Here is a closer look at the Buffalo Bills鈥 needs entering the 2025 NFL draft, taken from The Buffalo News鈥 draft preview position series. It is ordered by degree of need.
Cornerback
Cornerback is the biggest need for the Bills because it is the lone position where there is an open starter position. Who starts opposite Christian Benford in the spot where free agent Rasul Douglas played last year? The Bills have added a bunch of veteran insurance with the signings of former star Tre鈥橠avious White and Dane Jackson. A corner does not have to be the first-round pick, because White could start to open the season. But White has had major knee and Achilles injuries since he played a starring role for the Bills. White averaged only 21 snaps over nine games with Baltimore the second half of last season. If a corner isn鈥檛 taken in the first round, then the Bills will have to take one in the second round. It might be good for the Bills to double up and take another corner on Day 3, like they did in 2022 when they selected and Benford.
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Bills need ranking. 10/10.
Christian Benford, celebrating a sack of Detroit quarterback Jared Goff during a game Dec. 15, is the Bills' mainstay at cornerback.
Defensive tackle
There is not an ideal backup for veteran DaQuan Jones, who enters the last year of his contract and is 33. Both current backups at defensive tackle 鈥 DeWayne Carter and Larry Ogonjobi 鈥 can play Jones鈥 1-technique spot (opposite a shoulder of the center). But they are better at 3-technique, opposite the outside shoulder of a guard, where Ed Oliver starts. The primary backup to Jones last season was Austin Johnson, but he was not re-signed. In looking at the draft class, the presumption is the Bills will lean toward nose tackles, or 1-technique DTs, over 3-technique players.
Bills need ranking: 9/10.
Bills defender Greg Rousseau, shown playing against the Rams in December, is a viable pass rusher, but the team could use some depth.
Defensive end
The Bills have a viable top four at edge rusher, with Greg Rousseau and Joey Bosa starting, backed up by Michael Hoecht and A.J. Epenesa. Young Javon Solomon is No. 5 on the depth chart. But Hoecht is suspended for the first six games. Bosa has been hindered by injuries the past three seasons. And Bosa and Epenesa are under contract only through this season. Another option would be good.
Bills need ranking: 8/10.
Bills receiver Khalil Shakir, left, was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of Boise State.
Wide receiver
The top four receivers on the Bills鈥 roster are Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir and Joshua Palmer, who was signed as an unrestricted free agent from the Chargers. The Bills have lost Mack Hollins in free agency and did not re-sign Amari Cooper. That means there is at least one, and maybe two jobs up for grabs. The roster does not seem to have a proven vertical burner who can threaten defenses over the top. That is a skill set that Brandon Beane would be wise to add to the current group.
Bills need ranking: 7/10.
Safety
Safety would have been a priority if the Bills didn鈥檛 need immediate contributors/starters at cornerback, edge and defensive tackle. Starter Taylor Rapp is entering the final year of his contract, projected starter Cole Bishop is in his second season (four starts as a rookie), backup/2024 starter Damar Hamlin is on a one-year deal (team-high 14 missed tackles) and newly signed veteran Darrick Forrest is more of a special teams player. Yes, depth is an issue, but it may not be addressed until Day 3 of the draft (rounds 4-7).
Bills need ranking: 6.5/10.
Tight end
The Bills have their starters, but they could use depth and injury insurance. Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are set to return, with Zach Davidson and Armani Rogers rounding out the room. The Bills are just two drafts removed from taking a big swing on Kincaid, and the hope is he鈥檒l take a step up in Year 3. Kincaid battled injuries in his second season, and his production didn鈥檛 make the jump the Bills wanted. Still, Beane expressed the utmost confidence that Kincaid will return stronger from the ordeal, both mentally and physically. Quintin Morris, who previously served as the team鈥檚 third tight end, is a free agent. It is a sneaky need in a year with options aplenty and for a team that likes to deploy two tight-end sets.
Bills need ranking: 6/10.
Interior offensive line
Both center Connor McGovern and left guard David Edwards are entering the final season of their contracts. Right guard O鈥機yrus Torrence has two years left on his deal. Alec Anderson, a backup at guard and tackle, will be a restricted free agent after 2025. The Bills have a developing center prospect in Sedrick Van Pran-Granger. They signed three-year veteran guard Kendrick Green as depth insurance.
It is easy to imagine either McGovern or Edwards, or both, staying with the Bills for 2026 and beyond. But it is not a given, and it wouldn鈥檛 hurt to have another young prospect with future starter potential. Look for the Bills to draft a guard/center prospect on Day 3.
Bills need ranking: 5/10.
Running back
It depends on how long term you鈥檙e looking, here. For the upcoming season, the Bills are set with James Cook, Ty Johnson and Ray Davis returning. There is some angst in the Bills fan base with Cook looking for more money, but, overall, there are needs this draft that are much more pressing for Buffalo. Look around the league, and you鈥檒l see other teams move on quickly at the position.
鈥淩unning back is such a disposable position, unless you have that elite guy,鈥 ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing teams draft guys Day 2, Day 3, and running those guys into the ground and drafting a guy another year.鈥
Bills need ranking: 3/10.
Linebacker
The Bills reworked Matt Milano鈥檚 contract in the form of a pay cut and shaving a year off the deal, meaning he鈥檒l be an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season. That perhaps increases the urgency to add a linebacker, but the Bills have committed long term to Bernard at middle linebacker and still have Dorian Williams on the roster. The team also has used draft picks in recent years on Baylon Spector and Edefuan Ulofoshio, and saw Joe Andreessen go from rookie tryout player to a member of the 53-man roster last year. A developmental prospect would be a good idea, especially if that player can contribute right away on special teams.
Bills need ranking: 3/10.
Offensive tackle
Starters Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown are signed through 2027 and 2028, respectively. Tylan Grable, who opened last season as the No. 3 tackle before suffering a groin injury in Week 3, enters his second campaign. Ryan Van Demark, who spent most of last season as the No. 3 tackle after Grable got hurt, is back. Alec Anderson, a reserve guard/tackle, is entering his third season in Buffalo. Travis Clayton, a developmental seventh-round draft pick in 2024, spent last season on injured reserve and returns. So does Richard Gouraige. If the Bills take a tackle, it will be a Day 3 prospect.
Bills need ranking: 1/10.
Quarterback
The Bills鈥 need at quarterback can be summed up in three letters: MVP. With Josh Allen as the league鈥檚 reigning most valuable player, the Bills are set at franchise quarterback. But it is not just Allen who dictates the Bills鈥 draft needs. Depth-wise? They are set there, as well, with four quarterbacks on the roster at this point. Mitch Trubisky, Mike White and Shane Buechele round out the room.
Bills need ranking: 1/10.
Compiled from stories written by Katherine Fitzgerald, Mark Gaughan, Ryan O鈥橦alloran and Jay Skurski.
