-year deal, and Dorian Williams is a great backup Linebacker who has grown so much during his years in Buffalo. Buffalo will have great linebacker back ups in case of injury and will be able to determine how the linebackers will look in 2026 and further without forcing a linebacker pick early in 2026.
Round 6 pick 206: CB, Robert Longerbeam, Rutgers
Buffalo conducted a pre-draft zoom call with Longerbeam to get some more information on the athletic corner out of Rutgers. His combine testing was impressive by breaking a sub 4.4 40-yard dash and jumping over eleven feet in the broad jump. His agility testing was great with a 6.76 three cone to finish his relative athletic score of 8.74 out of 10. Longerbeam does best in zone coverage which Buffalo runs the majority of as their defensive scheme. He has short area quickness to defend the short and intermediate as well as long speed to defend the vertical routes. Longerbeam has had some good statistical numbers the last two years with 3 interceptions and 16 pass breakups despite his shorter and thinner frame. He stands at 5’11 and 175 pounds, but his 31 ½ inch arms and 36 ½ inch vertical help him disguise his smaller frame and defend bigger wide receivers. Longerbeam will need to work on his tackling and get his technique down, but coming in as a 6th round pick, will put him in the depth chart and begin to grow into an NFL contributor.
How did this Buffalo Bill’s draft turn out with all these trades? Comment here or reach out to me on X/Bluesky @RandallSlifer and let me know your thoughts. Go Bills!
