Bills Offseason Preview: Impending Free Agents, Draft Picks, and Top Needs

After getting bounced in the Divisional Round and losing Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis in the offseason, the Buffalo Bills entered 2024 with somewhat reduced expectations. They ended up posting a 13-4 record en route to a fifth straight AFC East title but once again fell short to the Kansas City Chiefs with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

Led by 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen, the Bills are prepared to make another big run next season. FanDuel Sportsbook's 2026 Super Bowl odds currently show Buffalo as the fourth favorite at +750.

However, the Bills won't be able to finally get over the hump unless they make some improvements this offseason. Let's check out what that could look like.

Bills' 2024 Schedule-Adjusted Rankings

• Overall Offense: 3rd
• Pass Offense: 3rd
• Rush Offense: 2nd
• Overall Defense: 13th
• Pass Defense: 21st
• Rush Defense: 5th

Bills' Impending 2025 Free Agents

• Amari Cooper, WR
• Rasul Douglas, CB
• Austin Johnson, DT
• Mack Hollins, WR
• Dawuane Smoot, DE
• Reggie Gilliam, FB
• Ty Johnson, RB
• Quinton Jefferson, DT
• Jordan Phillips, DT
• Reid Ferguson, LS
• Shane Buechele, QB
• Quintin Morris, TE (restricted free agent)
• Tommy Doyle, T
• Damar Hamlin, S
• Ryan Van Demark, T
• Alec Anderson, T

Here's a look at Buffalo's impending free agents, per Spotrac.

That's a pretty short list of names compared to most teams around the league, which is great news considering the Bills are in dire cap territory (-$11.9 million; fourth-fewest).

Mack Hollins and Ty Johnson are two skill players worth retaining. Neither have audacious market values and could likely be brought back at a team-friendly price. Plus -- for whatever reason -- Josh Allen seems to love both Hollins and Johnson, even calling the latter the best third-down back in football.

Rasul Douglas is one of the main starters up for free agency and is expected to receive a deal around $11.9 million per year, per Spotrac. With that said, he posted fairly underwhelming marks this season.

It wouldn't be surprising for the Bills to head toward a divorce with Amari Cooper. After being dealt to the team mid-season, Cooper never really got his feet off the ground spare for one pop performance. He was targeted just eight times through three playoff games and might not be worth the salary he can get from other clubs.

Bills' 2025 NFL Draft Picks

• 30th overall
• 2nd round (via Minnesota Vikings)
• 2nd round
• 4th round (via Chicago Bears)
• 4th round
• 6th round (via New York Giants)
• 6th round (via Detroit Lions)
• 6th round

(NOTE: This list does not include compensatory picks, which are typically announced in early March.)

The Bills currently own eight picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, per Tankathon.

That leaves them with the 14th-most draft capital and will allow them to either address key needs early in the draft or explore the trade market.

Austin Swaim's 2025 NFL Mock Draft shows the Bills nabbing LB Jihaad Campbell out of Alabama with the 30th overall pick.

Bills' Top Offseason Needs

• Edge
• Cornerback
• Wide Receiver

It's hard to look at what the Philadelphia Eagles just did in Super Bowl LIX and expect the Bills to replicate that with their current defensive line -- but they need to.

Buffalo has been fighting back against the "too small" allegations to no avail and need to bring in a talented pass rusher. They forced just 39 sacks this season (tied for 13th-fewest) and managed just six throughout the postseason when it mattered most. That's a big reason why FanDuel Research's mock draft has them targeting Jihaad Campbell in the first round while Tankathon projects them to target South Carolina's Kyle Kennard in the second round of the draft.

The Bills' pass defense ranked just 21st this season. Although they forced 16 interceptions (tied for fifth-most), they held the second-worst coverage grade in the NFL, per PFF. We should expect them to address their secondary this offseason.

Stefon Diggs wasn't so sure that Josh Allen could perform without a top tier receiver this season. Allen proved him wrong and went out to win the MVP award. However, a large part of the rallying cry for Allen over Lamar Jackson was that the former didn't have any help and carried his team time and again. If you're trying to win a Super Bowl, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to give him some help?

Khalil Shakir ended up being Allen's top target this season and was the only player to log more than 560 yards, and he only had 821 yards. It wouldn't be surprising to see Buffalo package future assets in exchange for a receiving playmaker.

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