Putting this in big bold letters for those whose willful ignorance is so immense they can’t even be bothered to read something before commenting on it.
A lot of people think you can’t grade a draft for years because these players haven’t even seen the field yet – and they are wrong. What we’re doing here is grading things like team fit, talent level, and draft/positional value. In a few years, we can revisit this draft and grade the players based on performance.
Buckle up, this is going to be a long one. The Bills, by pretty much all accounts, greatly overachieved in 2024. The overwhelming majority of NFL pundits picked teams like the Dolphins or Jets to win the AFC East this year because the Bills “took a step back” by cutting out a locker room cancer and some aging defensive veterans. Meanwhile, over here in reality, the Bills romped their way to locking up the division with five weeks to spare. Of course, that was mathematical, there was no realistic chance that anyone else would win the division by about week 8 or so. Josh Allen put on a masterclass of careful, considered quarterbacking interspersed with plenty of his trademark “holy shit, did that actually just happen?” moments. Unfortunately, the Bills fell short in the playoffs again, largely due to Clappy McFuckface’s mediocre-at-best defense.
That defensive failure led Big Baller Beane to go hard after some young defensive talent in the draft. So let’s dig in to it.
1.30 – Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Falling just short of ultimate success has a lot of drawbacks, one of which is you don’t get a real shot at the top tier talent you may need to get over the proverbial hump. In this case, the Bills took a very talented, scheme-fit CB with elite physical traits. “Mad Max” is a little bit slender for a boundary CB and his tackling suffers as a result, but in terms of zone coverage, he has everything else you could want. Elite speed, great instincts, and a willingness to go toe to toe with the best WR on the field. And the best part is, the Bills don’t need him to step in an be CB1 the way they did with Kaiir Elam a few years ago. Christian Benford has cemented himself as a top 5-10 CB in the league and if Hairston pans out, the Bills will be set in the secondary for years to come. Love the pick, love the fit, love the marriage of need and talent at this position in the draft.
2.9 – T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina
Sanders is a legit pass rushing threat at the 3T position. The problem I initially had with this pick was a pass rushing DT was not our biggest need on the DL. Given that we traded up for this pick, I was a little disappointed we didn’t take a big man 1T DT like Alex Collins. However, later picks alleviated that concern and allowed me to view Sanders as the prospect he is, rather than as a bad fit for what we needed. Sanders lining up with Ed Oliver beside him and bookended by Joey Bosa and Greg Rousseau should be a pass rushing nightmare for opposing offenses. But I’ve thought that before and it never really came true (yet another shortcoming of Clappy’s defense is a misuse of the DL talent at his disposal, but I digress). I guess we’ll see how it looks on the field this fall. Overall, still a very solid pick and I don’t hate the trade up because we had more picks than holes to fill. The slot he was taken was a bit higher than I would have liked, but the run on DTs made it necessary.
3.8 – Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
In some mocks, Jackson was selected by the Bills in the first round. I never thought that had a chance in hell of happening, but I could have easily seen him as one of the late second round picks. Getting him in the early third feels like a steal, the kid is an athletic freak with great tape. He sets the edge really well, something the Bills value in a DE, and rushes with a lot of power and a high motor. I don’t think he’ll see a ton of action early on unless he blows it up in camp, but he looks to be an early front runner for starting opposite Rousseau since both Bosa and Epenesa are on the last years of their respective deals. Great fit and great value.
4.7 – Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky
Here’s the pick that changed my mind on Sanders. D-1 is a mammoth of a human being and before his back injury in 2024, he was projected to be a first round pick. Now, let’s not discount the potential for long term health problems. Guys of his size and talent have had their careers derailed from lingering and recurring injuries to the back and other areas many times before. However, if he regains his health, this pick has the potential to be the steal of the draft. He is powerful and he can occupy that 1T DT role with ease. But he’s not just a double-team-eating run stuffer, he can put the pressure on up the middle and with his huge size and wingspan, he’s no slouch at batting down passes either. Great pick for this stage in the draft and another trade up I don’t mind in the slightest.
5.34 – Jordan Hancock, DB, Ohio State
I didn’t do a lot of scouting on Hancock for this draft, my interest lay with more pure CBs at various stages of the draft. However, if there is anything I will give Clappy his props for, it is the ability to evaluate and develop defensive backs. Hancock has size, length and a lot of positional versatility. As a late fifth round pick, I hesitate to call him a lock to make the roster, but he damn near is. Clappy loves versatile DBs and I could see Hancock as a safety more than a CB, but he could fill in anywhere. Great depth from a fifth round comp pick.
5.37 – Jackson Hawes, TE, Georgia Tech
Hawes wasn’t on my radar, at all. But he fills a need since Quinton Morris left in free agency. Hawes will see the field mostly as a blocker, but he has the receiving chops to make some plays in the passing game if defenses allow him to chip, then leak out into the flat. Looking forward to seeing him in camp and the preseason.
6.1 – Dorian Strong, CB, Virginia Tech
Dorian Strong, the new media darling of the Bills. Apparently because once we drafted a first round CB and a sixth round CB in the same draft, then the sixth round guy ended up being way better than the first, it is destined to happen again. I hate the off-season news cycle. Anyway, Strong is actually a really good CB. He plays hard, has good size and length, and his technique is really good. I don’t know how he dropped to the sixth, I had an early-mid fourth round grade on the kid. He’s going to open some eyes in preseason action, mark my words. Plus, we need CB depth, so he’ll make the roster regardless.
6.30 – Chase Lundt, OT, UConn
A pick to warm Hooded’s heart, Lundt fits the apparent vision the Bills have for what an OT should look like. He’s tall and very athletic. He doesn’t have the kind of length you want to see in an NFL OT, surprising for his size, but he moves well, he knows how to read a defense and key in on who he should be blocking, and he can get to the second level to pancake safeties and LBs down the field. He’s not starter material, but he could develop into quality depth for our OL.
7.24 – Kaden Prather, WR, Maryland
Unlike some, I didn’t really view WR as a major need for the Bills. I mean, Allen was just MVP with a cast of relatively unknown players and an aging Amari Cooper. That being said, I was hoping the Bills would add some speed on the outside and while Prather isn’t an elite 4.3 burner, he’s not exactly slow at 4.46. He’ll get his shot in camp, but I expect that, if he makes the team, he’ll spend a lot of time as a gunner on ST.
Grade: A
This was not a perfect draft, but we made good value picks at positions of need. If these early defensive picks pan out, this team could be something special since they are largely returning the same offense.
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