The Buffalo Bills have the 27th pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins on April 27 in Kansas City. The Bills own six total picks in the seven-round draft.
Bills’ draft picks
| ROUND | PICK | OVERALL | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 27 | 27 | |
2 | 28 | 59 | |
3 | 28 | 91 | |
4 | 28 | 130 | |
5 | 2 | 137 | From Cardinals |
6 | 28 | 205 |
Full draft order
Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.
NFL Draft details
• Round 1: April 27, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 28, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 29, Noon ET
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All rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
About the Bills
• Head coach: Sean McDermott (seventh season)
• General manager: Brandon Beane
• Last year’s record: 13-3
To keep their winning window open for the long term, the Bills had to be mindful of their cap situation and keep their free agency movement in check this offseason. They made some middle-tier and small moves to add starting guard Connor McGovern, rotational receiver Deonte Harty, running back Damien Harris and some depth. But the 2023 NFL Draft represents an opportunity for general manager Brandon Beane. Now living in a world of massive cap hits from their franchise quarterback and other stars, hitting on their early picks will be critical. And they have several areas that they could address in the first few rounds.
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Bills’ key position needs
Wide Receiver: They’ve done a lot to refresh the receiver room already, but they still need that one significant piece that can put them over the top and take pressure away from Stefon Diggs. Gabe Davis is a free agent after 2023, and Diggs will be 30 by the end of the season. An early-round receiver could be a priority to help the short-term and long-term health of the position.
Linebacker: The Bills lost Tremaine Edmunds in free agency and have yet to replace him in a meaningful way. Linebacker is a critical spot in coach Sean McDermott’s defense and would become a potentially significant liability with their current options. This is their most glaring 2023 need.
Safety: They’re all set for 2023 after the relatively unexpected return of Jordan Poyer, but eventually they’ll need to invest in the future. Both Poyer and Micah Hyde will be in their age-32 seasons, Hyde is a free agent after the year and the Bills could save substantial cap space to move on from Poyer after the year. The highest pick they’ve invested in a safety under general manager Brandon Beane was in the sixth round.
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Defensive tackle: The Bills need one more player to round out this position for 2023, but it goes deeper than that. The trio of Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle are all free agents following this season, meaning they need to start preparing for the future. That could begin in this year’s draft.
Offensive tackle: Beane strongly supported third-year right tackle Spencer Brown, so Brown likely has the inside track to start again in 2023. But they need better depth than David Quessenberry or Tommy Doyle, and potentially one who could take over a starting position should Brown or left tackle Dion Dawkins struggle significantly.
Bills draft analysis
The Draft Files, Part 1: 11 thoughts on the Bills entering the NFL Draft
Buffalo Bills 2023 NFL Draft big board: 77 names to know and how each player fits
Damar Hamlin’s return: What it means for the Bills and other offseason takeaways
The Athletic’s most recent mock drafts
April 18: Joe Buscaglia grades your Bills mock drafts
April 17: Dane Brugler’s seven-round mock draft
April 17: Speedy wide receiver, future starting safety highlight Bills selections
March 22: Beat writer mock draft: QBs go quickly, surprise trade
March 13: After Panthers trade for No. 1, quarterbacks go 1-2-3-4
Bills’ last five top picks
2022: CB Kaiir Elam, pick No. 23 — Elam didn’t follow Tre’Davious White’s lead from his rookie year in 2017 and instead spent most the year either sharing time, or off the field in general. Elam improved significantly by the end of the season, but it’s still not a guarantee he’ll live up to his first-round status. Regardless, Elam appears destined to be a full-time starter in 2023.
2021: DE Greg Rousseau, pick No. 30 — Rousseau capitalized on his immense potential and took a considerable step forward in the first two months of the season. But then Rousseau suffered a multi-week ankle injury and Von Miller was lost for the season, which all contributed to an inconsistent finish. Entering his third season, the Bills have high hopes the 23-year-old will take a giant leap toward his ceiling outcome.
2020: DE A.J. Epenesa, pick No. 54 — Now into his fourth year, Epenesa settled in as a rotational rusher who can give more snaps in the event of an injury, which is a disappointment given when he was drafted. His pass-rushing consistency has improved, though he tends to disappear for long stretches. If Miller isn’t ready to begin the year, Epenesa could open 2023 as a starter.
2019: DT Ed Oliver, pick No. 9 — Oliver has been a good-to-great starter over the past three seasons, with the potential to take over a game for small stretches. The Bills believed in him so much they issued an expensive fifth-year option and have stated they’d like to sign him for the long term. Though the burgeoning defensive tackle market may make it difficult.
2018: QB Josh Allen, pick No. 7 — The defining draft pick of the Beane and McDermott era just so happened to be Beane’s first one. Allen is their unquestioned leader and franchise quarterback, and he is why the Bills are perpetually in the championship conversation. He was a franchise-altering selection.
(Photo: Tom Pennington / Getty Images)
