Bills predicted to add 18.5-sack, 6'5 defender to address major need

With the Buffalo Bills likely to be in the market for an edge rusher next offseason, one NFL analyst has the team taking one in a 2025 mock draft.

Buffalo Bills helmet / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

One of the Buffalo Bills' biggest weaknesses this season has been the pass-rush, which is a major problem for a team trying to compete for a Super Bowl in a passing league.

Entering Week 15, the Bills have tallied just 29 sacks, which works out to a depressing average of 2.2 per game. Buffalo's total also ranks tied for the 10th-fewest in the NFL.

If the Bills want to improve their defense in 2025 and take some pressure off the secondary, they've got to bolster the pass-rush in a significant way., whether that be in free agency, the draft, or both.

One NFL analyst, Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer, has the team doing just that in his 2025 mock draft. Iyer has the Bills taking Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer with the No. 30 overall pick next April.

"Sawyer has the relentlessness to fit the Bills' aggressive scheme in getting to the quarterback," Iyer wrote. "He can turn into the leader of their strong committee in time."

Over the past four years at Ohio State, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound edge rusher has tallied 18.5 sacks, including 4.5 in 2024. In 2023, Sawyer totaled a career-best 6.5.

Another area Sawyer could upgrade is the run defense, where the Bills currently rank 19th in the NFL. Here's more on the Buckeyes standout, per Bleacher Report's Matt Holder.

"Overall, Sawyer can be a solid NFL starter as a hand-in-the-ground defensive end for a team that uses a lot of even fronts," Holder wrote. "His contributions as a pass-rusher will be limited—probably a four-to-six-sack guy at best — but he can be a factor against the run."

It's pretty clear that Sawyer isn't going to be a guy who leads the league in sacks, but his ability to impact the run and get after the quarterback should make him an attractive option for the Bills.

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