NFL Mock Draft: Bills 3-round projection to finally beat the Chiefs next year

The Buffalo Bills find themselves in a familiar place, feeling the sting from another heartbreaking playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and wondering what they have to do to get Josh Allen over the hump and into the Super Bowl. Sunday's 32-29 loss in the AFC Championship Game may not have been quite as painful as 13 seconds, but it was pretty darn close, and now there's a long offseason ahead for Brandon Beane and Co.

So, what can the team do to finally slay Patrick Mahomes in the postseason? The Bills won't have too many key free agents to worry about, but while things aren't quite as dicey as they were last offseason, they're still up against the salary cap a bit — making the 2025 NFL Draft critically important for adding talent and addressing needs. The good news is that Buffalo has a surplus of picks, including an extra second-rounder from the Stefon Diggs trade, giving Beane the ammo he needs to amp up this roster ahead of next season.

Round 1, pick 30: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

Buffalo needs to get younger and more disruptive on the interior of the defensive line, especially if 33-year-old DaQuan Jones becomes a cap casualty this offseason. Ed Oliver isn't going anywhere, but beyond him, 2024 third-round pick DeWayne Carter is the only defensive tackle in the team's long-term plans, and the Bills could really use some reinforcements.

Grant is a physical freak, with more juice and quickness than you'd expect from someone with his massive frame. He wasn't always as dominant as you'd like at Michigan, but he flashed as much upside as just about anyone in the country at times. If he clicks, he could give the Bills one of the best DT duos in the league, which would be a huge boon to this defense.

Round 2: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

Of course, the Bills also need some help at corner, especially if Rasul Douglas' market prices him out of a return in free agency. The fit might not be there at the end of the first round, but the second round brings a ton of intriguing options — particularly Hairston, who may well have played himself into a first-round pick had injuries not derailed his final season at Kentucky.

When he's right, though, he sure looks the part, combining excellent coverage ability with top-notch ball skills as evidenced by his five picks for the Wildcats in 2023. Beane loves taking swings at cornerback in the draft, and Hairston is a very worthy candidate, someone who could step in right away and compete for a starting spot at a position of need.

Round 2: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College

Let's stay with defense for Buffalo's second pick in Round 2, as the Bills look to continue developing talent on the side of the ball that most needs it. Greg Rousseau is a star on the edge, but he could really use some help in the pass rush, with Von Miller likely a cap casualty (and a bit player at this point even if he does return on a reduced contract) and AJ Epenesa not taking the leap that fans had hoped for.

Ezeiruaku isn't necessarily a physical specimen at 6-foot-2, 247 pounds, but he racked up a whopping 16.5 sacks for BC in 2024, and that's the sort of production that the Bills could desperately use next season and beyond. Buffalo didn't do enough to disrupt Patrick Mahomes (and really, Lamar Jackson as well) when it mattered, and Beane needs to address the pass rush at some point in this draft.

Round 3: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State

It's finally time to give Josh Allen a little more help. Amari Cooper didn't produce the way the team hoped he would after acquiring him from the Cleveland Browns, and his market could be hot enough in free agency that he's priced out of Buffalo's plans. Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir are nice building blocks, and a cheap reunion with Mack Hollins should be a foregone conclusion, but the Bills could still use another option on the outside.

Higgins could fill that role with aplomb, a prototypical X receiver at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds who racked up more than 2,000 yards over the past two seasons at Iowa State. He's not necessarily a burner, but he's more athletic than you think, and he has the size, hands and route-running chops to win over the middle of the field. Having Allen goes a long way, but Buffalo can't neglect the receiver position entirely.