The NFL Draft is only a few months away, and Buffalo Bills fans are already familiarizing themselves with the prospects most likely to join the roster this spring.
Of course, with a pressing need at wide receiver and the task of reloading the offense for a brand new scheme, general manager Brandon Beane faces a ton of pressure early in the draft to hit on his first few picks. The class is loaded up with edge rushers, carries intriguing off-ball linebackers, and unsurprisingly, has some enticing options at receiver too. Finding a stud player at each position is far from easy, but it’s what Bills Mafia is hoping for.
A recent three-round mock draft from FanSided allowed Buffalo to do just that, and it might be the blueprint to a successful draft for Beane this April.
A three-round draft plan that aligns with the Bills’ offseason goals
First Round: Pick No. 26, Georgia LB C.J. Allen
Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen has grown to be a popular mock draft selection for Buffalo early in the draft cycle. Of course, the Bills have two veteran linebackers, Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson, who are set to become free agents. Both players are heading into their age-32 season, so even if Beane opts to bring one of them back (Milano being the most likely), he’ll still need a young off-ball backer for Jim Leonhard to groom into the leader of his defense.
Allen isn’t the best off-ball backer in the class, but being the Mike in Kirby Smart’s Georgia defense should tell Bills Mafia all they really need to know. He plays with excellent athleticism and explosiveness. While he’ll need to grow in pass coverage, his run-stopping abilities are just what Buffalo needs after ranking 28th against the rush in 2025.
First-round, run-stuffing, off-ball linebackers are often luxury picks, even this late in the first round. But it’s not as though Allen has the physical profile of a dying-breed thumper linebacker. He’s got the football IQ and athleticism to grow into a three-down player. Pair him with a veteran backer on the inside in this new 3-4 scheme, and the Bills' defense gets an instant upgrade in the middle of the field.
Second Round: Pick No. 52, Indiana WR Omar Cooper, Jr.
Many in Bills Mafia would prefer to target elite receivers in the first round or none at all. There are plenty of average wideouts on the roster already, and grabbing a Day 2 receiver simply isn’t going to move the needle much. But maybe Indiana’s Omar Cooper, Jr., is the type of receiver to help squash that initial thought.
Cooper wouldn’t be vying for the No. 1 role in Buffalo on Day 1, of course, but he would be an interesting asset on the offense. His route-running needs refinement, but he’s a playmaker underneath and over the top, particularly against man coverage, where his speed and elusiveness shine.
As often as Joe Brady likes to call a receiver screen, Cooper’s profile suggests that he would be a prime candidate tograb those passes and excel with the ball in his hands out in space.Â
Third Round: Pick No. 91, USC EDGE Anthony Lucas
If the Bills aren’t drafting an edge rusher until the third round, hopefully it means they made meaningful moves in free agency or on the trading block. That said, if the Bills are in a comfortable spot to build a rotation, adding USC’s Anthony Lucas in round three would be a strong decision.
Lucas is massive, 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, for a 3-4 edge rusher. However, he plays with more speed and explosiveness than his size would suggest, and played in different schemes at Texas A&M and USC. His profile might be a bit similar to Greg Rousseau for some tastes early on, but that’s where the pick makes sense if Beane has already added a respectable pass rusher on the other side.
Lucas would best be served in the defense as a rotational piece on run downs, where his strength, length, and gap integrity can allow him to thrive. In the meantime, he could develop into a versatile pass rusher who can rush from multiple attack points across the trenches.