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Buffalo Sports News

Buffalo Rumblinks, 4/27: Recapping the Buffalo Bills’ 6 Day 3 draft picks

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 29 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl - Clemson vs Kentucky
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Plus, find out which undrafted rookie free agents have signed with the Bills!

The Buffalo Bills continued to address the defensive side of the football Saturday on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft, first trading up to select Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker in the fourth round, adding a “mammoth human” with enormous potential.

For Bills fans who thought the team would never use all of their draft picks, general manager Brandon Beane nearly proved them wrong, as the Bills ended up making nine selections overall — one off the ten he started with — after Beane was done with his wheeling and dealing.

The rest of the Day 3 picks included Ohio State defensive back Jordan Hancock, Georgia Tech tight end Jackson Hawes, Virginia Tech cornerback Dorian Strong, Connecticut offensive tackle Chase Lundt, and Maryland wide receiver Kaden Prather.

Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks introduces Bills Mafia to the six picks from Day 3 of the draft.

Bills select Kentucky DT Deone Walker

The Bills took a big swing on one of the biggest available college football prospects in Deone Walker, a defensive tackle who stands 6’7” and weighs 331 pounds, with pick No. 109 in the fourth round. Walker adds some much-needed size to the Bills’ defensive front, and could play at either the one- or three-technique spots on the defensive line. He played through a back injury last year, finishing with 37 tackles (five for loss) with 1.5 sacks in 11 games. In 2023, when he was fully healthy, Walker recorded 55 tackles (13 for loss) with 7.5 sacks across 13 games.

Bills add DB Jordan Hancock, TE Jackson Hawes in 5th round

Jordan Hancock, the 170th overall selection in the fifth round, played four years as a defensive back at Ohio State, appearing in 42 games and finishing with 98 tackles (four for a loss) with 14 pass breakups, 3 interceptions, 2.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He projects as a nickel cornerback/safety for Buffalo.

Jackson Hawes, the 173rd overall selection in the fifth round, is a tight end who brings a strong blocking profile to Buffalo and represents someone with untapped potential as a receiver and a red-zone threat. In his one season at Georgia Tech, Hawes caught 16 passes for 195 yards. Previously, during his time at Yale, Hawes recorded 35 catches for 371 yards and six touchdowns over 29 games.

Bills add CB Dorian Strong, OT Chase Lundt in 6th

With the first pick of the sixth round (No. 177 overall), the Bills tabbed cornerback Dorian Strong out of Virginia Tech. During the 2024 season, Strong earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors after recording 32 tackles (20 solo) with two interceptions, six pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 12 games. He excels in zone coverage schemes and has elite instincts, including as a tackling defensive back.

With pick No. 206 in the sixth round, the Bills added Chase Lundt, who was a proficient run blocker and pass protector during his time as a right tackle at Connecticut. He didn’t allow a sack during the 2024 season. Standing nearly 6’8” and weighing 304 pounds, Lundt has the prototypical frame for an NFL offensive tackle, and projects as an athletic lineman who can help set the edge on run plays and hold his own against defensive lineman.

Bills add WR Kaden Prather in 7th

With pick No. 240, the Bills added Prather, a wide receiver prospect who has a nice combination of height (6’4”), weight (205 pounds) and speed (4.46 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine). Prather is a long strider who possesses good deep speed. In his four-year career with West Virginia and Maryland, Prather hauled in 162 passes for 1,966 yards with 12 touchdowns.

Undrafted free agent tracker

Once the draft came to an end, the Bills were busy signing undrafted rookie free agents to the team. The list includes a few wide receivers (Baylor’s Hal Presley, Mississippi State’s Kelly Akharaiyi and Virginia Tech’s Stephen Gosnell), and a couple of defensive linemen (Montana’s Hayden Harris, LSU’s Paris Shand, and New Mexico’s Devin Brandt Epps).

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