After selecting Keon Coleman in last year's NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills are still searching for an elite young receiver for Josh Allen to grow with in the offense over the next five years.
Coleman struggled in his rookie season, catching only 29 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. This led to the Bills signing Joshua Palmer in free agency to give Allen a deep threat at receiver. Adding in the contract extension given to Khalil Shakir and the Bills have a solid wide receiver room, but is that enough to get over the hump and get to the Super Bowl?
The Bills have 10 draft picks to get it right at wide receiver if they want to make the most of their selections. Their first three picks are within the first two rounds, giving them leverage to work on a trade.
NFL Media draft analyst Chad Reuter believes a Bills trade will happen in the first round of his latest five-round mock draft. Reuter has the Bills moving up to the 27th pick with the Ravens in exchange for their first round and the 109th overall pick in the draft.
That opens the door for Buffalo to target the second speedy receiver the Bills need on the roster. Reuter is a fan of Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden being selected by the Bills to atone for their mishap with Xavier Worthy a season ago, and suggests that's the move to make.
"Buffalo could really use a downfield playmaker in this draft, so either Golden or Texas teammate Isaiah Bond should be on its radar. The Bills swap a fourth-round selection for a sixth-round pick to move up three spots."
Last year with the Longhorns, Golden averaged a staggering 17 yards per reception as he racked up 987 yards and a Big 12-high nine touchdown catches in 16 games. His 4.29 40-yard dash speed and big play potential is a perfect fit for Allen's strong arm and giving him the deep threat target he's never had in Buffalo.
As for the remaining selections, Reuter believes the Bills will go heavy on defense as five of the next six picks are on the defensive side of the ball. Here's a look at the rest of the picks:
- Round 2, Pick 56: Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
- Round 2, Pick 62: Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State
- Round 4, Pick 132: Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas
- Round 5, Pick 169: Jaylen Reed, S, Penn State
- Round 5, Pick 170: Jackson Slater, OG, Sacramento State
- Round 5, Pick 173: Shaun Dolac, LB, Buffalo
Scourton is an intriguing pick in the second round as he would make a perfect replacement for Michael Hoecht, serving his six-game suspension at the beginning of the year for a positive PED test. The Bills can move around the athletic Scourton as an edge rusher or linebacker after posting 15 sacks in the last two years at Purdue and Texas A&M.
Farmer is in a similar as a good fit for the Bills defensively with his versatility as a defensive end in a 3-4 or a defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme. Buffalo's newly signed free agent Larry Ogunjobi has the same suspension as Hoecht, so depth on the defensive line is paramount and addresses the primary needs from Buffalo entering 2025.
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