Heading into the NFL Draft here in less than two weeks, Bills fans are very curious to see the direction that Buffalo takes in the first round. For the first time since 2017, Sean McDermott will not be in the draft room. It will be led by Brandon Beane and Joe Brady, and there has already been a good amount of change within the roster and the coaching staff.
While the Bills were not super active in free agency, they did make some solid additions on defense but they still have to add more pieces to fill out Jim Leonhard’s new defense. With going to a 3-4 scheme, the Bills could use another linebacker and they also need another edge rusher.
At the same time, they also need to add another wide receiver to pair with D.J. Moore. Beane will have a tough call in the first round and while he will make some fans happy, some will also be mad.
The one thing that Beane cannot do is spend Buffalo’s first round pick on a player that is similar to what the Bills already have, and Garrett Podell from CBS Sports has the Bills doing just that in a recent mock draft.
NFL mock draft has Bills doing exactly what they should not do
In Podell’s mock draft, the Bills selected Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk, who should be a solid addition to a team. However, Faulk is another Greg Rousseau-like player and the Bills don’t need that.
"The Buffalo Bills haven't had someone produce double-digit sacks for them in a season since Leonard Floyd in 2023. Keldric Faulk gives Buffalo a physical specimen they can mold into someone who could do just that for them in the near future. With a regular pass rush plan, there's real potential here." said Podell.
In three seasons at Auburn, Faulk had 10 total sacks. The Bills need someone who can provide a true pass rush rather than acquiring another run-stopping edge rusher. Rousseau is already solid against the run. The Bills don't need another edge rusher like him.
The only true star pass rushers coming out of this draft class are David Bailey, Arvell Reese, and Rueben Bain Jr., and all three of them will most likely be off the board way before Buffalo would even have a serious chance at a potential trade up.
While the Bills have to draft an edge rusher at some point, spending their first round pick on Faulk who is more of a run-stopper than a true pass rusher would have fans very angry. Again, Faulk should be a solid player in the league but he is not the type of player that the Bills need, especially early on in the draft.