Latest Mel Kiper mock draft suggests Bills will surprisingly pass on DT prospect

The Buffalo Bills have perceived needs on defense, and popular media sentiment suggest they will use their first-round draft pick to address one of those needs.

In his latest mock draft, longtime ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper has the Bills doing just that.

Kiper's 2025 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 projects Buffalo standing pat at No. 30 overall and selecting Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. Including Colorado's Travis Hunter, Barron is the fifth cornerback off the board in Kiper's simulation.

While the Bills using a Round 1 selection on a corner is not surprising in the least, Kiper delivered somewhat of a stunner by predicting Buffalo passes on Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. Multiple mock drafts have linked Grant and the Bills, including one prediction that has Buffalo trading up to secure the behemoth.

Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) celebrates after Ohio State misses a field goal during the second half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Grant told reporters that he has met with Bills' brass at the NFL Combine this week in Indianapolis. With that said, Buffalo does have a hole in the secondary and Barron sounds like the type of prospect that the current regime tends to prefer.

"If Buffalo doesn't re-sign Rasul Douglas, one of its cornerback spots is going to be open. And after allowing 7.1 yards per attempt in 2024 (league average), the Bills could use some reinforcements to the secondary," said Kiper. "Barron is so versatile that the Bills would be able to put him anywhere on the back end. He reminds me of Cooper DeJean in that way. We saw Barron at outside corner, slot corner and safety at Texas. And he's a real ball hawk, picking off five passes and breaking up 10 more this past season. Barron can wrap up as a tackler and get after the quarterback as a blitzer, too. He's one of my favorite players in the class."

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) and Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) in action during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Playoff First Round | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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