Bills' latest free-agent CB signing may reveal Round 1 draft plans

The Buffalo Bills spent a majority of their available free-agent money on the defensive line, leaving a question at starting cornerback in the process.

With 2024 starter Rasul Douglas testing the market, the Bills have yet to fill the CB2 spot opposite of Christian Benford. In the meantime, Buffalo traded 2022 first-round draft disappointment Kaiir Elam to the Dallas Cowboys and signed former seventh-round pick Dane Jackson after one year away.

While Jackson, who was released by the Carolina Panthers, can be a serviceable starter if needed, in an ideal situation, he's a top-level understudy. Simply put, he's more of a replacement for Elam than Douglas.

The Bills could still re-sign Douglas, but it would likely have to come at a discounted price. Buffalo has marginal salary cap space with almost all of it needed to sign the draft class.

Dane Jackson tackle — Bills defensive players including Dane Jackson, DaQuan Jones, Ed Oliver and A.J. Klein come in to tackle Chiefs Isiah Pacheco during the first half of the Bills divisional game against Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 21, 2024. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee /Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Much like 2022, it seems as if the strategy moving forward is to find a potential starting cornerback in the NFL Draft. The Bills are currently slotted to pick at No. 30 overall in Round 1, and general manager Brandon Beane has a history of trading up, as was the case with Elam.

One prominent mock draft projects Buffalo to trade up to No. 24 overall and select Florida State's Azareye'h Thomas. Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron is another name that has been linked to the Bills by mock drafters.

Getting a starting caliber player on a rookie contract is almost imperative for the Bills at this point in the offseason, especially with Christian Benford coming up for an extension.