Buffalo Bills' Final NFL Draft Mailbag: Approximate Pick Time Plus Prospects To Watch

It's NFL Draft Week, and naturally, Buffalo Bills' fans have plenty of questions.

With the Bills slated to make their first of seven selections at No. 26 overall on Thursday night, two months of speculative draft talk will finally be put to rest.

Here are four questions (and answers) on the minds of Bills' fans heading into the three-day draft that begins on April 23 at 8 p.m. ET.

What time will the Bills make their first-round pick on Thursday?

This year's projected pick time will be more of an estimation than in years past due to the fact that the NFL has reduced the amount of time that each team can use while on the clock.

Teams are now allotted only eight minutes per Round 1 selection, down from 10 minutes in 2025. With 25 selections needing to happen prior to the Bills' turn, the new regulation should translate into a 50-minute reduction in running time leading up to Pick No. 26.

After trading with the Los Angeles Rams, the Atlanta Falcons made the No. 26 overall selection around 11:05 p.m. ET last year. In 2023 and 2024, the No. 26 pick was announced approximately 11:15 p.m.

Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Kentucky Wildcats cornerback Maxwell Hairston is selected by the Buffalo Bills as the number 30 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Assuming not every team will use all eight minutes allotted, Buffalo should get its chance within the 10:10 - 10:20 p.m. range on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

The NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on April 23. After a brief show opening, the Las Vegas Raiders will presumably submit the No. 1 overall pick prior to 8:15 p.m.

What will the Bills do in Round 1?

With a lower-than-usual number of true first-round prospects on Buffalo's draft board, it's unlikely one of those players falls to No. 26 overall.

While one can argue an edge rusher such as Central Florida's Malachi Lawrence provides decent value at that spot in Round 1, the Bills don't seem enthusiastic about reaching for a prospect that may still be available in Round 2.

It looks like Beane will explore every potential avenue that involves trading down.

While there's no guarantee he'll find a willing partner, there is a decent chance, that a team holding an early second-round pick is willing to do business in order to get its preferred target under the fifth-year option.

Prediction — Bills trade No. 26 overall to the Arizona Cardinals for No. 34 and No. 104 overall.

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Who is an exciting Day 2 prospect for Buffalo?

Although he is slotted at No. 129 overall on NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah's Top 150 Big Board, Connecticut wide receiver Skyler Bell may not last past Round 3. We wrote about his impressive Pro Day performance with the Bills in attendance.

Instead of potentially forcing a pick on a wide receiver in Round 1, the Bills should sit back and wait for Bell at No. 91 overall.

In addition to boasting a 4.40-second 40 time and 41-inch vertical, Bell was a consistent producer for UConn. Over 13 games in 2025, the Wisconsin transfer posted team highs in receptions (101), receiving yards (1,278) and touchdown receptions (13).

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies wide receiver Skyler Bell (1) makes the touchdown against Duke Blue Devils cornerback Landan Callahan (21) in the second half at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Who are five players you would most like to see the Bills draft?

My favorite defensive prospect for Buffalo likely won't last until No. 26 overall. If somehow Oregon safety Dillion Thieneman is available, the Bills should run the pick to the podium.

Between his athleticism, versatility and track record, Thieneman projects as a perfect building block to pair with Cole Bishop. We wrote about the Bills' interest in the prospect during the NFL Combine.

Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman, right, brings down Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Secondly, it would be worthwhile to roll the dice on Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion at No. 26 overall, assuming he lasts that long. His attitude and ability make him a good fit for Buffalo's receiving corps, and the interest appears mutual. We wrote about Concepcion's pre-draft contact with Bills' brass on multiple occasions.

If Thieneman or Concepcion are gone, then the Bills should do everything they can to trade their first-round pick.

Keeping in mind the Bills used third-rounders on linebackers Terrel Bernard (2022) and Dorian Williams (2023), Texas Christian's Kaleb Elarms-Orr projects as a reasonable mid-round target. He ranks No. 143 overall in Jeremiah's Top 150.

The 6-foot-2 Elarms-Orr has the desired size and athleticism for Jim Leonhard's defense. He tested well at the Combine, recording a 40-inch vertical jump and running a 4.47-second 40-yard dash.

With primary backup offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark no longer in the fold, the Bills shouldn't hesitate to use a Top 200 pick on a potential successor.

Florida's Austin Barber is an intriguing swing tackle prospect with Southeastern Conference starting experience and an amazing 9.81 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) that ranks 32nd out of 1,642 offensive tackle prospects tracked since 1987.

In a show of interest, the Bills used one of their 30 pre-draft visits on Barber.

While quarterback isn't on the Bills' list of needs, the No. 2 spot is technically open with Mitch Trubisky having left for the Tennessee Titans.

Buffalo seems confident in Kyle Allen or Shane Buechele as the backup, but it wouldn't hurt to add a developmental prospect to the quarterback room. That's where Monmouth's Derek Robertson enters the chat.

In his second straight season as a Walter Payton Award candidate, Robertson averaged 354.6 pass yards and 3.9 touchdown passes per game over 6.5 starts this past fall. In 2024, he led the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in passing (328.1).

Although he isn't particularly scary as a runner, Robertson is a pure passer with above average pocket mobility. He possesses adequate arm strength and impressive accuracy.

Monmouth quarterback Derek Robertson passes against Lafayette in West Long Branch, N.J. on Sept. 7, 2024 | Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK

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