Post Draft Takeaways For the 2025 Buffalo Bills
It’s been a little over a week since the draft concluded, and I used that time to learn more about the nine new members of the Bills and what their selections mean for the team's future. I covered the players selected with my Draft Tracker, so I won’t be going into great detail on each player with this blog. This will cover my key takeaways from the draft and the approach that Brandon Beane and the scouting staff took with their selections last weekend. Overall, I am happy with the class, especially when you factor in the offseason the Bills have had leading up to the draft.
Buffalo drafted five straight defenders and finished using six of their nine selections on the defensive side of the ball. The first pick used on offense was for a tight end from Georgia Tech, who many scouts regarded as the best blocking Tight End in the group. This was with pick 173, in the 5th round. The message became pretty clear with how the front office and coaching staff viewed the roster, and their plan to address it going into the 2025 season. Here are my three key takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ 2025 draft class.
Buffalo entered the draft with 10 picks but made two trades with the Chicago Bears to finish the draft with 9 selections.
Defense Needs Playmakers
Bobby Babich is entering his second season as the Defensive Coordinator, and this felt like an opportunity to bring in players who fit the style of defense he wants to be calling, aggressive and creating turnovers. Overhauling the cornerback position and getting younger was necessary. We all remember the playoff loss to the Chiefs and how poorly the secondary played. Buffalo's secondary struggled throughout the season, seeing a significant drop-off in their pass defense while earning the NFL’s 30th-ranked third-down defense. The Bills also needed to add playmakers, which they did starting in round 1 with Max Hairston.
I was pretty confident that finding a cornerback to line up next to Christian Benford and retooling the defensive tackle position would be high priorities in the first few rounds of the draft. The selection of three cornerbacks, two defensive tackles, along with an edge rusher, told me something different. They viewed the CB and DT positions as significantly inferior to the rest of the roster. Buffalo was rotating Quinton Jefferson, Austin Johnson, and Jordan Phillips at defensive tackle due to injuries last season. Jefferson and Phillips were free agents after being released midseason before being picked up. It wasn’t good enough. T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker will see the field in Week 1, and their selections have put DeWayne Carter on the hot seat. He needs to improve from last season if he doesn’t want to be pushed out of the rotation after Larry Ogunjobi’s suspension ends.
Benford and Taron Johnson are the only veteran locks at the cornerback position, along with rookies Max Hairston, Jordan Hancock, and Dorian Strong. Tre'Davious White should be safe if healthy, but his lack of versatility may hurt him. Hancock and Strong will push Damar Hamlin, Ja'Marcus Ingram, Dane Jackson, and Cam Lewis for spots on the final roster, replacing at least two. They carried seven CBs on their initial 53-man roster last season, including Brandon Codrington, a CB by name, but primarily a punt returner with some kick returns.
Landon Jackson’s physical attributes make him a scary addition to the most talented defensive line we have seen since Sean McDermott became Head Coach. Jackson will be competing with A.J. Epenesa and Javon Solomon for DE3 while Michael Hoecht is serving his suspension. He’s also an insurance policy for Joey Bosa. If Jackson acclimates to the NFL game early, it allows the Bills to limit Bosa’s snaps and keep him healthy for the playoffs.
Confidence in the Offense
Brandon Beane’s decision to spend their first five draft picks on defensive players showed me that the coaching staff is highly confident in the players returning on offense, particularly the wide receiver group. The Bills finished second in the NFL, averaging 30.6 ppg in 2024, so it’s understandable why they didn’t see the need to use a lot of draft capital there. They also bring back everyone except Amari Cooper, Mack Hollins, and Quintin Morris from that side of the ball. Should they have drafted a WR in the 3rd-5th round range to add to the mix and gain some cost control for the next 3 to 4 years? Maybe, but the signing of Elijah Moore since the draft tells me that Brandon Beane had a plan to address the position if the board fell a particular way, and he also had a contingency plan.
I was not convinced that the Bills needed to invest in the wide receiver position with an early-round pick during the draft, but I was intrigued when Matthew Golden slid into the twenties. I feel this way for two reasons: first, Buffalo's success last year spreading the ball around, particularly after the Cooper trade, and second, the receivers are better this year than they were last year. Khalil Shakir is the de facto #1 WR, whether it's said publicly or not. Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel both showed flashes last year when healthy that they can be playmakers in this offense. I expect a big leap from both heading into year 2 with Joe Brady and Josh Allen. Signing Joshua Palmer is an upgrade from where Cooper is at this point in his career, and the Moore signing should be looked at as an improvement on paper from Mack Hollins. Hollins overachieved in the Bills’ offense last season. What will Moore do with those opportunities coming off his two best seasons in the NFL, catching passes from Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Bailey Zappe, in Cleveland?
Buffalo did select WR Kaden Prather with their final pick in the seventh round, but that is a lottery ticket. It would be great if Prather developed into a vertical threat perimeter receiver. Still, it’s unrealistic to expect that to be the result with a player you select 240th overall. It does fall in line with the development process the Bills have taken at the position with their fringe roster/practice squad players. Prather will be able to compete for the roles currently filled by Tyrell Shavers and Jalen Virgil.
The draft also showed me that the front office is confident that James Cook will be in a Bills uniform this season and that Ray Davis and Ty Johnson proved their value in 2024. Frank Gore Jr. and Darrynton Evans will be Training Camp competition, but I anticipate we will see the same group from last season, barring injury.
Draft, Develop, Deploy
Fans and draft analysts called for the Bills to address multiple positions in the draft that were ignored, aside from just wide receiver. Linebacker and Safety were under scrutiny, with projections of Malaki Starks or Nick Emmanwori being the Bills' first-round pick, and even LB Carson Schwesinger. Buffalo did not address either defensive group unless you want to use the Jordan Hancock selection, who has position versatility at CB/Safety. This was the right decision, in my opinion, for two reasons.
Buffalo addressed the linebacker position last year by selecting Edefuan Ulofoshio in the 6th round and signing UDFA Joe Andreessen, who made the team after a tryout and was on the opening-day 53-man roster. 2023 3rd round pick Dorian Williams saw a significant amount of playing time last season in Matt Milano’s absence and performed at a high level. Even with Milano’s expected departure after this season, it did not make sense to me as a priority to upgrade the position. Terrel Bernard’s contract extension this offseason leaves the Bills with four linebackers under contract beyond the 2025 season, with Milano and Baylon Spector set to become free agents.
The Bills went into the draft with four rostered safeties. 2024 2nd round pick Cole Bishop and returning starter Taylor Rapp are penciled in as the starters this season, with Damar Hamlin returning on a 1-year deal and new addition Darrick Forrest. Bishop’s training camp injury last year stalled his transition to the NFL, and it was pretty apparent in his first start against the Houston Texans in week 5. He improved and played 60% of his defensive snaps on the season over the last 4 weeks before seeing meaningful playing time against the Ravens and Chiefs in the playoffs. Drafting a safety in the first round would have been giving up on Bishop, your prior year 2nd round pick, or drafting Rapp’s replacement when he has 2 years remaining on his contract. It doesn’t make sense when you look at the roster as a whole.
The second reason drafting a linebacker or safety with their first-round pick was a bad idea is that players need time to develop. Expecting that every player drafted is ready to play in the NFL in week 1 is unrealistic. I’m not saying every pick pans out, but Dorian Williams is a recent example of a player looking lost in year 1 and a starter in year 2. Yes, he lost that spot when Milano returned from his injury, but you get the point. Bishop needs to get a fair opportunity at the safety spot, and a 1st round pick would have made that difficult. The same goes for Andreessen and Ulofoshio at LB. They won’t be starters this year, but they will have another year in the system with the expectation that they can step up if called upon. I also anticipate that more linebackers will be brought in before training camp, either UDFA or a veteran, to add competition.
Final Thought
I am happy with the Bills' draft selections from a value and need perspective. They brought in six or seven players who can make the final 53-man roster. It’s not an easy roster to make, so there will be good competition throughout the summer to see who makes an impression and cements a spot on the team. Buffalo is in a much better place, roster-wise, than a year ago. Go Bills!
