Last Thursday it was announced that the Buffalo Bills would be trading their second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears for wide receiver DJ Moore and a fifth round pick. As you could imagine, all of the mock drafts that had One Bills Drive selecting a receiver in the first round will likely change their tune moving forward.
Even though the Moore trade doesn’t become official until the official start of the new league year on Wednesday, new mock drafts have the Bills pivoting to
the defensive side of the ball. USA Today’s Nate Davis has Buffalo addressing their need at defensive end, with Auburn’s Keldric Faulk as the pick in his latest mock. Faulk would be a flexible addition to the Bills, who Davis notes could kick inside on obvious passing downs.
The latest mock from Max Chadwick at Pro Football Focus has Buffalo addressing a need at safety. Chadwick opted for talented safety Dillon Thieneman from Oregon, a player who would be a plug-and-play starter on defense. The Bills also added depth at cornerback in this mock, with Arizona cornerback Treydan Stukes going in to Buffalo in Round 3.
Finally, Nick Baumgardner from The Athletic also had the Bills shifting to defense in his latest mock draft. Zion Young, an edge defender from Missouri, ends up being the pick thanks to some tremendous upside. Draft projections for Young have fluctuated this offseason, as there are some off-field concerns following an arrest for DWI late in 2025.
While I’m sure that mock drafts will continue to fluctuate as free agency matures, the early shift has the Bills focusing on the defensive side of the ball. Be sure to share your thoughts below on these latest mocks, or additional prospects you’d like the Bills to consider.
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