NFL Mock Draft: Bills Add 'Three-Down Force' in Miami Safety Kamren Kinchens

Should the Buffalo Bills get quarterback Josh Allen help, or improve an aging defense?

For as important as it is to get quarterback Josh Allen some help through the draft, the Buffalo Bills shouldn't automatically take the best offensive player available with their first-round pick. 

With an aging defense, Buffalo could be tempted to add to its defense with its top pick. In Sports Illustrated's 2024 mock draft, they had the Bills taking University of Miami safety Kamren Kinchens. 

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"Helping Josh Allen with another playmaker is possible here, but the defense has more glaring needs, and this scenario allows the Bills to fill one of them with this year's top prospect at the position," SI writes. "Kinchens has the athleticism, instincts and range to be a three-down force on the back end for Buffalo."

Kinchens has been a force in the back end of the Hurricanes defense in the last two seasons. As a sophomore in 2022, he had 34 tackles, a forced fumble and set career-highs with 12 passes defended and six interceptions with one ran back for a touchdown in 12 games. Kinchens also had a strong junior year with 59 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, 10 passes defended and five interceptions with one run back for a score in 10 games.

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The Bills safety tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer aren't getting any younger. Poyer, 32, is only signed for one more year after this season, and the injury bug has taken its toll on Hyde. Hyde, also 32, only played in two games in 2022 before a neck injury ended his season, and he has also missed multiple games this season. 

If Kinchens is available for the Bills, it'll present an opportunity for them to land a player capable of keeping the safety position a strength as it has been with Poyer and Hyde since 2017.