Depending on who you ask, Bandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills are asleep at the wheel which is free agency. I'm not one of those though and think this is exactly what the Bills should be doing. Fill out the roster with depth pieces, and look to the draft for new talent. Buffalo has a few contracts that have put a little bit of a damper on this free agency period, but Brandon Beane is doing exactly what he needs to free the team from those deals in the long term.
As I am writing this article, my phone dings at me, guess what, the Buffalo Bills just agreed to terms with wide receiver Curtis Samuel. I like the signing, as I think Samuel can be a weapon in the Bills offense. As far as the draft goes, Samuel signed or not, I'm still looking for the Bills to select at least one receiver early in this year's draft, but this signing also helps this mock draft, make even more sense too.
The Bills lost receivers Gabe Davis and Trent Sherfield to free agency. They also released Deonte Harty, but just added Samuel. They will still need to add more wideouts to the roster to fill out the wide receiving corps, but Samuel is a big addition to that room, particularly with his 4.31, 40-time. Bills Mafia wanted speed and they got it.
The other concern, which has not been addressed yet by Brandon Beane the Bills is the safety position. Taylor Rapp signed an extension, but the options for the other safety position are Cam Lewis and Damar Hamlin, neither of whom I see as full-time starters. I could be wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time, but both to me are backups and special teamers.
This Buffalo Bills 4-round mock draft that addresses two major needs
R1:28 - Tyler Nubin, S - Minnesota
Tyler Nubin is 6'1" and weighs nearly 200 pounds. He's a willing and capable tackler; however, some scouting reports say he tends to lead with the helmet, which he'll need to learn to avoid. We also don't have a 40-time from the NFL Combine; however, NFLdraftbuzz.com currently has him listed with a 4.6 time but that's not an official time. We might get something official during his pro day.
With no clear-cut starting safety alongside Taylor Rapp, Nubin should have every opportunity to compete for the starting role. That's assuming the Bills don't sign a bonafide starter in free agency between now and then. I wouldn't be surprised if they do though. I mentioned during my most recent podcast that trust is big with Coach McDermott and I'm not sure he's ready to trust his defensive backfield to a rookie, so a free agency vet is very much still a possibility.
R2:60 - Xavier Legette, WR - South Carolina
This is the big, physical wide receiver that many Bills fans want on the Buffalo roster. I don't blame them and Legette is a very intriguing prospect. At 6'1" and 220 pounds, he provides the size, though not as tall as someone like Keon Coleman, who may be in play for the Bills at pick 60 as well. For me, I have to go with Legette. His NFL Combine performance was by far better and not only does he have size, but he ran a 4.39, compared to Coleman's 4.61.
In 2023, he did most of his damage on crossing and hitch routes, where he was targeted 38 times, resulting in 32 receptions and 612 yards. He was also targeted eight times on go routes, catching four of them for 177 yards and a touchdown. He still has room to grow though, having only 273 total snaps in 2021 and 2022 combined. He didn't get a full-time opportunity until last season, but made the most of it, with 71 receptions, 1,255 yards, and seven touchdowns.
R4:128 - Chau Smith-Wade, CB - Washington State
The Buffalo Bills lost Dane Jackson in free agency and sadly released Tre'Davious White. The corner position went from what appeared a solid, deep group to now needing bodies. The top two are solid, in Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford, forming one of the league's best duos, per Pro Football Focus grades. Both ranked in the top ten CBs across the league. Kaiir Elam is still there and most likely fills that number three spot. The Buffalo Bills need more though, and Chau Smith-Wade fills that need.
He would likely battle Jamarcus Engram for the number four spot, but he has the skill set to be successful in this league. In 2023, he was targeted 38 times, allowing 19 receptions and a passer rating of 84.0. There are rumors that Levi Wallace could return to Buffalo and if he does, I think the Bills pivot from a corner and go in a different direction, maybe even another wide receiver. If they do, some possible targets here could be Tahj Washington from USC or Isaiah Williams from Clemson. Both of these guys could be available later in the draft though and I'm also intrigued by wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, Christian McCaffrey's little brother.
R4:134 - Khristian Boyd, DI - Norther Iowa
I'm a huge fan of Khristian Boyd's and if you watched him during the Shrine Bowl and throughout the practices, you'd understand why. At 6'2" and 320 pounds, he brings size, power, and something I covet a great deal, is a non-stop motor. I want guys who are relentless, and always on the attack. That energy and "no brakes" attitude are contagious across your defense and no offensive lineman wants to battle 320 pounds on every single snap.
in 2023, he played nearly a 50/50 split between the A and B gap on the defensive line and produced 40 total pressures. He's coming from a small school, but you can teach his size or the motor he brings at full throttle. In 2022 and 2023 he earned Pro Football Grades of 88.5 and 89.0, respectively. Now I understand this is against lesser talent at Northern Iowa, but he's been dominant at that level, and late in the fourth round, I'm all on board and driving that Khistian Boyd train.