This is a big offseason for the Buffalo Bills.
The NFL’s salary cap rose by more than $16 million, but the team is still projected to be one of 14 teams over the cap.
Buffalo has a few key free agents that would hurt to lose, plus some major needs to fill if they’re going to make a Super Bowl run next season.
The 2023 NFL Draft will be pivotal for general manager Brandon Beane and in filling some of those needs.
In our latest 2023 mock draft, the Buffalo Bills begin by trading their first-round pick
To begin this mock, Buffalo acquires a more valuable pick by trading back just eight selections with Indianapolis. With their first selection coming at no. 35, they go right after addressing their need at wide receiver.
The Bills need to wave goodbye to slot receivers Cole Beasley and Jamison Crowder, while getting younger and more dynamic.
That’s exactly what they do here when drafting North Carolina’s Josh Downs. The Tar Heel product is an exceptional slot receiver with loads of production at the collegiate level. He comes into the NFL as a potentially game-breaking type of player out of the slot.
After the catch, Downs is lethal. His footwork is tremendous, allowing him to get open with ease. He knows how to find the soft spots in coverage and works them well.
Downs is an explosive athlete that looks to move the chains, and then some. He’s a bit undersized at just 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. But, he brings the fire each and every down. He has the potential to truly change the offense and take some pressure off of Stefon Diggs, finally.
Last year, Downs caught 94 passes for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns at North Carolina.
Once again, the Bills add more valuable picks by executing another trade. This time, it’s with the Houston Texans. The Bills trade their no. 59 selection in the second round for a pick just six spots later at no. 65, plus they get a pick at no. 138 and swap a sixth for a seventh. With their second pick in the draft, the Bills go with EDGE Karl Brooks out of Bowling Green.
When Von Miller went out with a torn ACL back in November, the Bills’ pass rush suffered immensely. He was an obvious game changer. Despite having some previously big names in the draft on their roster, like Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa, Buffalo had a hard time generating a consistent pass rush.
Adding another capable pass rusher like Brooks is only going to help ease the pain of not having Miller back for a while. The fifth-year senior comes into the NFL as a very polished pass rusher with a wide arsenal of moves. He lacks arm length, but makes up for it with his high IQ in getting after the quarterback.
Last year at Bowling Green, Brooks finished with 18.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks and four passes defensed. At 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, Brooks has experience lining up either at defensive end or in a two-point stance. He offers some versatility, but in the end, he’s a straight-up pass rusher, and that’s what the Bills need.
This is where the Bills may end up having to replace Jordan Poyer, as much as it might hurt. But, if they are able to get their hands on Alabama safety Jordan Battle at this stage in the draft, the Bills will be just fine.
Drafting a defender out of Alabama has a great likelihood of working out, historically, and the Bills would be fortunate to snag Battle here. The versatile safety comes into the NFL as a guy who can line up at either strong or free safety, as well as the slot if he was asked to. He offers the defense a lot of flexibility, but he’s most comfortable (and lethal) when he’s allowed to play free.
Battle does an excellent job of reading the quarterback’s eyes and making plays on the ball. He breaks quickly and possesses great closing speed, even if he’s a good 10 yards off the play.
In four seasons with the Crimson Tide, Battle has accumulated 252 tackles, six interceptions (three returned for a touchdown) and 10 passes defensed. He has solid size, standing 6-foot-1 and having above-average length for the position. Battle gives the Bills the ability to breathe after potentially losing Poyer to free agency, and could end up replacing Poyer for years to come.
Bills fans are wondering when the team finally addresses the offensive line, but the draft simply didn’t fall that way just yet. However, with their second pick in the third round, Buffalo gets one of the better centers in college football.
Ohio State’s Luke Wypler is one of the more intelligent offensive linemen in this year’s draft class, coming in having started the last 26 games for the Buckeyes. Let’s put it this way: if you’ve been the one touching the ball before snapping it to CJ Stroud on every snap for the last two years, chances are, you can be trusted.
Wypler is a tad undersized at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, but definitely has the ability to add some more mass. That’s probably the biggest knock on him, having room to add strength and overall mass.
But, in every other area other than simply his overall size and strength, Wypler is solid. He’s a smart player who takes great angles and can get to the second level in a hurry. He’s able to pull with the best of them and rarely misses with his hand placement. He excels in zone schemes and would fit well with a mobile quarterback like Josh Allen.
In today’s NFL, you can never have enough talent in the secondary. In Round 4, the Bills go with the best player on the board and take Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin.
Last year with the Illini, Martin lined up primarily in the slot. But, he projects as a guy defensive coordinators could have some fun with, placing him in multiple spots if necessary. Martin can play both safety positions, outside corner and slot corner. His best trait is that he’s one of the most sure tacklers at the position in this year’s draft class.
Martin stands 5-foot-11, giving him average size for the position. But, his closing speed is there and he takes solid angles, similar to the aforementioned Jordan Battle. In getting Martin, along with Battle, the Bills defense gets a whole lot better and more versatile.
Martin has also played special teams and stands out in that area, too. He’s a guy that will do anything asked of him and do it at a high level, although projects best as either a slot corner or potentially outside.
In Round 5, the Bills once again bolster their offense. First up, it’s a guy who has the talent to go much higher than the fifth round, but for some reason is being mocked in the middle rounds. Maryland wideout Rakim Jarrett looks every bit of the part, and comes into a great situation to be mentored by one of the best in Diggs.
Jarrett is a 5-foot-11 receiver that flits best in the slot, but can line up virtually anywhere due to his ability after the catch. He’s a shifty, quick player who gets in and out of breaks in a hurry and can beat defenses in a big, dangerous way with yards after the catch. Jarrett gives this offense another weapon as they continue to overhaul the receiver room.
Going offense again with the second-straight pick, the Bills find a potential starter across their offensive line with Notre Dame guard Jarrett Patterson. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Patterson comes into the league as someone who is a strong, stout blocker but lacks agility. He’s a great run blocker on the inside and doesn’t get moved off his base too easily. But, he’ll need to work a bit on his lateral movement as a pro.
Drafting an offensive lineman out of Notre Dame is typically a good move, so the Bills have history on their side here. Patterson could come in and compete for a starting job, depending on what Buffalo does with Rodger Saffold.
In Round 7, it can be all about dart throws. Or, it can be about finding guys at a position that are easier to plug and play than others. Running back certainly qualifies as one of those positions, and the Bills get a guy who could very well replace Devin Singletary, an impending free agent.
Louisville running back Tiyon Evans is a between-the-tackles runner that could handle early down or goal line type work while James Cook is used in a different manner, as the team’s change-of-pace back and pass-catching specialist. At 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, Evans is a physical, bruising back who would do well in a timeshare.
With their last pick in the draft, the Bills go after linebacker depth with Fordham’s Ryan Greenhagen. To begin his career, Greenhagen would likely do his damage on special teams before earning additional playing time. But, he’s a hard-working, sure tackler coming out of a small school and likely has a chip on his shoulder.
Greenhagen did exactly what you need to do at a smaller school in order to get drafted. He set school records in total tackles (415), solo tackles (241) and career tackles for loss (48.0). He made his imprint on the history books, thus getting a real shot to turn pro.