With the Buffalo Bills starting with seven picks in the NFL Draft, them trading down their draft picks three times in Round 1, and receiving two additional draft picks entering the second round, the team finished with a total of ten draft picks.
While the team made use of those 10 picks, certain players are NFL-ready, while others may need more time to develop and possibly play in years two or three of their rookie contracts. Learning behind seasoned starters will only enhance their abilities and make them better to start in the future.
4 rookie starters who could make an immediate impact
CB - Davison Igbinosun
When the Bills moved up to draft Davison Igbinosun with their second-round second pick, it was driven by concern that all the corners were going early; they had to move fast. This was because of the fear that they would lose out on a great player in a key area of need.
Igbinosun has the physical tools at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, and plays a physical, aggressive style of corner. He's not afraid to get dirty and break up every pass that comes his way in man and press coverage. While he's not a finished product yet, neither is 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston.
In fact, Brandon Beane may have drafted the Ohio State University corner with the mindset of him passing Hairston for an outside starting role at cornerback next to Christian Benford.
EDGE - T.J. Parker
After keeping everybody on hold in the first round, the Bills finally made a pick at No. 35 by selecting Clemson's T.J. Parker. Parker was the first building block of new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard's multiple 3-4 scheme, and he is a big, powerful one.
The 6-foot-3, 265-pound athlete took everybody by storm in 2024, as he totaled 19.5 tackles for loss, with 11 sacks and six forced fumbles in 14 games played. Last year's production dipped because head coach Dabo Swinney shifted to a more bend-but-don't-break defensive scheme, which is why Parker didn't record a sack.
Luckily, Parker's talents fit a scheme like Leonhard's, where he can put his hands in the dirt and power his way to sacking the QB as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
Right now, he would join an experienced and talented edge-rushing room with Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb and may earn some early playing time by rotating in and out with them.
Punter - Tommy Doman
The Bills had to come out of this draft with a starting-caliber punter, as all they have right now is 34-year-old Mitch Wishnowsky. He re-signed a one-year contract with the team, so the Bills wanted to bring in some competition going into camp.
They selected the big-legged Tommy Doman out of the University of Florida. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound athlete has a cannon for a leg and kicked at the University of Michigan for four years prior. He is used to kicking in cold weather and will have an advantage at the New Highmark Stadium.
WR - Skyler Bell
The Bills fans were waiting patiently to see if they would draft a receiver at any point in the draft. But when it was announced that the Bills selected Skyler Bell in the fourth round, they went bonkers.
The 6-foot,185-pound speedster is very fast and can make plays with the ball in his hands, especially on screen plays. He also has an impressive vertical leap, which means he can make the contested catches even against some of the biggest cornerbacks in football.
Bell can play as an outside wideout or feast inside in the slot and is compared to current Bills wideout Khalil Shakir in that area. But the biggest reason for drafting Bell was to give Keon Coleman competition and possibly take over his spot if Coleman does not meet expectations.
With all the talent the Bills selected in the NFL Draft, it will be interesting to see which players go out and win the starting roles in their respective positions. Let's hope it's enough to bring them to the big game.