2024 Buffalo Fanatics Writers Mock Draft: Round 1

With the first week of the new league year and free agency in the books, Brandon Beane, Sean McDermott, and Buffalo Bills fans now turn the majority of their attention towards the NFL Draft. Buffalo’s free agent moves have both answered and raised questions about their roster.

Does the signing of Curtis Samuel mean the Bills won’t take a wide receiver — like Adonai Mitchell or Xavier Legette — early? (No, it does not.) Will they pigeon-hole themselves into taking a safety, despite a plethora of quality starting-caliber free agents still available and a dearth of early round prospects at the position? (I don’t expect it.) Do the Bills take a first-round defensive lineman — again? (I don’t think they need to now that they re-signed DaQuan Jones… But I wouldn’t be completely shocked if they did.) Will the Buffalo Bills trade Stefon Diggs? (For the quadrillion-and-fifth time, NO! Go in the corner and think about what you’ve done.) We won’t find out what Brandon Beane and the Bills brain trust do until April 25th-27th. Until then, we can speculate into oblivion.

With that said, our wonderful writers here at Buffalo Fanatics come together to run our annual Bills Mock Draft. Since Buffalo has ELEVEN picks this year, it will be bigger and badder than ever. (Hopefully in a good way.) Today, we dive into Round 1.

With the 28th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select…

Jenna Carlson: WR Adonai Mitchell – Texas

For the past couple of years, it has become obvious that the Bills need to address offense in the first round of the draft. In 2023, Buffalo began its draft day looking for a wide receiver on Day 1. However, after a run on wideouts right before their pick, they switched gears and took the best tight end available. This was the first time they selected an offensive player in Round 1 since Brandon Beane became General Manager in 2018.

Now, in 2024, the Bills will attempt to take a wide receiver early again. Although, this time, they will be sifting through a much deeper class. After the first four wideouts fly off the board, the Bills select Adonai “AD” Mitchell, the other half of Texas’ electric duo which dominated the Big 12.

Mitchell (6’2”, 205 lbs) is a very well-rounded wide receiver. At the combine, he ran the third-best 40 yard dash time (4.34) of all the wide receivers tested. Adonai is even fast on film. He has the ability to stop on a dime and can adjust his speed in his routes. Although he is a larger receiver, he is extremely fluid and moves effortlessly. Don’t get me started on his hands. He had a 1.8% drop rate at Texas, which was the best out of all the WRs in this upcoming draft, according to PFF.

The one issue I, and many others, have is his lack of effort on routes where he may not get the ball. When the play is not directed at him, he will often slow down in a nonchalant manner. This may be troubling if Buffalo takes him. How many times have we seen Josh Allen run a scramble drill? At what point in the development of the play will AD “give up” if he is not the original target? Certainly he could be coached out of this habit, but it is something to consider. Nevertheless, his physical gifts should be enticing enough to take a swing on him at Pick 28.

Bryce Martino: WR Adonai Mitchell – Texas

The Bills made sure to load up on pass catchers in free agency. However, they still lack one type of receiver: Height. Yes, Mack Hollins is tall, but how often is he going to see the field? The Bills need a tall, physical WR2 option that will be the future of this franchise. Enter AD Mitchell. The tall 6’2” Mitchell hauled in 55 receptions for 845 yards and 11 TDs for the Longhorns. Mitchell is exactly what this offense has been missing over the last few seasons. Pairing him with an already explosive Dalton Kincaid for the next 10+ years will have Josh Allen, and Bills fans, jumping for joy.

Iestyn Harris: WR Adonai Mitchell – Texas

For the first time in a few seasons, the Buffalo Bills stay put in round one. In doing so, they secure their potential WR1 of the future in Adonai “AD” Mitchell. He may not have been the fastest WR on his team, but don’t let Xavier Worthy’s record 40-yard dash time fool you; Mitchell is plenty quick.

What his former teammate fails to offer is AD’s physicality. Standing at 6’2” and weighing in at 205 lbs, he brings prototypical size and length to the table on a lean frame. His hands are immaculate, and he shreds DBs with exceptional head and hand fakes, buying the early separation that his top-tier long speed can so effortlessly maintain. Drafting Mitchell is an immediate big-play addition, but he crosses the ‘T’s and dots the ‘I’s also.

He offers something which little of our remaining WR core brings to the table: Blocking. Mitchell is plausibly the best blocking receiver in this draft, and that pays major dividends in this offense.

He’s not a perfect player, or he wouldn’t be available at 28. There are some efficiency issues when running routes, and some deep-ball tracking inconsistencies. But his largest flaws are also the most teachable. With some time in this offense as the #2 option, he could be one of the league’s most well-rounded starters, and the Bills’ WR1, in only a season or two. In a WR class that begs the Buffalo Bills to double down, Mitchell would mean they don’t have to.

Andrea Simon: WR Xavier Legette – South Carolina

It’s no secret the Buffalo Bills will be looking to fill the wide receiver position. Lucky for us, the 2024 WR class is incredibly deep, so hopefully we can snag a solid receiver like Xavier Legette. The former South Carolina WR could be a good fit for Buffalo with his size, adequate speed, and contested-catch ability. Legette also has a bit of an underdog vibe going for him, rising from a Day 3 prospect before last season to a fringe Day 1 prospect.

Thigh Doctor: DB Cooper DeJean – Iowa

The Buffalo Bills will select DB Cooper DeJean. The playmaking Iowa CB is likely a little too milky to play on an island in the NFL, but that fits the Bills perfectly as he will be selected to play Safety. DeJean is coming off a broken fibula that caused him to miss the combine and will likely keep him out of his pro day as well. This benefits the Bills as it will cause him to drop in the draft. 

Cooper DeJean is a very versatile player, similar to another Iowa grad, Micah Hyde. He can matchup in the slot, play CB in a pinch, is a heady player who can play centerfield, and is a willing tackler. Throw in the fact he was a punt returner at Iowa, which is a need for Buffalo at the moment, and the marriage seems too good to be true. The addition of WR Curtis Samuel allows Buffalo to take a WR later in this draft and prioritize the defense once again for their future playmaking chess piece for the next decade.

Zach Vaughn: WR Xavier Legette – South Carolina

I think Greg Vorse (Cover 1) put it best in this tweet discussing Buffalo’s revamped WR core:

Hear me out…

A world where Diggs, Shakir, and Samuel are all queens on a chessboard that you can move wherever you want.

— Greg Vorse (@GregVorse) March 14, 2024

Stefon Diggs, Khalil Shakir, and FA signee Curtis Samuel all have the ability to play in the slot and on the boundary, giving OC Joe Brady interchangeable, all-moving pieces on his chess board. However, they could still use another big-bodied deep threat besides presumed WR5/special teamer Mack Hollins. With three queens in their set, Buffalo needs a rook.

This came down to three choices: LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr, Texas’ Adonai Mitchell, and South Carolina’s Xavier Legette. I don’t believe Thomas makes it out of the early teens. (He probably goes to the Jets at #10, whoever gets #11 in Minnesota’s inevitable QB trade up, or even #14 to his hometown Saints.)

Mitchell could be in play for the Bills, but only if he gets past Pittsburgh at #20, whoever has #23 (if Minnesota trades it), and wild card teams like Tampa Bay at #26 or Arizona at #27 (both of whom could either use another WR or trade with a team who needs one). Yes, Buffalo could trade one of their fourth rounders to move up two spots for the third consecutive year to secure him. But this draft is different for the Bills than years past. Buffalo needs a hard reset of their core and salary cap situation. Having 11 draft picks this year helps accomplish this.

So, with that in mind, I have the Buffalo Bills taking Xavier Legette. He checks off a ton of boxes for what Brandon Beane and Joe Brady are looking for in a receiver. He’s a superb athlete (recording a 4.39 40-time/1.57 10-yard-split, 40” vertical jump, 10’6” broad jump). According to Damian Parson of The Draft Network, “Legette thrives as a big, strong, run-after-catch threat”. He can make tough contested catches. He can also run gadget plays and return kicks. Additionally, having played with Spencer Rattler at South Carolina, Legette is familiar with the scramble drill. Given Josh Allen’s tendencies to extend plays with his legs, that experience should come in handy.

While Legette is still a bit raw and needs to refine his route tree and other technical aspects of his game, he has a ton of upside. And we all know how Brandon Beane loves drafting high-upside athletes. Oh, he also has some inside-outside flexibility as well. According to PFF, in 2023, Legette lined up outside on 268 pass snaps and inside on 141.

Legette can come in and make an immediate contribution as a kick returner (which Buffalo currently needs), gadget guy, and deep threat for The Human Howitzer Josh Allen. All while learning the nuances of route running from Diggs, Samuel, and WR Coach Adam Henry. Xavier Legette has legit potential to be a WR1 in this league.

What do you think the Buffalo Bills should do in the first round this year #BillsMafia? Let us know on Twitter (Zach/@zvaughn2712, Jenna/@cookedbyshakir, Andrea/@heyitsandreah, Bryce/@BillsByBryce, Iestyn/@IestynTHarris, Thigh Doctor/@ThighDoctor)!!!

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