The Buffalo Bills 2022 season is still in full swing, and the team is competing for their third straight AFC East title and the top spot in the AFC. However, for some parts of the front office, their focus has been on the NFL Draft and finding players that will help them next year and beyond.
The Bills currently have six draft picks for the 2023 NFL Draft over five rounds with a conditional sixth round pick sent to the Indianapolis Colts for Nyheim Hines and a seventh round pick sent to the Atlanta Falcons for Dean Marlowe. The sixth round pick for Hines could become a fifth round pick but for this mock draft, we will assume Indianapolis will get the sixth round pick.
With the help of the Mock Draft Simulator on Pro Football Network, this is a seven round mock draft for the Buffalo Bills.
7-round 2023 NFL mock draft for the Buffalo Bills
1st Round: Antonio Johnson, S Texas A&M (28th overall)
One of the big questions for the Buffalo Bills this offseason is what happens at the safety position. This has been a strength of the defense for a number of years but Jordan Poyer is set to be a free agent after the season and Micah Hyde is coming off a neck injury that required surgery earlier this year.
The Bills have gotten some good production from Damar Hamlin this season but it remains to be seen if he is the long-term answer. Even if the team does elect to go into the season with Hyde and Hamlin as the starters, it would make sense to add another player at the position.
Antonio Johnson out of Texas A&M could be a perfect addition to this defense as he is a versatile safety that can be utilized all over the field. He has the physicality to play near the line of scrimmage to help against the run and has enough athleticism to drop back and be a deep safety.
2nd Round: Sean Tucker, RB Syracuse (58th overall)
In the second round, the Buffalo Bills stay in the state and select running back Sean Tucker out of Syracuse. The running back position is another one with questions as Devin Singletary is set to be a free agent after the season which would leave James Cook and Nyheim Hines as the only running backs under contract.
The challenge is that neither project as being running backs that can handle 15-20 carries a game and are more threats in the passing game. That is why a running back like Sean Tucker makes a lot of sense for the Bills with this pick.
In the past two seasons, Tucker has over 400 carries and 2,500 rushing yards with 23 rushing touchdowns. While he isn’t the biggest running back at 5’10” and 210 pounds, he has the body type to handle the workload as the primary running back in the NFL.
3rd Round: Jack Campbell, LB Iowa (91st overall)
In the third round, the trend continues for the Buffalo Bills to address a position that could have significant changes this offseason. The Bills starting linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is set to be a free agent after this season and probably has put himself in a position for one of the top contracts at linebacker.
If the Buffalo Bills do lose Edmunds, they will likely look to the NFL Draft to replace him and a player like Jack Campbell from Iowa would be a good fit for this defense.
Campbell has been the starter for the past two seasons for the Hawkeyes and has had back-to-back seasons with over 100 total tackles. He also has two sacks, four interceptions, and seven passes defended during that stretch.
He may not have the athleticism that Edmunds has but he is a big linebacker at 6’5″ and 243 pounds and that size would be a great asset for this defense.
4th Round: Cameron Latu, TE Alabama (126th overall)
The Buffalo Bills have the answer for their starting tight end and that is Dawson Knox, who they signed to a contract extension prior to the 2022 season. However, they are still searching for that second tight end to pair with Knox at the position.
Last offseason, the Bills would sign O.J. Howard as a free agent but he was released prior to the season after a lackluster training camp and preseason. They have had Quintin Morris as the primary backup with Tommy Sweeney as the third tight end, although he has been inactive for most of the season.
In the fourth round of this mock draft, the Bills find their answer in Cameron Latu out of Alabama. In the past two seasons, Latu has had 51 receptions, 733 receiving yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns. He could be the perfect complement to Knox at the position and for this offense as a whole.
5th Round: Keeanu Benton, DT Wisconsin (138th overall)
One area the Buffalo Bills has been vastly improved this season is defending the run and the addition of DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle has been a big reason for that. Both players are under contract in 2023 so the defensive tackle is not a pressing need but Jones is older and under contract only through that 2023 season.
That is why a player like Keeanu Benton out of Wisconsin would be a great addition to the position and the defense. He is a big defensive tackle that can stuff running lanes in the interior and cause problems for opposing running backs.
While Benton may not be a big part of the defense in 2023, the Bills do rotate at the position frequently so he could see some snaps with a potentially bigger role in 2024.
5th Round: Joe Tippmann, C Wisconsin (159th overall)
The final pick for the Buffalo Bills currently is at the end of the fifth round and with the last pick of the 2023 NFL Draft they add some depth at a key part of their offensive line with the selection of center Joe Tippmann from Wisconsin.
The Bills did extend Mitch Morse prior to the season but there are questions about who the backup is if Morse is forced to miss time. This season the Bills have had Greg Van Roten and Ryan Bates start in his place when he has been forced to miss time however neither has really been a great option.
Van Roten got the start in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins and struggled to get consistent snaps to Josh Allen. As for Ryan Bates, he got the start on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions but the reason Bates isn’t a good option is that he is the starting right guard so if he slides over to center it creates a hole at the guard spot.
If the Bills selected Joe Tippmann, he would be a player that they could develop as the backup center and potentially replace Morse as a starter down the road.
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