Bills wheel and deal in first two rounds in final 7-round mock draft

This will be my last mock draft of 2024, and it's a good one with several positional needs being met. The draft included two trades to move up in the first and second rounds, while still landing seven recruits, including two receivers and possibly the best defensive back in this draft class. I landed one of my favorites, as well as the son of an all-time great. I'm very pleased with this draft class I've put together, but I missed one potentially critical position. More on that later.

The draft is this Thursday and we've been waiting months for the day to arrive. Rumors and speculation have been swirling, leaving fans and scouts alike, to try to sift through all the noise to separate fact from fiction. It's the season for smoke screens and lies. Thursday night, we'll sit in front of the TV watching where each prospect goes and waiting for that first big draft day trade. But before we get to the real deal, here is one more Bills' mock draft.

The Philadelphia Eagles have traded the 22nd pick to the Buffalo Bills

R1:22 - Cooper DeJean - DB, Iowa

My initial intent of trading up to 22 was for edge Laiatu Latu out of UCLA. Still, when Cooper DeJean was available, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to grab the best defensive back in the class. We know Coach McDermott loves his versatile defensive players and DeJean is as versatile as they come. He can play either safety position or corner. The Bills need depth at both, and he could push Mike Edwards or Taylor Rapp for a starting spot on the Bills' defense. DeJean is an excellent run-defender, can play any position in the secondary, and is the type of player Coach McDermott covets for his defense.