xbalcom'S MOCK DRAFT
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xbalcom'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 21, 2026

draft 3

  • xbalcom DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bills
Draft Selections
Anthony Hill Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 26 RND: 1 (BUF)
Anthony Hill Jr.
LB Texas
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 62 RND: 2 (BUF)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 108 RND: 4 (BUF)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Parker Brailsford Head Shot
PICK: 126 RND: 4 (BUF)
Parker Brailsford
C Alabama
Gracen Halton Head Shot
PICK: 166 RND: 5 (BUF)
Gracen Halton
DL Oklahoma
Trebor Pena Head Shot
PICK: 169 RND: 5 (BUF)
Trebor Pena
WR Penn State
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 220 RND: 7 (BUF)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
Zach Rice Head Shot
PICK: 228 RND: 7 (BUF)
Zach Rice
C Syracuse
Jalil Farooq Head Shot
PICK: 251 RND: 7 (BUF)
Jalil Farooq
WR Maryland
Draft Picks Received
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 62 RND: 2 (NE)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 108 RND: 4 (DEN)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Trebor Pena Head Shot
PICK: 169 RND: 5 (DEN)
Trebor Pena
WR Penn State
Jalil Farooq Head Shot
PICK: 251 RND: 7 (DEN)
Jalil Farooq
WR Maryland
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (NE)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Joe Royer Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (DEN)
Joe Royer
TE Cincinnati
Players Gained
Head Shot
LB
Head Shot
Kayshon Boutte
WR
Draft Grade — Bills
Overall B+
ValueC+ NeedB+ TradesA+ FutureB-
The Bills worked the phones like thieves and earned a B+.

The Bills went off the board in a big way for Zach Rice, 48 picks early. Conviction is one thing; this is another.

The phones were where this weekend was really won. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. That Taaffe pick is the receipt they will wave around later.

On the needs board they went 5 of 9, with linebacker the one that mattered most.

All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.

Pick Analysis
Pick26 Rnd1 Anthony Hill Jr.
In No. 26 they get a green-dot type in the middle. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick62 Rnd2 Michael Taaffe
Michael Taaffe slipping to pick 62 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick108 Rnd4 Zachariah Branch
They took Zachariah Branch at par in the 108th pick, which is nothing to complain about. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick126 Rnd4 Parker Brailsford
A tidy bit of business in the 126th overall pick, where Parker Brailsford graded well above the range. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick166 Rnd5 Gracen Halton
They paid a round early for Gracen Halton in pick No. 166, more than the board wanted. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick169 Rnd5 Trebor Pena
Value said wait; Trebor Pena in slot 169 says they were not listening. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick220 Rnd7 Riley Mahlman
Riley Mahlman in the 220th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick228 Rnd7 Zach Rice
Zach Rice at No. 228 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick251 Rnd7 Jalil Farooq
Nothing to complain about; Jalil Farooq went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.