Who’s a fit after Day 2?
Last week, we continued on with our multi-part series on prospects the Buffalo Bills could consider at potential and popular positions of need, looking at early round safeties. With some of the safety, wide receiver, defensive tackle, cornerback, and edge-rusher classes outlined, we’re concluding this article series today with a look at potential late-round fits for the team.
The Bills have 10 draft picks heading into the final stretch before the actual event takes place in Green Bay, WI. Last year, the popular refrain given general manager Brandon Beane’s historic aggressiveness in moving up the board was “Beane won’t make 10 selections.” Lo and behold, Buffalo did make 10 draft selections in 2024. Despite some believing that the team cannot roster more than a few draft picks due to its status, the Bills ended up rostering eight of the 10 players selected consistently throughout the year.
So what types of players would Buffalo be targeting late in the draft? The most significant parts of being able to contribute to the team and be rostered early as a late-drafted player are:
- Being able to contribute on special teams and,
- Being drafted into a more advantageous position from a numbers standpoint.
If you’re drafted as WR7 on a roster that historically carries five wide receivers and you don’t project as someone who can cover a kick or a punt, your odds of making the roster notably decrease.
Let’s take a look at some late-round (defined here as rounds 4-7) prospects who could be targets for the Bills:
***note: the player list is not ranked, nor is it exhaustive***
2025 NFL Draft late round players for Bills to consider
- Isaac Teslaa, WR (Arkansas)
- Ricky White, WR (UNLV)
- Cody Simon, LB (Ohio State)
- Que Robinson, EDGE (Alabama)
- Hunter Wohler, S (Wisconsin)
Isaac Teslaa comes into the NFL with one of the oddest combinations of athleticism, skill set, and film I’ve seen recently. A freak athlete (9.96 RAS) with height who projects as a vertical slot player at the next level is already uncommon enough, but Teslaa having route running that is notably underdeveloped doesn’t stop him from jumping off the screen every once in a while with a “what in the ever-living heck was that” play (complimentary) using contested catch skills and long speed.
His stock has been rising in media and draft analysts’ minds since the Senior Bowl in Mobile, but he’s still a player who would likely come into a room as a WR4-5 with the idea that he would try to break in on special teams. Teslaa’s inclusion here is about Buffalo’s loss of former size receiver and blocker extraordinaire Mack Hollins in free agency. They may feel Teslaa (who is a strong and capable blocker) may be able to fill that role if they’re able to nab him early on Day 3.
Ricky White is a cleaner projection to special teams than Teslaa is, and shows less potential as a early contributor at receiver. “Lacks play strength” and “doesn’t have great foot speed” are a bad combination for any receiver, but White played 190 special teams snaps at UNLV and made an impact with multiple blocked punts. White shows good spatial awareness in zone and has reliable hands when not contested.
He’s quarterback-friendly for “see him open and throw it to him” situations and won’t create unnecessary contests through lazy route running. Teams will likely target him in the late rounds or as a priority undrafted free agent.
Cody Simon fits the Bills’ profile at linebacker, standing 6’2” and weighing 229 pounds. He also has extensive special teams experience, playing 586 teams snaps during his college career across multiple units.
On defense, instincts are important for backup linebackers who play teams and may not get as many reps as necessary to build that muscle, and Simon shows strong awareness of his role and play development. Short arms create a suboptimal tackling radius, and that in combination with a lack of top long speed can restrict his range, but he can come in and contribute on teams immediately while he provides depth for a team.
Que Robinson is a scrimmage-inexperienced player who shows some body traits that would raise an eyebrow of a defensive line coach. Essentially a full-time special teams player at Alabama, Robinson played a whopping 692 snaps across multiple units.
If the Bills are still pining for a Darryl Johnson-type player with length and a body type that makes you feel like he can simultaneously be a backup and contribute on teams, they could target him on Day 3. He shows flashes of good extension and movement ability in his limited pass rush attempts.
Hunter Wohler is a strong, big safety prospect whose lack of range limits the role teams will project him into on defense. He’s tenacious to the ball and shows excellent strength in coverage, but can lose a unaffordable step when playing backwards into deeper zones.
His lack of length can show up when he’s stuck on a block, but he shows active hands to continually work to shed. Wohler is another teams projection for a team that wants to raise their floor in that area.
Who are some Day 3 players you believe could come in and provide the Bills with depth, and a probability of making the roster?
...and that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I’m Bruce Nolan with Buffalo Rumblings. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @BruceExclusive and look for new episodes of “The Bruce Exclusive” every Thursday on the Rumblings Cast Network — see more in my LinkTree!