The Buffalo Bills are in the middle of the pack when it comes to draft capital.
According to the website Football Perspective, the Bills rank 14th in the NFL with 46.3 points of draft capital. The Cleveland Browns lead the league with 65.0 points, while the Minnesota Vikings have just 24.4 points, which is last in the 32-team league.
Some of the Bills’ draft capital comes from a pair of fifth-round compensatory draft picks the team acquired for the free-agent losses of defensive end Leonard Floyd and wide receiver Gabe Davis last offseason.
Buffalo also owns an extra second-round draft pick that came from the Texans via the Vikings in the trade of wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
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Cornerback Rasul Douglas, right, remains unsigned two weeks into the start of free agency in the NFL. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
While the 2025 draft won’t begin until April 24, the outlook for 2026 isn’t as rosy. That’s because the market for the unrestricted free agents who played for the Bills in 2024 has been nearly nonexistent.
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To date, only wide receiver Mack Hollins has signed with another team. He got a two-year deal with the AFC East-rival New England Patriots worth up to $8.4 million.
The Bills so far have signed two free agents who are likely to count for the 2026 compensatory formula – former Rams defensive end Michael Hoecht and former Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer. Hollins’ signing cancels out one of those additions, but the Bills still have added more than they’ve lost in free agency to this point.
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Some of the other moves the Bills have made – like signing former Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa, former Steelers defensive end Larry Ogunjobi and former Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson – don’t count in the compensatory formula because those players were released by their former teams.
The same goes for former Bills punter Sam Martin, who was released before signing with Carolina. If former Bills edge rusher Von Miller finds another team, he also won’t count in the formula because he was released.
Additionally, the signings of running back Darrynton Evans, guard Kendrick Green and safety Darrick Forrest aren’t expected to impact the compensatory formula because those players won’t hit the salary threshold to count.
There is still time for the compensatory formula to shift in favor of the Bills, but it would require some of the team’s remaining unrestricted free agents to sign qualifying contracts. Here is a look at where things stand with those players:
Cornerback Rasul Douglas: The 30-year-old is ranked No. 1 on ESPN’s list of the best available free agents. Douglas has not made a reported visit to another team. With the Bills’ hole at No. 2 cornerback being the biggest on the roster, a reunion doesn’t seem out of the question. Since that hasn’t happened, though, it’s fair to wonder if the Bills are waiting for Douglas’ asking price to go down – or if they’ve simply decided to move on.
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Bills receiver Amari Cooper runs after a catch against the Chiefs during the AFC championship game on Jan. 26. Picked up by Buffalo in a trade in October, Cooper remains unsigned. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Wide receiver Amari Cooper: He’ll be 31 at the start of the 2025 season and, like Douglas, plays a position that requires plenty of speed. Cooper is No. 3 on ESPN’s list of best available free agents, behind Douglas and Diggs. Like Douglas, Cooper has not yet visited teams. The Bills’ addition of Palmer on a three-year contract with an average annual value of $12 million greatly decreases the likelihood of Cooper coming back.
Tight end Quintin Morris: The Bills opted not to make Morris a contract offer as a restricted free agent, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. Last week he visited the Lions, but remains unsigned. Morris was second on the Bills in special teams snaps last year and played 20% of the offensive plays. He’s appeared in 45 games with the team over the past three seasons.
Defensive tackle Austin Johnson: Signed to a one-year deal last year, Johnson played 306 defensive snaps – 27.7% of the team total. He appeared in 15 games and made one start, finishing with 19 tackles and – oddly enough – two interceptions. He has not made any reported visits.
Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips: He played just about 10% of the defensive snaps in his third tour of duty with the team. Phillips, 32, indicated at the end of the season he would only be interested in continuing his career in Buffalo.
Defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson: He played 113 defensive snaps in his second tour of duty with the team after being released by Cleveland and joining the Bills midway through the 2024 season. He has not made any reported visits.
Defensive end Dawuane Smoot: He played 29.2% of the defensive snaps for the Bills in 2024 despite going on injured reserve for a stint because of a wrist injury. Smoot played last year on a one-year contract that paid him $2.5 million. He has not made any reported visits.
With Hoecht and Ogunjobi suspended for the first six games of the 2025 season, there is a need for depth along the defensive line, which could open the door for any of Johnson, Phillips, Jefferson or Smoot to return.
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