Buffalo Bills Mock Draft: Trading for big name lineman, plus WR help
By Ryan Heckman
In the fourth round, the Bills go with their second-straight Ohio State Buckeye in safety Ronnie Hickman. The 6-foot-1 safety has great size for the secondary and brings an aggressive mentality to the defense.
Hickman is a downhill player who has the ability to diagnose plays before they unfold. He makes breaks on the ball in a hurry and possesses good ball skills. Hickman has the potential to play a variety of spots, honestly, and the Bills could either use him as a Jordan Poyer replacement or even in some nickel type situations.
He’s versatile and matches up well against tight ends, which is a nice skill set to have. Last year with Ohio State, he picked off one pass, defended seven and totaled 53 tackles.
After Von Miller went down last year, Gregory Rousseau was the only real standout in terms of a lineman getting pressure on the quarterback. The Bills have to add another pass rusher, and Houston’s Derek Parish is a great option in the fourth round.
Parish ended last season with 8.5 tackles for loss, including 5.0 sacks for Houston. He is a bit undersized at just 6-foot-2, but as a rotational edge rusher could end up becoming a nice part of this defense. Buffalo has to add talent at the position. They need competition, especially without Miller for a good chunk of the 2023 season recovering from his ACL tear last Thanksgiving.