The Buffalo Bills are once again leaving the playoffs empty-handed after a double-digit win season. With their eyes now set on free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft, this Bills NFL Mock Draft follows them as they aim to finally get over the hump.
In this scenario, simulated trades were active among other teams via the Mock Draft Simulator, but the Bills held steady and did not make any moves.
Latest Buffalo Bills 2023 NFL Mock Draft
Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina | Round 1, Pick 27
Josh Allen can be better. But it’s also true that the Bills may have put too much on his plate, with too little support in 2022. Even for the best quarterbacks, their best only comes out when they have adequate weapons to utilize. Allen has Stefon Diggs, but he needs more beyond that.
In Round 1 of this Bills NFL Mock Draft, Josh Downs can give Buffalo the dynamic second option they desire. Downs provides high-end explosiveness and speed, with definitive big-play ability. But he can also demolish coverages as a route runner and function as an elite RAC threat in the short range.
Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh | Round 2, Pick 59
The Bengals were rolling out an offensive line with multiple backups in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. And still, Buffalo routinely struggled to generate pressure. Their line looked outmatched, less physical, and less explosive off the line. Calijah Kancey can help change all of that.
At 6’0″, 275 pounds, Kancey is notably undersized on the interior, similar to current Bills lineman Ed Oliver. But when Oliver’s contract runs out after 2023, Kancey can be the player Buffalo hoped Oliver would be. Kancey is supremely explosive, violent, twitchy, and flexible, with awe-inspiring power and strength for his frame.
Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma | Round 3, Pick 91
The Bills were bested in the trenches against the Bengals. There’s no other way to put it. On both offense and defense, Buffalo struggled to fend off displacement from the other side. A particular weak link was Spencer Brown at right tackle, continuing a troubling theme that was present against Miami as well.
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Buffalo may want to seek an upgrade at right tackle. And while Wanya Morris might be a little rough around the edges on Day 1, he has the tools to potentially supersede Brown. Morris is an elite athlete with explosiveness and power. He offers greater raw strength and greater displacement capacity than Brown.
Keion White, DL, Georgia Tech | Round 4, Pick 128
Kancey is very good, and he’s an exciting addition to a Bills defensive line that needs more natural disruptive ability. But with Kancey being so undersized, he’ll need other violent lineman to play off of. Enter Keion White, an underrated gem at Georgia Tech.
White will be a bit older than usual as a rookie, as he’s already 24 years old. But at 6’4″, 286 pounds, with arms over 33″, he offers excellent size and power capacity, to go along with high-end explosiveness, agility, and force at contact. He’s alignment-versatile and a wrecking ball with his raw traits.
Nick Herbig, EDGE, Wisconsin | Round 5, Pick 135
That’s right. We’re not done adding to the Bills’ pass-rushing group. We’ve picked up a couple dynamic, alignment-versatile players. But with Von Miller coming off an injury and getting older, another pass-rushing specialist outside the tackle might be a prime investment.
At 6’2″ and under 230 pounds, Nick Herbig’s size won’t do him any favors in the pre-draft process. It could also take him off the field on early downs. But as a pass rusher, Herbig has ideal burst, bend, and motor, with active hands to take advantage of 1-on-1 opportunities.
Donovan Jennings, OL, South Florida | Round 5, Pick 160
Late in this Bills NFL Mock Draft, we’ll once again turn to the trenches, where Buffalo may also have a need to address at interior OL in the near future. Rodger Saffold was signed to a one-year deal in the past free agency cycle, and he might not be retained.
In Round 5, you won’t always get an immediate starter, but a prospect like Donovan Jennings could go on to be a steal. Jennings has a dense, well-leveraged frame, and good athleticism at 6’4″, 312 pounds. A collegiate tackle who projects inside, he can stabilize things with his well-rounded skill set and steady pass-protection technique.