It's still 11+ months until the 2026 NFL Draft, but it's never too early to speculate.
Kyle Crabbs released his Way-Too-Early 2026 Mock Draft, which projects the Buffalo Bills to draft Florida interior offensive lineman Jake Slaughter with the No. 29 overall pick.
The 6-foot-4, 294-pound Slaughter will be a redshirt senior that started all 13 games at center for the Gators in 2024, earning first team All-SEC and All-American honors. He ranked fifth nationally among centers with a PFF offense grade of 81.1, and seventh in the country with a 79.0 run blocking grade.
Crabbs writes, "Bills center Connor McGovern is in a contract year in 2025. Is Sedrick Van Pran-Granger going to earn the Bills' trust enough from the bench to claim the long-term job if Buffalo doesn't re-sign McGovern?"
"If not, Slaughter is a sturdy blocker in the middle with less than 20 pressures allowed in the last two seasons (730 pass protection reps)."
In addition to McGovern, left guard David Edwards will also be an unrestricted free agent in 2026, making interior offensive line a pressing need for next offseason.
Slaughter would be the second high-profile offensive lineman drafted recently out of Florida to the Bills, following O'Cyrus Torrence, a second round pick in 2023. Slaughter and Torrence were teammates on the Gators in 2022, along with UDFA and Bills practice squad member Richard Gouraige.
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