No. 30 – DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
No. 30 – EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
This could easily be an offensive weapon to help reigning MVP QB Josh Allen or a player to bolster the back end on defense (like Georgia's Malaki Starks), but the Bills' defensive front could use the help, too. Ezeiruaku can be a double-digit sack guy in the NFL.
No. 30 – CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
Heading into the combine, Hairston was clumped into a cluster of corners who were in the late-Day 1 to early-Day 2 range. But a good performance in Indy catapulted him to the top of the group, highlighted by his 4.28-second 40.
Hairston is a perfect scheme fit for the Bills and can keep up with any receiver. His loose movements and fluidity allow him to easily change directions and attack the ball out of the air. He maintained his physicality this past season even though a nagging shoulder injury limited him to five games.
No. 30 – CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
Similar in ways to Nate Wiggins in last year's draft class, Hairston is rail thin (183 pounds) — but 4.2 athletes with coverage ability aren't easy to find. Buffalo could use his quick-twitch play style.
No. 30 – DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
Grant is arguably the best pure athlete in the class, considering his massive size and explosive traits. The Michigan defender didn't fully test at the NFL Scouting Combine. Still, the 331-pound defensive lineman held the highest player athletic index entering the event, according to Tracking Football.
If Grant reaches his full athletic potential, he could be a Dexter Lawrence-like three-down game destroyer.
No. 30 – DT Walter Nolen, Mississippi
Nolen's maturity has come into question in conversations I've had with some team sources, but his talent is undeniable.
No. 30 – DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
The Bills need to get bigger and stronger on the interior. That's exactly where Kenneth Grant fits in. He brings a 6-foot-4, 331-pound frame with 33 1/2-inch arms. But he also moves very well. He is stout in run defense first but then provides extra finesse as a pass-rusher.
No. 30 – S Malaki Starks, Georgia
Buffalo has other, more prominent needs on their roster — such as up front on the defensive line and potentially at cornerback. But we've now seen eight defensive linemen go off the board and another five cornerbacks through 29 picks, meaning the value available versus other spots may not line up. Is Cole Bishop really going to stop the Bills from adding an instinctive talent such as Starks? He's a much better tackler than Bishop and is well-groomed for playing complex coverages on the back end.
No. 30 – DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
Sean McDermott's defense needs to get bigger and tougher up the middle. Kenneth Grant would check those boxes. Grant is a powerful defensive tackle with a legitimate three-down upside.
No. 30 – S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Emmanwori has a chance to be a headline-stealer at the combine with his weigh-in and workouts, and he would give the Bills a different type of safety than they've had in the past as his solid play makes him more than just a workout warrior.
No. 30 – CB Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State
Buffalo is going to go defense. It is just a matter of defensive tackle, cornerback or safety. Azareye'h Thomas possesses the length that the Bills often covet on the boundary.
No. 30 – WR Matthew Golden, Texas
The Bills get an outside speed element for Josh Allen in Golden, who's not only fast but excels tracking the football near the sideline.
No. 30 – DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
A class deep with defensive tackle options should serve Buffalo well. In Harmon, the Bills land a versatile and disruptive interior force who can allow Sean McDermott to keep his front fresh while optimizing matchups.
No. 30 – EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
The energetic sack artist is a perfect fit for Buffalo as a blue-collar playmaker with a relentless approach.
No. 30 – S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
With the Bills officially past the Micah Hyde/Jordan Poyer safety era, they could use a high-energy performer to pair with Damar Hamlin. Emmanwori was all of that and more at South Carolina: This year, he had two pick sixes, and a third was called back because of a penalty away from the ball. Emmanwori led the Gamecocks with 88 tackles, finished with four interceptions and didn't allow a touchdown in coverage. He'd fit right in on Sean McDermott's defense. — Dochterman
No. 30 – CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
If Buffalo doesn't re-sign Rasul Douglas, one of its cornerback spots is going to be open. And after allowing 7.1 yards per attempt in 2024 (league average), the Bills could use some reinforcements to the secondary.
Barron is so versatile that the Bills would be able to put him anywhere on the back end. He reminds me of Cooper DeJean in that way. We saw Barron at outside corner, slot corner and safety at Texas. And he's a real ball hawk, picking off five passes and breaking up 10 more this past season. Barron can wrap up as a tackler and get after the quarterback as a blitzer, too. He's one of my favorite players in the class.
No. 30 - CB Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State
The Buffalo Bills are at a stage where everybody knows they are a Super Bowl-worthy team, but the question is: how do they get over the hump? They have to do that by continuing to add valuable pieces to this team. The Bills are going to need help in the secondary to help stop the opposing offenses in the AFC. So, with this pick, they go with Florida State DB Azareye'h Thomas. Thomas has the length and athleticism to physically match up with some of the best WRs in the NFL.
No. 30 – DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Buffalo's struggles on the interior this past season push them to draft Harmon, who had a major breakout at Oregon. He and Mason Graham were the only two Power Four defensive tackles who finished with 80.0-plus PFF grades as a run defender and a pass-rusher.
No. 30 – WR Matthew Golden, Texas
Explosive is the best one-word description for Golden, who reminded me a lot of Jordan Addison coming out of USC. He doesn't have the biggest frame, but he consistently creates separation at the top of his route, he has legit track speed (10.93 in the 100m in high school) and also has return ability. His best football is ahead of him.
