Buffalo Bills projected to land dynamic Texas defensive playmaker

The Buffalo Bills have been projected to end up landing a dynamic defensive playmaker from Texas.

Evan Massey | Jan 2, 2025

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns cornerback Jahdae Barron (7) celebrates an interception in the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. / Brett Patzke-Imagn Images

In this story:

Buffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings

Looking ahead to the upcoming NFL offseason, the Buffalo Bills have a few different holes that they need to fill. One of them comes in the defensive secondary, where they could clearly use more help at the cornerback position.

Improving the defense should be a major priority for the Bills this offseason. They have a lot of talent, but they need to take that talent level up a notch.

There are areas that Buffalo could attempt to improve offensively as well, but a playmaking cornerback should top the list if they can find one.

With that being said, there has been one player that fits the bill for the Bills who has been projected to end up landing in Buffalo.

Christian D'Andrea of For the Win has projected that the Bills will end up landing Texas Longhorns' star cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

"The Bills are thin at cornerback and safety. Barron provides a player who can handle his business at either position," D'Andrea wrote.

"At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, he’s a compact tackler who can make stops at the line of scrimmage. His selling point, however, is elite coverage that resulted in a 30.8 passer rating when targeted in 2024. He’s got quick hits and crazy recognition skills, whether that’s sensing where a route is going or when the ball has hit his orbit. He’s not a perfect prospect, but he can thrive under Sean McDermott."

Texas Longhorns star Jahdae Barron is pictured.

Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) takes the field before the Texas Longhorns take on Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Barron has put together a very strong 2024 campaign for the Longhorns. He is exactly the kind of playmaker that Buffalo needs to add to its secondary.

He has racked up 61 total tackles to go along with a sack, five interceptions, and 11 defended passes.

Granted, there is never a sure thing in the NFL Draft. Barron looks the part of a potential future star, but there is no guarantee that he will develop into being that kind of player.

However, he's one of the best cornerbacks in the draft. From a playmaking and forced turnover perspective, he might very well be the best.

All of that being said, the Bills should absolutely take a long look at Barron as a potential draft target. If he happens to be available when Buffalo is on the clock, he could very well end up being the pick.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —