The pick at No. 19: WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
The draft was about to get into an alley of teams that could go for a wide receiver, which stands out as a potential necessity of a Day 1 or 2 pick for this roster build. The likelihood that Thomas would be on the board at the Bills’ original selection is not high, especially after his
NFL Scouting Combine performance. Thomas combines all the skills the Bills want most out of their new starting X-receiver. He has an outstanding size and speed combination. He’s strong on the ball and plays to his size. He can take the top off a split-safety defense. He wins underneath. He shows excellent effort as a blocker. He can play inside to unlock some more scheme versatility. And best yet, still only 21, he has the potential to become a team’s top receiver.
Thomas is the type of player who will excite Beane enough for a move up like this one. And don’t forget what’s likely sitting in the back of the GM’s brain. The Bills sat around a few picks too long, thinking they could wait and make a small move up for cornerback
Trent McDuffie in 2022, only to see their archrival, the
Kansas City Chiefs, come out of nowhere to trade up for him. The Chiefs are in the wide receiver market this year, too, in case Beane needs any other motivation. I could even see the Bills trading up higher than No. 19. For this mock, though, it’s Thomas at No. 19 without a second thought.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler on Thomas: A former basketball recruit, Thomas has unique body movements for his size (before and after the catch), with focus and coordination to make plays above the rim. He consistently gets on top of coverage with quick acceleration, although crisper cuts and improved leverage will help him create better separation out of breaks. Thomas took his game to another level in 2023, posting an FBS-best 17 touchdown grabs, the most by a Power 5 receiver since
DeVonta Smith (23) in 2020.
2024 Bills mock offseason: Picks 19-59
The pick at No. 83: EDGE Austin Booker, Kansas
For those waiting for the first big defensive end piece of the mock offseason, here it is. The Bills take a big swing with the selection of Booker, an inexperienced but high-ceiling pass rusher. Booker has the height, length, speed and play strength the Bills covet at the position, plus room to add to his frame and get closer to the 250-260-pound mark they like. He would also be a right defensive end in the Bills defense, which complements
Greg Rousseau’s skill set well. Booker was productive in his one year at Kansas, and despite a lack of college snaps, he shows as high of an upside as you’ll get at this point in the draft.
The Bills also aren’t afraid to take a big swing on a defensive end with a low snap count. According to Pro Football Focus, Rousseau had only 545 defensive snaps in college and has been the most successful pick the Bills have made at the position under Beane. At this point on Day 2, there won’t be a perfect prospect. The Bills have tried the safe route at defensive end before on Day 2, and the selections of
A.J. Epenesa and
Boogie Basham didn’t quite live up to what they had hoped for. This time, it’s all about potential and high upside. They’ll have at least two players — Rousseau and
Von Miller — to work ahead of Booker for 2024 as he learns and gets bigger, and Booker can learn from Miller for an entire season with the goal of starting in 2025.
Brugler on Booker: With only 505 defensive snaps in his college career (95 percent of those coming in 2023), Booker is still a work in progress and needs to develop his play strength and rush plan. But he is tall, long and twitched up with enough promising flashes. For a patient team willing to invest in his potential, Booker will be an interesting developmental prospect.
We’ll go straight to the selections for rounds 4 through 7. Picks remaining: Nos. 133, 143, 159, 162, 188, 195, 199 and 248.
Trade!
The Bills trade Nos. 133, 159 and 248 to the New York Giants for No. 106.
The Ryan Bates trade armed the Bills with three fifth-round picks, which allows them to move up into the early fourth round. So in this trade, the Bills move up 25 spots, ditch only a fifth- and late seventh-round pick and still hold eight total selections in their pocket. The move up was to get what could become their strong safety of the future in Bishop. With his ability to tackle and win near the line of scrimmage against the run, he seems well suited to potentially take over the
Jordan Poyer role while also holding his own in coverage.
Taylor Rapp was a bit of a disappointment last season and essentially has only a one-year commitment from the team, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility for Bishop to unseat Rapp at some point in 2024.
Brugler on Bishop: Utah’s defensive scheme demands versatility from its safeties, and Bishop was up for the challenge with his ability to play all over the field. No matter where he starts at the snap, he is always rallying to the football and covers a ton of ground. Some safeties play fast and others play controlled — Bishop does both.
The pick at No. 143: DT Tyler Davis, Clemson
The Bills need a one-technique defensive tackle to develop and serve as the primary backup to
DaQuan Jones, and Davis fits those parameters. The Bills don’t need a massive human being at one-technique, just one who plays big and can occupy blockers. Even though he’s slightly undersized at 301 pounds, Davis can make up for it with his strength.
The pick at No. 162: CB M.J. Devonshire, Pittsburgh
With
Tre’Davious White and
Siran Neal out of the picture, the Bills have room for a sixth cornerback on the 53-man roster. Devonshire would enter the equation, and the Bills would need to figure out where he’s best, whether it’s on the boundary or at nickel corner. But with an arm length of nearly 33 inches, it will certainly put him in consideration on the outside to begin things. The Bills have the roster room for either, especially one who could do both.
The pick at No. 188: WR Anthony Gould, Oregon State
With a good wide receiver class, it makes a lot of sense to double dip and try to find a fourth- or fifth-receiver type on a rookie deal. Gould is small (5 feet 8, 174 pounds), but his speed and run after catch are a big part of the draw. He could provide some punt-returning function as he learns the offense. At worst, he’s a developmental player to keep on the 53-man roster as a weekly healthy scratch. At best, he could fill the
Isaiah McKenzie,
Deonte Harty role as the fourth or fifth receiver.
The pick at No. 195: C Hunter Nourzad, Penn State
The Bills have room for a developmental offensive lineman, specifically at center and offensive tackle, but a young center is something they have yet to draft under Beane. Nourzad wouldn’t be depended on to be anything other than a healthy scratch every week in year one, with the hopes that he, like several other late-round centers, could massively outplay his draft slot.
The pick at No. 199: LB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri
The Bills need a linebacker to fill out their roster with some special teams juice, and that’s what Hopper can help provide, even in his first season. It’s all about selecting players late who could make the team outright, and a fifth linebacker has a strong case.
Post-draft cap adjustment
Some of the trades shifted part of the team’s Top-51 contracts and took a small amount of cap space from where they were before the draft.
Quintin Morris would be re-added to the Top 51, taking the place of No. 129, which was traded away during the mock draft.
Cap space before the draft: -$298,000
Cap space after the draft: -$547,000
Tre’Davious White cap adjustment
As of June 1, the Bills will have access to all of their funds gained from White’s post-June 1 designation. That will add the full $10.21 million in savings to their 2024 cap sheet, which could pave the way for a second wave of free agency.
Adjusted cap space after June 1: $9.66 million.
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