Bills 'dream scenario' in NFL Draft sees Buffalo trade up for 8-INT cornerback

Bleacher Report recently identified the dream scenario for every team in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Here's what they said for the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills locked down one of their boundary spots on defense for the long haul after signing cornerback Christian Benford to a massive extension recently.

Things are very murky on the other side, though. Rasul Douglas is still a free agent and Dane Jackson is currently slated to start. The problem is that both players struggled last season and Buffalo should be looking elsewhere for help.

With limited funds to spare, many experts believe the Bills will come away with a cornerback at some point in the draft, and probably sooner rather than later.

That's something Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon is subscribing to. In an article naming every team's dream draft scenario in Round 1, Gagnon believes Buffalo making a small trade up to nab Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron is about as good as it gets for the Bills,

Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron (DB04) runs in the 40 yard dash during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"When you're picking this low, the dream might be that division rivals with Top 10 picks like the Patriots and Jets don't hit jackpots," Gagnon wrote. "More specifically, a slide from cornerback Barron combined with a modest trade-up could be the ultimate scenario for Buffalo."

While Barron played mostly outside in 2024, he showed plenty of versatility during his time with the Longhorns, where he played some slot cornerback and linebacker, also, which allowed his impressive football IQ to really shine.

He thrives in zone but has the ability to play man coverage, as evidenced by his 69.0 grade in that coverage last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

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That's important to note because head coach Sean McDermott needs more man-capable cornerbacks for his defense.

In all, Barron posted an elite 91.1 coverage grade last season to go along with five interceptions and 10 forced incompletions. He earned consensus All-American, first-team All-SEC and Jim Thorpe honors for his efforts.

This is about as ideal a scenario as the Bills could hope for in the first round. Barron could be just what the doctor ordered for the Bills to shore up one of their starting cornerback spots for the long haul.

Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka has a catch broken up by Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) in the Cotton Bowl. Barron finished the season with 46 solo tackles, five interceptions and 11 passes defended. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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