Buffalo Bills draft explosive athlete in ESPN’s first 2025 NFL mock draft

Before the Buffalo Bills have even played a semi-organized preseason football game in preparation for the 2024 NFL season, many people have strong opinions about the key areas where the team needs players the most. Think of the countless articles written about the lack of proven talent in the receivers room. When Josh Allen is the quarterback, people will be quick to jump to conclusions about untested receivers.

It could be argued that other than Allen, every position on the team could use an upgrade if the goal was to land an All-Pro talent. That’s wildly unrealistic and unfair to dozens of players who haven’t had enough time to prove themselves, like tight end Dalton Kincaid and even Terrell Bernard.

Kincaid and Bernard both had fantastic seasons as first-year starters in Buffalo. Still, it’s fair to say they haven’t quite reached the top of their positions. Should they be replaced? Blasphemy. No one is an All-Pro right off the bat, and it’s often a coach’s job to extract such accolades from players. That said, teams never stop looking to improve everywhere for a myriad of reasons, the first being the need for the next guy to take over for his predecessor.

So, returning to recent paradigms that the Bills lack a true playmaker capable of stretching the field and that there is always room for a defensive back in head coach Sean McDermott’s locker room are popular in any group discussion on the topic.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not too early to take a serious look at the 2025 NFL Draft prospects and their fit with the Buffalo Bills. While I’m mostly interested in such exercises at this point in the year to see where the Bills stand in the first round, learning about the talent pool next spring is a good idea.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller recently released a 2025 NFL Draft mock draft, providing his admittedly early first-round predictions. As mentioned above, I was curious to see where he thinks Buffalo will finish the 2024 NFL season. Miller has the Bills at No. 26 (ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 25), and with the next AFC team three stops ahead of them at No. 29 (the Baltimore Ravens). This implies that the Bills will lose to the Ravens in the playoffs. At No. 31 are the Kansas City Chiefs, runners-up to the San Francisco 49ers in the upcoming Super Bowl.

What does Miller see the Buffalo Bills doing, once again at the end of the first round?

With the 26th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select:

Nic Scourton, EDGE (Texas A&M)

Miller writes of Scourton:

“The Bills’ top-10 needs for 2025 look a lot like they do for 2024. But after selecting Keon Coleman to pair with Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel at receiver, general manager Brandon Beane could choose to address Buffalo’s other looming problem of pass rush next spring. Greg Rousseau is a talented player, but Von Miller’s chances of getting through this season are a long shot. And Scourton had 10 sacks at Purdue in 2023 and has the strength at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds to take over the SEC now that he’s at A&M. Watch his tape against Michigan last year, when he had two sacks, and you can see the impact he brings to a defense.”

I won’t argue with the Bills’ immediate and future needs at edge rusher. While only Rousseau and Miller were mentioned, Buffalo doesn’t have a true edge rusher who can destroy the game at any level. Miller is the closest, of course, but at 36, his best days are likely behind us.

Without Miller, what’s the plan? Rousseau and Epenesa fit more into the mold of defensive ends, players who aren’t pressure artists but rather versatile linemen. Their profiles can, of course, evolve beyond what has been decent to very good production thus far. That doesn’t change the team’s need to add top-tier pass rushers. As such, it’s worth checking out next year’s prospects at the position early.

Nic Scourton is a new name to me as I write this. My first impression of Nic Scourton is that he is full of energy and frenzy as a big defensive line prospect. Entering his sophomore year at Texas A&M, Scourton has a lot to prove despite a very productive season in 2023. His NFL-required size and explosive athleticism should allow Scourton to show how transferable his talents will be to the NFL. That idea should be helped by moving him further to the outside thanks to the Aggies’ defensive alignment.

In an article published on SB Nation’s sister site, Rock M Nation, Nathan Hurst explained what Scourton brings to the table.

Nic Scourton made an impact at the Power 5 level from day one as an edge rusher. The Texas native received very little major interest coming out of high school, with Purdue being the only P5 school to offer him. He chose the Boilermakers and quickly made schools in the state regret not recruiting him sooner. As a true freshman, Scourton played in all 14 games for the Big 10 West champion Boilermakers, recording 15 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. His 15 tackles were the most by a freshman defensive lineman at Purdue since former Kansas City Chiefs first-round pick George Karlaftis did it in 2019.

Per Miller’s advice, here’s a film of every shot Nic Scourton took against Michigan in 2023:

Nic Scourton will turn 20 at the end of August, which means he has plenty of room to grow and develop as an edge rusher. Scourton’s sack production, leading the Big Ten in 2023 as a 19-year-old sophomore, has heightened expectations and eyes on him in 2024. Will he post similar or better numbers in a different scheme against SEC competition? That’s something everyone is eager to find out in due time.

What do you have to say about this choice? Do you know Nic Scourton, are you excited about his potential or are you hoping the Buffalo Bills choose to go in another direction?