You know what time it is, Rumblers. It’s the point of the season where we begin turning our attention to next year’s NFL Draft. Well, at least for one article. The Buffalo Bills just finished their work in the 2026 NFL Draft, and have begun signing undrafted free agents (UDFAs), which has 10 new drafted players and almost as many UDFAs set to join the fray.
So, before any of those rookies can suit up and attempt meaningful contributions this fall, let’s see what draft experts think the team should
prioritize with next year’s class. It’s widely understood that NFL front offices work on multiple draft classes at a time, and the 2027 class is reportedly shaping up to be a great one.
We’ll focus on three outlets this session, with full Round 1 mocks from James Dator at SB Nation, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz with USA Today, and Cooper Petagna of CBS Sports.
With these too-early mock drafts, the orders are often set using the most current reverse Super Bowl odds. At FanDuel Sportsbook, the Bills are +1000 to win the Super Bowl per FanDuel Sportsbook’s most recent odds (as of publishing on 4/27/2026).
Ready? Of course you are!
SB Nation 2027 NFL mock draft
We begin with James Dator, who has the Bills picking at 31 overall — which Bills Mafia will undoubtedly declare as truth only after trading up with the Seattle Seahawks in this scenario. Buffalo is in the midst of recreating the team’s defensive identity, an endeavor expected to bleed over well into next season under defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Even with the Bills selecting six defensive players this past weekend, there will be room to focus on that side of the ball a year from now. Dator pairs Buffalo with safety KJ Bolden out of Georgia.
It’s an interesting pick, of course. First, there’s defensive back Jalon Kilgore to consider, who was just drafted by the Bills. Yet it’s uncertain where he’ll play despite being listed as a safety. Some envision Kilgore as a more natural slot cornerback.
Regarding Bolden, he could also see his best NFL fit at slot cornerback, at least if the most recent analyses on him prove true. Yet Bolden also represents yet another move to add real speed to Buffalo’s defensive backfield, evidenced by his track background — where he ran a 10.76-second 100-meter dash as a freshman; also clocking a 4.33-second 40-yard dash presumably more recently in college.
Adding a versatile back end defender who scouts see as a sideline-to-sideline ball hawk makes a ton of sense for what we believe shall be a feature of Leonhard’s system. However, Bolden could stand to bulk up a bit, which may or may not affect his speed and explosion. As it stands, scouts see his thin frame as a bit of a liability, and something that renders him ill-suited to blitz.
Outsiders may balk a bit at the team once again going defense again early, but adding players who can help get the ball back to quarterback Josh Allen and company reads as a sound business plan.
USA Today 2027 NFL mock draft
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz also takes a defensive approach to Buffalo’s top pick in next year’s draft. He sees the Bills landing edge rusher Damon Wilson II out of Miami. In Wilson, Buffalo would be making a move to shore up a situational problem: the pass rush. In past seasons, the Bills have relied on defensive ends who do all things well, perhaps passing over more elite prospects in terms of rushing the quarterback.
Wilson could be a meaningful move to fix that issue, with Middlehurst-Schwartz pointing out that run defense isn’t (yet) a big part of what makes him a special prospect. Fans of the Bills might not be thrilled to see their favorite team select yet another edge rusher/defensive end/d-lineman, but the need for quality prospects at the position(s) is never ending. Here’s what Middlehurst-Schwartz had to say, overall:
“26. Buffalo Bills – Damon Wilson II, DE, Miami (Fla.)”
“For the Bills to truly thrive in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s system, the franchise might need to break from some of its past proclivities. That could mean trying to jolt a stubborn edge rush with Wilson, who isn’t yet a reliable presence against the run but could be in line to follow ex-Hurricanes Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor as an early pick after transferring from Missouri.”
This is a move that may not make a lot of immediate sense to the fans, but the team doesn’t draft for the fans. They did just draft T.J. Parker, and in front of him are starting edge rushers Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb. Similar to what president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane discussed of cornerbacks, a team can’t have enough good players rushing to the football. If Wilson continues to create a name for himself as a pass rusher, then any hesitation could quickly turn into draft crushes en masse.
CBS Sports 2027 NFL mock draft
We close with Cooper Patagna’s mock draft selection for the Bills, which makes it three mock drafts, three defensive picks. At 30, which is behind the Los Angeles Rams and Seahawks (who understandably couldn’t play each other in the Super Bowl, as traditionally implied by the last two teams drafting in Round 1), the Bills are paired with linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa out of Notre Dame.
This is a pick perhaps more fans can get behind, especially with even the slightest bit of uncertainty at MIKE and SAM roles set to be sandwiched-in by edge rushers named Rousseau and Chubb. Nearly a decade ago, Buffalo thought they had their do-it-all linebacker in Tremaine Edmunds. That didn’t go as planned, and they’ve gotten further away from his mold while relying on grizzled veterans to survive an entire season and postseason.
One can confidently predict that Terrel Bernard will reprise his starting role as health allows, and that Dorian Williams has shown enough to get the nod alongside Bernard. It’s worked well in the past, but this is going to be a different defense. How it favors both remains to be seen.
In a vacuum, adding a linebacker who Patagna sees as someone with a “highly cerebral feel” and “one of the more well-rounded players on the board” makes perfect sense. His reported ability to bring it as a situational pass rusher only adds to the intrigue. However, there’s room for pause as Viliamu-Asa will enter the 2026 college football season coming off a torn ACL this past November.
Here’s Patagna’s write-up on Viliamu-Asa:
“30. Buffalo Bills: Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB, Notre Dame”
“An on- and off-ball presence with a highly cerebral feel, Viliamu-Asa is one of the more well-rounded players on the board. His ability to provide situational pass-rush juice only adds to his value. He’s coming off a torn ACL suffered in November but appears on track to return at full strength this fall.”
Think you’ve got a plan to make a play on the Buffalo Bills in 2026? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook now to roll the dice in the game within the game!
