Who should Bills take in first round of NFL Draft 2024? Updated mock drafts, analysis
The 2024 NFL Draft order generates a lot of interest from top to bottom, but there’s especially a lot of eyeballs watching the early rounds.
The Buffalo Bills have just two picks in the first three rounds. One is in the first round, at No. 28 overall, so they need to make it count.
That doesn’t mean the Bills won’t find a steal later on. Andre Reed went to Buffalo at No. 86 overall in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. In 15 years with the Bills, he went to seven Pro Bowls and totaled 941 catches for 13,095 yards and 86 touchdowns.
Still, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane must choose wisely at No. 28. He can ensure getting a top player by trading up via the 2025 second-round pick gained from the Stefon Diggs trade to Houston. Beane has signaled a desire not to do that, but it’s not out of the question.
Here are the players draft experts think the Bills will take in the NFL Draft’s first round.
More: NFL draft order 2024: Where every team picks over seven rounds, 257 picks
Marshawn Kneeland, Edge, Western Michigan
Picked by: Chad Reuter, NFL.com
Height/Weight: 6-3, 267
Summary: The second-team All-MAC selection led Western Michigan with 4.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and 57 tackles in 10 games. He’s an athletic edge-rusher with a high motor.
Reuter’s rationale: “The two most recent times two MAC players were selected in the first round: Ben Roethlisberger and Jason Babin in 2004; Khalil Mack and Jimmie Ward in 2014. And now 2024, as Kneeland joins Quinyon Mitchell as a Day 1 pick. In Kneeland, Buffalo adds a productive, athletic edge defender to chase the top AFC quarterbacks.”
More: 2024 NFL mock draft: Embracing the chaos of potential smokescreens
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
Picked by: Josh Edwards and Tom Fornelli, CBS
Height/Weight: 6-2, 205
Things to know: Mitchell ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and had an athleticism score of 91, ranking third among participants. He’s considered a borderline franchise-type NFL receiver, with size, speed and a knack for catching passes anywhere in his vicinity. He has made huge plays in both the College Football Playoff semifinals for Texas and the CFP national championship for Georgia and is arguably the most popular pick for the Bills.
Edwards’ and Fornelli’s rationale: Note that two other CBS experts think differently. Ryan Wilson predicts the Bills will take Penn State edge-rusher Chop Robinson. Chris Trapasso thinks the Bills will take Texas receiver Xavier Worthy through a trade with the Carolina Panthers.
But here’s how Fornelli sees it: “I'd be shocked if the Bills don't select a receiver in the first round. They may even trade up to get one, but I don't think they'll have to, given how deep the class is.”
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
Picked by: Nate Davis, USA Today
Davis' rationale: Davis thinks Mitchell will land in Buffalo via projected trade with the Los Angeles Rams. "After divorcing themselves from Diggs, the Bills may have to get a bit aggressive in Round 1 in order to find a potential replacement at WR1 – and that could be a move for Mitchell, who has Velcro hands and postseason bona fides," Davis wrote. "He’s plenty big (6-2, 205) and exceptionally fast (4.34 40 time), a combo that should dovetail with Allen, who like to go deep but can benefit from a larger catch radius on intermediate throws. A Georgia transfer, Mitchell found the end zone 11 times during his only season with the Longhorns."
More: NFL draft: Complete list of first overall selections from Bryce Young to Jay Berwanger
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
Picked by:Dane Brugler, The Athletic
Height/Weight: 6-3, 209
Things to know: Brugler projects the Bills will trade up to No. 17 for Thomas, a third-team AP All-American who led the FBS with 17 receiving TDs. Projected as a good deep threat, Thomas has the right blend of size, speed and agility to be the big target Allen needs.
Brugler’s rationale: “The Bills need their draft picks to remodel the roster with young, low-priced depth, but general manager Brandon Beane is an aggressive drafter and has never shied away from moving up in the first round to get his guy. Thomas is an outstanding size/speed athlete with better route-running skill than given he’s credit for, and he’d give Josh Allen a new WR1 on offense.”
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
Picked by:Walter Cherepinsky, WalterFootball.com
Cherepinsky’s rationale: Cherepinsky didn’t note whether Thomas will be available at No. 28 or if the Bills will get him through a trade. Either way, he writes, "Buffalo sorely needed a second receiver because Gabe Davis just wasn’t cutting it most weeks. Davis is now gone, and so is Stefon Diggs. Brian Thomas Jr. is a huge receiver with great athleticism and upside.”
Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Picked by:Dan Parr, NFL Network
Height/Weight: 5-11, 165
Things to know: Worthy broke the NFL Combine record with a 40-yard dash of 4.21 seconds. He led Texas with 75 catches, 1,014 receiving yards (13.5 per catch) and added five receiving TDs. He ranked second in the FBS with 16.9 yards per punt return (22-371, TD).
Parr’s rationale: “The Bills could make an aggressive move up the board to find a new weapon for Josh Allen after parting with Stefon Diggs. If they stay put, snagging the 40-yard dash king to take the top off defenses and catch (Josh) Allen's rockets would be exhilarating.”
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Bills mock NFL draft roundup 2024: Expert first round picks, analysis
