Buffalo Bills NFL Draft 2025 guide: Picks, predictions and key needs
All you need to know about the Bills' 2025 draft.
www.nytimes.com
The Buffalo Bills have the 30th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 24 in Green Bay. The Bills own 10 total picks in the seven-round draft.
Bills’ draft picks
Full draft order
Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.
NFL Draft details
• Round 1: April 24, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 25, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 26, noon ET
About the Bills
• General manager: Brandon Beane (Ninth season with the Bills as GM)
• Head coach: Sean McDermott (Ninth season with the Bills)
• Last year’s record: 13-4
The Bills came as close to getting to the Super Bowl as they ever have with McDermott and Beane leading the way. They had the ball late, only down three points, but failed to pull ahead of the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Turning 29 in May, NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen is firmly in the prime of his career, and the Bills are prioritizing maximizing their championship window every year. As long as Allen plays at this level, they’re a threat to win it all every year.
Scouting the decision-makers
Beane and McDermott have always had a collaborative relationship where McDermott expresses his thoughts on the team’s needs, along with doing some evaluation of his own. Ultimately, while taking in the coaching staff’s thoughts on needs, the team relies on Beane and his staff’s scouting acumen to make the final call on who to pick.
Bills’ key free-agent signings
• DE Joey Bosa: One-year, $12.6 million deal
• WR Joshua Palmer: Three-year, $36 million deal
• DL Michael Hoecht: Three-year deal, up to $24 million
• DT Larry Ogunjobi: One-year, $8.3 million deal
Bills’ key positions of need
Boundary cornerback: The Bills didn’t re-sign starter Rasul Douglas and traded Kaiir Elam while only signing fringe starter Dane Jackson, creating a clear opportunity for a draft pick to step in and be the opening-day starter in 2025. Adding to the need, top starter Christian Benford just signed a new contract extension through 2029, which makes finding a long-term, low-cost starter next to him a priority. No matter what the motivation is, a young player with potential is needed.
Edge rusher: With Greg Rousseau signed through 2029, one starting position is settled for the long term, but that’s where it ends. Their next best two on the depth chart, Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa, are free agents in 2026. Michael Hoecht is more of a rotational player than starter. With a deep edge rusher draft class, getting a potential long-term starter with one of their first few picks could be a good idea.
One-technique defensive tackle: DaQuan Jones is their starter for 2025, but he’s 33 and a free agent in 2026. The optimal solution would be finding a two-down run stuffer with some developmental pass-rushing potential. The Bills haven’t spent a draft resource on the position since selecting Harrison Phillips in 2018. The defensive tackle depth of this year’s draft is also good, which could set the Bills up for taking one in the first or second round.
Wide receiver: The Bills drafted Keon Coleman with their top pick last year, signed Khalil Shakir to a contract extension and signed Joshua Palmer in free agency this offseason. Even with those resources used, they have an opening for a starting-caliber player to complete their top four, hoping that player would become Allen’s top target at receiver. The lean likely would be to a Z-receiver specializing in separation with a speed element to his game.