Just over a week out from the 2025 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills are still hosting tons of prospects on pre-draft visits. They’re doing a lot of homework on the defensive side of the ball, as we are expecting them to lean heavily toward reloading there early in the draft. In terms of offensive prospects, they’ve been looking at a lot of speed guys, especially at the wide receiver position.
Now, they’re reportedly continuing to show interest in Texas running back, Jaydon Blue, a speedster himself. The Bills are reportedly hosting the 5’9” 196lbs halfback on a pre-draft visit, per Aaron Wilson. Blue also reportedly had a formal meeting with the Bills at the NFL Combine back in February, where the former Longhorn put on a show. He clocked a 4.38 forty-yard dash, second fastest among all running backs at the combine this year.
While the Bills picking up a running back in the draft seemed like an afterthought heading into the offseason, it has now become a very real possibility. They have breakout star James Cook, second-year man Ray Davis who flashed, and third-down back Ty Johnson on the roster already.
However, with Cook publicly voicing his want for a big payday, looking for his successor in the draft could be in the cards. The Bills' general manager, Brandon Beane, already said not to expect a new deal for Cook anytime soon, so the draft could be very telling.
RB Jaydon Blue is a perfect fit for Bills offense
Interestingly enough, Blue is similar to Cook, especially at the point of the draft. Blue spent three years in Austin, where he played behind NFL running backs Bijan Robinson and Jonathon Brooks. Appearing in 38 career games, he ran the ball just 214 times for 1,161 yards, and 11 touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards a game. Last year he had his best season, rushing 134 times in 15 games for 730 yards, and eight touchdowns.
Just like James Cook at Georgia, Blue did a lot of damage receiving the ball out of the backfield. The Texas native caught 56 passes for 503 yards, and seven touchdowns with an average of nine yards per catch in his collegiate career. Similar to Cook, Blue has great acceleration and good long speed. While he’s not as flashy and fluid as Cook, he brings speed, and the threat to house a ball every time he touches it.
When the Bills drafted James Cook in the second round in 2022, it was to be a pass-catching back. Since then, he has developed into a back-to-back 1,000-plus-yard rusher, two-time pro bowler, and a very dynamic piece to their offense. The sides are unfortunately far apart in extension talks, as Cook wants near top-of-the-market pay, at $15 million per season. The talks stalled out after the Bills seemed unwilling to pay that much.
With Cook set to play the final year of his rookie deal, we could see the Bills follow a similar path to before. If they select Blue, who as mentioned has a similar skill-set to Cook, they could develop him to be the next Cook. Not to mention, they have the promising Ray Davis as well. While it’s unclear where they officially stand, Cook’s future in Buffalo could become much clearer at the conclusion of the draft.