The Bills still need a cornerback. They still need a defensive tackle. They could (maybe) use another speedy receiver, (maybe) another safety. What will they do with the No. 30 overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night? We've got some ideas.
Using a draft simulator via Pro Football Focus (plenty of simulators are out there in the digital world, so if you like, you can play along at home) we came up with a pool of players who could be available when the Bills make their first-round selection 鈥 assuming, of course, that general manager Brandon Beane stays put rather than trading up or down.
We then asked members of our coverage team to play general manager and make their selections for the Bills at No. 30. As you can see, there's not exactly a consensus.
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Here's how the top 29 picks shaped up in the simulation:
1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward听鈥 QB听鈥⒙燤iami.
2. Cleveland Browns: Travis Hunter听鈥⒙燙B/WR听鈥⒙燙olorado.
3. New York Giants: Abdul Carter听鈥⒙爀dge听鈥⒙燩enn State.
4. New England Patriots: Armand Membou听鈥⒙燭听鈥⒙燤issouri.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham听鈥⒙燚L听鈥⒙燤ichigan.
6. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty听鈥⒙燫B听鈥⒙燘oise State.
7. New York Jets: Shedeur Sanders听鈥⒙燪B听鈥⒙燙olorado.
8. Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan听鈥⒙燱R听鈥⒙燗rizona.
9. New Orleans Saints: Will Campbell听鈥⒙燭听鈥⒙燣SU.
10. Chicago Bears: Jahdae Barron听鈥⒙燙B听鈥⒙燭exas.
11. San Francisco 49ers: Tyler Warren听鈥⒙燭E听鈥⒙燩enn State.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Mykel Williams听鈥⒙爀dge听鈥⒙燝eorgia.
13. Miami Dolphins: Will Johnson听鈥⒙燙B听鈥⒙燤ichigan.
14. Indianapolis Colts: Shemar Stewart听鈥⒙爀dge听鈥⒙燭exas A&M.
15. Atlanta Falcons: Jihaad Campbell听鈥⒙燣B听鈥⒙燗labama.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Mike Green听鈥⒙爀dge听鈥⒙燤arshall.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Kenneth Grant听鈥⒙燚T听鈥⒙燤ichigan.
18. Seattle Seahawks: Jalon Walker听鈥⒙燣B听鈥⒙燝eorgia.
19. Tampa Bay Bucs: Donovan Ezeiruaku听鈥⒙爀dge听鈥⒙燘oston College.
20. Denver Broncos: Matthew Golden听鈥⒙燱R听鈥⒙燭exas.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Josh Simmons听鈥⒙燭听鈥⒙燨hio State.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Walter Nolen听鈥⒙燚T听鈥⒙燨le Miss.
23. Green Bay Packers: Tyler Booker听鈥⒙燝听鈥⒙燗labama.
24. Minnesota Vikings: Emeka Egbuka听鈥⒙燱R听鈥⒙燨hio State.
25. Houston Texans: Malaki Starks听鈥⒙燬听鈥⒙燝eorgia.
26. Los Angeles Rams: James Pearce Jr.听鈥⒙爀dge听鈥⒙燭ennessee.
27. Baltimore Ravens: Colston Loveland听鈥⒙燭E听鈥⒙燤ichigan.
28. Detroit Lions: Grey Zabel听鈥⒙燭听鈥⒙燦orth Dakota State.
29. Washington Commanders: Omarion Hampton听鈥⒙燫B听鈥⒙燦orth Carolina.
Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon surveys the field during the Ducks' pro day March 18 in Eugene, Ore.
Mark Gaughan's pick
Derrick Harmon 鈥 DT 鈥 Oregon
The Bills catch a break on this simulation, because Harmon would be a steal. There have been social media rumors that he has some kind of medical condition and could fall. I don鈥檛 know anything about that. He鈥檚 just what the Bills love in a combo defensive tackle. He鈥檚 big enough to be a force at DaQuan Jones鈥 1-technique position, and he鈥檚 very disruptive as a pass rusher. He鈥檚 a better three-down player than Michigan鈥檚 Kenneth Grant. I like Grant but I worry about him playing a little too upright. Harman showed his athleticism at the combine by running under 5 seconds (4.95) at 313 pounds. That makes him a weapon on slants and stunts in the pass-rush game. And his playing weight probably is a tad higher than 313. He has exceptionally long arms, at 34鈪 inches. He played great against national champion Ohio State. If the Bills landed Harman, I think he would be playing more snaps than Jones by the end of the season. Another thing the Bills love: He鈥檚 young. He doesn鈥檛 turn 22 until August. This would be a great scenario for the Bills.
Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston shows support for his teammates during the Wildcats' pro day March 11 in Lexington, Ky.
Jay Skurski's pick
Maxwell Hairston 鈥 CB听鈥 Kentucky
Kenneth Grant was my pick in my final mock draft, but he鈥檚 long gone in this scenario. So we鈥檒l wait on the defensive line and address the biggest roster need, which is at cornerback. Hairston adds dynamic speed to the defense. His 4.28-second 40-yard dash was the fastest at the NFL scouting combine. He had five interceptions in 2023. That total dropped to one in 2024, but he missed five games because of a shoulder injury. Durability is a bit of a concern, but Hairston is a willing tackler 鈥 a must in Sean McDermott鈥檚 defense 鈥 who has good production. He had six interceptions in 20 college starts and 16 passes defensed. The Bills signed Tre鈥橠avious White and Dane Jackson this offseason, but both of them are on a one-year contract. Hairston would ideally become a long-term answer opposite Christian Benford, but the Bills wouldn鈥檛 have to force him into the lineup in Week 1 if the coaching staff determined he wasn鈥檛 ready. Hairston doesn鈥檛 turn 22 until August and holds his degree in community leadership and development. He played basketball and ran track in high school. All of those are factors that will make him attractive to the Bills鈥 front office.
Ole Miss defensive back Trey Amos runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine Feb. 28 in Indianapolis.
Katherine Fitzgerald's pick
Trey Amos听鈥 CB听鈥⒙Ole Miss
Like Jay, I鈥檓 going cornerback to fill a long-term roster need, but I鈥檒l go with Trey Amos. Amos played at Louisiana-Lafayette and Alabama, then rounded out his career at Ole Miss. Between all those stops and with one year under Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding鈥檚 complex coverage, Amos has shown his versatile style and adaptability. He鈥檚 coming off a year in which he had an SEC-best 16 passes聽defended, showing his knack for playmaking. Amos (6-1, 195) has some room to improve on tackling, but he had three interceptions and gave up just two touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus, in his final college campaign. Amos is self-reflective, though, and he not only knows his flaws; he鈥檚 actively working on them. 鈥淢y best skill is my man coverage, just getting hands on wide receivers and just being able to like just do my thing,鈥 he said in February at the NFL combine. 鈥淚 just go out there and just compete. And I feel like I just need to improve tackling, just taking better angles. I feel like that鈥檚 how I can improve being a cornerback. I feel like my man coverage and my zone coverage have all gotten better.鈥
South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori runs drills during the Gamecocks' pro day March 18 in Columbia, S.C.
Ryan O'Halloran's pick
Nick Emmanwori听鈥 S听鈥⒙South Carolina
I鈥檝e been on the Kenneth Grant train since the scouting combine, but this exercise has him going so early, the Bills won鈥檛 be able to trade up even if they wanted to. My pick of Emmanwori is based on several factors, but No. 1 is that the Bills need a defensive enforcer (6-foot-3, 220 pounds), an enforcer who can make plays all over the field. He鈥檚 durable (one missed game in three years). He takes the football away (six interceptions in 2023-24). He tackles (244 in 37 games). He runs fast (4.38-second 40-yard dash). And he鈥檚 versatile (can play in the box and deep middle). You say the Bills have three safeties in Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop and Damar Hamlin? I say they have one long-term safety (Bishop) and two who will be free agents after the season. Bishop is an interchangeable player and would form a potentially impressive and imposing duo with Nick E. It鈥檚 time to draft a rookie defensive player in the early rounds, put in the extra hours to get him coached up and start him in Week 1, aware of the inevitable growing pains. A new era of Bills Safety Play starts with Emmanwori and Bishop.
