Bills Not Ruling Out First-Round Receiver

That the Bills are open to a Round 1 receiver does not come as a surprise, especially given that they met with Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion. If Concepcion is still available when the Bills are on the clock at No. 26, he could be the pick for general manager Brandon Beane. Regardless of whether the Bills take Concepcion or someone else, it seems likely they will spend one of their first few picks on a wideout.

The Bills’ receiving corps looks better with Moore in a prominent role, but there are question marks beyond him and reliable slot target Khalil Shakir. Keon Coleman, whom the Bills drafted 33rd overall in 2024, has disappointed during his two-year career. The Bills signed ex-Charger Josh Palmer to a three-year contract in free agency last March, but he caught just 22 passes and no touchdowns during a 12-game, injury-shortened first season in Buffalo.

Going down the depth chart, the Bills’ only other receivers under contract are Mecole Hardman, Stephen Gosnell, Tyrell Shavers, Trent Sherfield and Jalen Virgil. There is no real threat in that group, and Shavers’ availability for 2026 is in question after he tore his ACL in a January wild-card round win over the Jaguars. Even when healthy, Shavers is a “dirty work” receiver who makes more hay as a blocker and special teamer than as a pass catcher.

Along with receiver, linebacker also figures to be a priority position for Buffalo in the draft, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who points to Missouri’s Josiah Trotter as a potential target. While Trotter does not look like a first-rounder, the Bills may hope he is there when they pick 91st overall in the third round. The Bills held a “30” visit with Trotter last month, according to Ryan Talbot of Syracuse.com).

Trotter, the son of longtime NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and the brother of Eagles LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., would give the Bills a much-needed presence on the inside as they transition to a 3-4 base defense. Shaq Thompson was the Bills’ most effective middle linebacker last season, but the 31-year-old remains unsigned a month after free agency opened. It is unclear if the Bills and the new Joe Brady–Jim Leonhard head coach-defensive coordinator tandem are interested in bringing Thompson back. To this point, Buffalo has done nothing to address the position this offseason, leaving the team with an iffy group consisting of the undersized Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Joe Andreesen, Keonta Jenkins and Jimmy Ciarlo.