Several sports analysts have released early mock drafts for the Buffalo Bills’ 2026 NFL Draft, with a consensus emerging around key positions the team may target. Wide receiver and linebacker are among the most frequently mentioned needs.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com projects that the Bills will trade up to the 20th pick, sending their third- and fourth-round selections to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a sixth-rounder and the chance to select wide receiver Denzel Boston from Washington. Reuter notes, “With former receiver Stefon Diggs being the last Bills player to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season (2023), they are still searching for a No. 1 option for Josh Allen. So they trade their third and fourth-round selections to Dallas in exchange for this pick and a sixth-rounder in order to draft the talented Boston, who has great size (6-4, 210 pounds) and sticky hands.”
Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic also sees Buffalo selecting Boston at No. 26 if he is available: “This feels like a draft in which some really talented receivers could slide because teams have too many needs elsewhere. But Boston and Lemon also could follow Tate and Tyson into the top 20. Boston would provide outstanding value at this spot.”
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz from USA Today predicts that defensive end Akheem Mesidor from Miami could be an option at No. 26: “Mesidor’s advanced age − he’ll be 25 on draft day − might deter some teams from taking him on Day 1, but his dogged approach and instinctive pass-rushing style could allow him to become a force opposite Greg Rousseau.”
Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com highlights Boston’s potential as well: “At 6-foot-4, Boston has top-tier speed and contested-catch win rates. His 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons also reflect his red-zone skills. He forecasts as a true WR1 for Josh Allen and new head coach Joe Brady.”
Other analysts suggest alternatives at different positions. Lance Zierlein (NFL.com) mentions safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren from Toledo as an option due to his physical presence: “McNeil-Warren is one of the most physically imposing safeties in this draft and he plays as big as he measures (a long 6-2, 202 pounds).”
Linebacker CJ Allen from Georgia appears multiple times across mock drafts by Trevor Sikkema (PFF), Eric Edholm (NFL.com), Nick Baumgardner & Scott Dochterman (The Athletic), and Bucky Brooks (NFL.com). Sikkema writes about Allen’s reliability against the run: “While Ohio State’s Sonny Styles gets a lot of the praise as the top linebacker in this class, whichever team drafts Allen will also be very happy…He was one of the more reliable run defenders in the country in 2025.” Edholm adds that Allen is “a well-rounded, high-energy defender who could emerge as captain of a defense,” while Baumgardner & Dochterman call him “an outstanding run fitter capable of playing all three downs” who may wear communications equipment on defense early in his career.
Wide receiver KC Concepcion from Texas A&M is another possibility cited by Ryan Wilson (CBS Sports) and Matt Miller (ESPN). Wilson describes Concepcion as “a versatile WR who uses his quickness and burst to consistently get open against man coverage,” while Miller emphasizes Concepcion’s ability after catching passes: “Josh Allen needs a pass catcher who can create and make plays…he’s shifty throughout the route tree.”
Additional names include edge rushers T.J.Parker (Clemson) suggested by Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice & Charles McDonald—“Buffalo’s defense improved…but they can dip their toes in the edge rusher market with Parker”—and Mason Thomas (Oklahoma) recommended by Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News.
Mel Kiper Jr., writing for ESPN, points out Chris Brazzell II from Tennessee as another wideout option given Buffalo’s position late in Round One: “Picking in this range makes it difficult to find impact wideouts…But he also has the skill set to be a standout in the pros.”
As mock drafts continue ahead of April’s event, most analysts agree that adding talent at wide receiver or linebacker remains among Buffalo’s main priorities.
