2025 NFL Draft Grades: Buffalo Bills

Best Pick: I loved their first pick of corner Maxwell Hairston. They had to get an upgrade at that position and he should start as a rookie. He excels as a man-cover player, which means maybe the Bills will play more of it this season.

Worst Pick: Second-round interior D-lineman T.J. Sanders is a good player, but I think there were better options when they took Sanders and they traded up to get him. I would have taken Jamaree Caldwell, who went to the Chargers in the third.

The Skinny: The Bills had to get a corner, a young edge and inside player for their defense. They got all three in the first four rounds. That's good drafting. Hairston will be a star. He plays with an attitude that you love at the position. Third-round edge Landon Jackson is a power player who did some good things against fourth-overall pick Will Campbell when they faced off. Fourth-round defensive tackle Deone Walker could be a steal and he's a monster inside -- if he stays in shape.

Top needs entering the draft: Cornerback, defensive tackle and wide receiver

The Bills didn't enter the draft with many glaring issues -- but they were armed with 10 draft picks to keep the roster strong and remain among the best in the AFC (they made nine after trades). One spot they had to address was cornerback, though. Opponents completed 68.5% of their passes against Buffalo (fifth highest) and converted 43.8% of their third-down attempts (fourth highest) last season. The Bills lost Rasul Douglas (unsigned), traded Kaiir Elam and really only addressed the position by signing Dane Jackson. That's why taking Maxwell Hairston in the first round made a lot of sense. He'll bring 4.28 speed and good ball skills to the Bills' defense.

The other two main needs were defensive tackle and receiver. The Bills checked the first box when they took T.J. Sanders on Day 2. It was a reach. Sanders was 126th on my board -- and the Bills had to trade up to get him. But they had eight sacks from inside last season, third fewest in the league, and that's Sanders' specialty. He consistently gets pressure. Sanders should fit in next to Ed Oliver. Third-round edge rusher Landon Jackson and fourth-round defensive tackle Deone Walker will contribute on the D-line, too. They both have pass-rush upside, but I think the run-defense traits might be even more important for them. Jackson sets a hard edge, and Walker fills a gap at 6-foot-7 and 331 pounds. Buffalo allowed 4.5 yards per carry last season, 19th in the league.

Not taking a receiver until No. 240 (Kaden Prather) was curious. The Bills' first five picks went to defense, only the second time in the common draft era they've done that (2006). Chase Lundt is a depth right tackle. Jackson Hawes is a blocking tight end. While Buffalo walked away from the draft with some defensive upgrades, quarterback Josh Allen's unit didn't improve this month. Buffalo could regret not doing more there.

The Bills focused heavily on their defense early on in this draft, adding a versatile defensive back in Kentucky's Maxwell Hairston during the first round; this should help fill a big need in the secondary (though Kentucky investigated Hairston for sexual assault in 2021, which GM Brandon Beane addressed after the pick). They then turned around and bolstered the trenches with their next three picks, grabbing a powerhouse defensive tackle in South Carolina's T.J. Sanders, a rough-and-tumble pass rusher in Arkansas's Landon Jackson, and an absolute unit in Kentucky interior defender Deone Walker. All three of those picks make Buffalo more physical and more stout up front. This is going to be a tough defense to run on. The team added two more corners on Day 3, grabbing Ohio State's Jordan Hancock and Virginia Tech's Dorian Strong. The Bills seem to be saying here that the best way to help Josh Allen in 2025 and beyond is to give him a much stouter defense to lean on.

Sometimes, it isn't just the positional fit that warrants a high grade but the specific prospect chosen. I love Buffalo's bet on the speed and playmaking of cornerback Maxwell Hairston, as the Bills needed more game-breaking ability on the defensive side of the ball. GM Brandon Beane could have stuck to the "same old" Bills formula of drafting good, physical players, but Hairston is a gamble that could be the finishing touch needed for a Super Bowl run. Following the early investment made in Hairston — the fastest player at the Combine this year — the Bills returned to the "black-and-blue" strategies of prior drafts, dedicating their first five picks on defenders, including a trio of former SEC tough guys on the defensive line in T.J. Sanders, Landon Jackson and Deone Walker.

The blue-collar mentality remained a focal point deep into Day 3, even as the Bills went to tight end and cornerback with Jackson Hawes and Dorian Strong, each of whom will be adding some grit and physicality to their respective position rooms in Buffalo.

Here's why: Defense was on the menu for the Bills. Their first five selections were all on that side of the ball. I was a little lower on Maxwell Hairston, but he brings world-class speed to the Bills' defensive back room. Head coach Sean McDermott has always loved having a deep defensive line rotation, and the Bills continued to add to their defensive line room after adding Joey Bosa and other veterans in free agency. Third-round selection Landon Jackson is a smooth athlete off the edge and second-round pick T.J. Sanders has length and twitch, and gives the Bills' coaches an interesting bundle of tools to work with. It's a solid class that makes sense for what the Bills need, even if a few of the players went a little higher than I would have preferred.

Most interesting pick: Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky

Walker was looked at as a potential first-round selection entering the season. But his up-and-down play combined with a back injury kept him on the board all the way until Day 3 of the draft. Walker is a mountain of a man whose game is more finesse-based (he aligned more as a 3-4 DE in college than nose tackle) than you'd expect for a player of his size. Day 2 may have been rich, but Round 4 is worth a stab on a player with this size and with real high-end flashes. With the Bills having depth at defensive tackle, Walker and the Bills coaches can continue to hone his game and help make his snaps as impactful as possible. And he fits in nicely with the other players the Bills have up front. Not a lot of risk, but some potential rewards here.

A team that seems oh-so-close to its first Super Bowl win didn't seem to come out of this draft with that player or two who seem capable of putting it over the top. We'll see how the trade up for DT T.J. Sanders in the second round plays out, but going heavy on defense — including Round 1 CB Maxwell Hairston and Round 3 DE Landon Jackson — seems sensible given how the AFC East champs faltered on that side of the ball down the stretch in 2024.

Buffalo had one of the league's top offenses last year behind MVP quarterback Josh Allen. However, the defense has struggled for years in the postseason to get key stops. General manager Brandon Beane aggressively attacked that side of the ball with Hairston in the first round, followed by three defensive linemen in Rounds 2—4. Hairston will start alongside Christian Benford and Taron Johnson, while Walker and Sanders will form a nice rotation next to Ed Oliver.

The Buffalo Bills are a notoriously slow team on both sides of the ball. Brandon Beane likely got tired of everyone telling him that and drafted the faster player in the draft in cornerback Max Hairston out of Kentucky. Buffalo loaded up on front four players, along with taking T.J. Sanders, Landon Jackson, and Deone Walke. GM Brandon Beane also landed another pair of cornerbacks in Jordan Hancock and Dorian Strong. The defense has been costly to the Bills in several playoff games, and now there is very little room for excuses on that side of the ball.