No. 28 – WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Buffalo taking a first-round receiver might be too predictable at this point, as essentially every mock draft published since Stefon Diggs was traded to Houston has had the Bills landing someone at the position. I'm keeping the trend rolling with Thomas, the best deep-field accelerator in the class. He'd fit perfectly with Josh Allen's massive arm in this offense. Thomas had 17 receiving touchdowns last season, the most in the FBS.
No. 28 — Edge Laiatu Latu, UCLA
NFL teams are torn on Latu. Some love him. Some have major concerns about his injury history. If he's on the board here, Buffalo might not be able to pass him up.
TRADE No. 28 to JAX for No. 17 – WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Could Thomas last all the way to No. 28? Anything is possible, but Brandon Beane is an aggressive general manager and won't be shy about moving up to secure his guy.
No. 28 – WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
I could see the Bills trading back to try and pick up multiple receivers, but the fans will be screaming for Thomas and his speed to help replace Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. I am also a fan of Ladd McConkey from Georgia, and his 4.39 speed is plenty. But 4.33 speed is rare, and Thomas improved greatly as the 2023 season went along. He never played more than 400 snaps prior to last year, and you could see his confidence grow during the year.
Alabama corners were tough on Thomas, but he destroyed Florida with slot gos, double moves and reverses. Plus, he proved later in the year he could handle the tougher assignments inside, which led to some catch-and-run plays that were not there early in the season. He would a chance to be special with a quarterback like Josh Allen who can take full advantage of a speedy deep threat.
No. 28 – WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
He is big and can run, which the Bills badly need. They would consider edge or corner here, but Thomas fits a major need and would give Josh Allen a No. 1 receiver.
No. 28 — WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
If Thomas starts to slip, it won't surprise me if the Bills move up for him. I could also see Buffalo trading back and trying to land a couple of receivers early on.
No. 28 - WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Thomas is an incredible athlete, and was off the charts his last year, catching 68 passes for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns. But I think two things result in a little slide. One, his shoulders have been flagged by team doctors, and he may need surgery on the left one after his rookie year. Two, he's simply pushed down a bit by the run on the tackles I'm projecting.
No. 28 – WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
Brandon Beane shows the will-power needed to not trade up in this class for a receiver, instead letting Mitchell fall into his lap. Part of what could very well make Buffalo gravitate toward Mitchell, his productivity in the College Football Playoff at Georgia and Texas.
No. 28 – WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
Worthy will not be the only receiver the Bills pick during this draft. What can I say? He is fast, and Josh Allen can throw it far. Sometimes, football is simple.
No. 28 – WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
This was a position of need before the trade of Stefon Diggs to Houston. QB Josh Allen gets to mentor this intelligent and fast receiver who will draw plenty of attention from other suitors along the way on draft night.
TRADE No. 28 to DENVER for No. 12 – WR Rome Odunze, Washington
No. 28 – DT Jer'Zahn Newton, Illinois
Despite bringing DaQuan Jones back on a two-year deal, the Bills need to plan for the future on the defensive interior. Newton is a versatile one-gap penetrator with a nonstop motor and exceptional first-step quickness.
No. 28 – WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
If this is how the board falls, trading back (or up, including to potentially snag LSU's Thomas) would be strong possibilities. Wide receiver is the Bills' biggest -- and most obvious -- need, and moving back into the second round would allow Buffalo to potentially double-dip in a talented class, especially since the Bills do not have a third-round pick. Still, if the Bills went with Worthy, he would bring speed and the run-after-catch ability they need. – Alaina Getzenberg
No. 28 – WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
Mitchell is the sort of player they should be pursuing because he's got big-play potential downfield and the versatility to line up inside and out.
No. 28 – WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Thomas has some obvious DK Metcalf (6-4, 236 pounds) kind of pop as a big, svelter field-stretcher and red-zone threat, but he also has some prime Allen Robinson (6-2, 220 pounds) in him, too. That should appeal to the Bills as their ideal replacement for Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
No. 28 – WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
It's not breaking news that the Buffalo Bills will add a receiver or two in this draft. Adonai Mitchell is a big speed threat who can run routes and create at all three levels. He would be a fun addition to this Bills team with Josh Allen.
No. 28 – WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Thomas Jr. reminds Rick Spielman, my co-host on the With the First Pick podcast, of George Pickens. And if he's here, this will be the easiest pick the Bills make all weekend. I'm a huge Ladd McConkey fan, and I love the idea of him going to Buffalo, but that typically assumes Thomas Jr. is long gone. My only other hesitation about McConkey to Buffalo is that he's similar in height to Shakir and Samuels, while Thomas Jr. is a looming red-zone threat from just about anywhere on the field.
No. 28 – WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
The Bills clearly need to replenish the wideout position beyond free-agent gadget signing Curtis Samuel. Mitchell has Velcro hands, postseason bona fides, size (6-2, 205) and exceptional speed (4.34 40 time) – a combo that should dovetail with Josh Allen, who likes to go deep but can benefit from a larger catch radius on intermediate throws. A Georgia transfer, Mitchell found the end zone 11 times during his only season with the Longhorns.
No. 28 – WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
If the Bills can make a reasonable trade up for Thomas, I think they would try. GM Brandon Beane is nothing if not aggressive when he sees an opportunity arise. But if Buffalo (which currently has no third-round pick) can't get up high enough, taking Mitchell here would be a good consolation. He's a big-play weapon with a knack for clutch performances who might really take off with a big role in the Bills' offense.
No. 28 – WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
Maybe a tad rich for McConkey, but he is a superb route runner and great athlete who can win at all three levels. McConkey can consistently win on the outside, something necessary given the Bills' current group of pass catchers. (I also kinda like the McConkey-Khalil Shakir two-man game.)
No. 28 – WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
Wide receiver was already a position of need before the Bills traded Stefon Diggs to the Texans, but now it has become an even more obvious target for Buffalo in the first round. In Adonai Mitchell, the Bills get a 6-foot-4 prototypical X receiver to pair with two smaller, shiftier wide receivers in Curtis Samuel and Kahlil Shakir.
No. 28 – WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
Worthy is one of the most explosive receivers in this class, and you might have heard he ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the combine (the best in our records since at least 2003). Even before they dealt Stefon Diggs to Houston, the Bills were connected to the young receiver talent in this draft. Now it's critical they land someone who can make an impact. Worthy's downfield ability pairs well with Josh Allen's arm, and Worthy is also underrated after the catch; 579 of his 1,014 yards last season came once the ball was in his hands.
No. 28 – Edge Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
The two most recent times two MAC players were selected in the first round: Ben Roethlisberger and Jason Babin in 2004; Kahlil Mack and Jimmie Ward in 2014. And now 2024, as Kneeland joins Quinyon Mitchell as a Day 1 pick. In Kneeland, Buffalo adds a productive, athletic edge defender to chase the top AFC quarterbacks.
No. 28 – WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
Everyone wants Buffalo to trade up for a receiver, but I happen to believe they'll be just fine if they sit tight. I love Mitchell's speed and versatility. He's not going to replace Stefon Diggs himself, but adding him to a group that already includes Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Kahlil Shakir and Curtis Samuel would have to make the Bills feel better about their pass catchers.
