With their third and final pick of the sixth round in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills elected to address the cornerback position by selecting cornerback Rachad Wildgoose out of the University of Wisconsin.
During his 24 games with the Badgers, Wildgoose recorded 57 tackles, one interception, 14 passes defended and three fumble recoveries. Wildgoose elected to forgo the 2020 season due to COVID-19 restrictions, and his 2019 season was cut off early due to a broken scapula in his shoulder.
Lance Zeirlein of NFL.com likes Wildgoose’s ability in a zone scheme, which is what the Bills run.
“Wildgoose has adequate foot agility and can grind on slower wideouts over the first five yards but lacks the makeup speed and length to recover from early missteps in his coverage,” Zierlein wrote of Wildgoose at NFL.com. “It is easy to see his physicality throughout the route and he could become more impactful from press with more work. He's quick to crowd and body the receiver but fails to trust his technique, resulting in too many penalties over the course of his career. His lack of fluid transitions could make him a sitting duck in off-man, so he's better suited for zone or bump-and-run schemes as he tries to find a team fit.”
Wildgoose joins a Bills secondary that already features cornerbacks Tre’Davious White, Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson, among others.
The Bills will wrap up their 2021 NFL Draft class with the 236th overall selection in the seventh round.