Next month will be an exciting time for football fans and prospects who will look to hear their names called at the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. This is where dreams come true for players who have worked their entire lives to join the league and start their legacy wherever they get drafted to.
Since Brandon Beane took over the draft room for the Bills, Buffalo has not been afraid to draft defense early on. As a matter of fact, there has only been two times where the Bills have drafted in the first round since Beane took over (Josh Allen in 2018 and Dalton Kincaid in 2023). In addition to Allen, the Bills had two first round picks and they used their second one on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Buffalo’s defense has been a liability for quite some time now, and just last year, they drafted six defensive players out of their nine selections. The defense was a huge priority to fix, and yet it is still the Achilles heel of the team.
To start the free agency period, the Bills have added more defensive help especially in the secondary. With a new defensive playcaller in Jim Leonhard, it makes sense to add players on the defense but the offense still needs talent as well.
While the Bills could still land a linebacker which is a current need for them, or even go with offense in the first round, Lou Scataglia from NFL Spin Zone has the Bills make the same move that they did last year.
NFL mock draft has Bills drafting cornerback help in first round
In Scataglia's mock draft, the Bills draft Clemson corner back Avieon Terrell, who is the brother of current Falcons cornerback A.J. Terell. Scataglia talked about how the additions the Bills have made so far have been great, but that the defense jstill needs a lot of work to do.
"CJ Gardner-Johnson was a rock-solid addition in the secondary, and Terrell could be one of the finishing touches. On paper, though, this roster really isn’t overly special, especially on the defensive side, so GM Brandon Beane still has some work to do here, and with Moore in the picture on offense, most of the offensive line returning, and an elite running back in the backfield, the Bills could go heavy on defense in the 2026 NFL Draft." said Scataglia.
While there is no disagreement on the defense needing improvement, going with a cornerback in the first round is not the way to go. The Bills spent a first round pick last year on Maxwell Hairston who showed flashes of promise in his rookie season. Now granted, he missed a good amount of time last season due to a knee injury he suffered in training camp which landed him on IR to start the season.
Don’t get me wrong, adding someone like Terrell would give the Bills great value. He’s very athletic and he’s got a good eye for knowing where the receiver is going. At the same time, going back-to-back years with drafting at the same position doesn't seem right. Hairston deserves a legitimate shot to show what he can bring to this defense long-term.
The Bills are better off either going the linebacker route or even going with a young wide receiver to pair with D.J. Moore, Khalil Shakir, and Keon Coleman. Maybe someone like KC Concepcion from Texas A&M could be an option if he is available by the time the Bills are on the clock.