2025 NFL Draft: Identifying Bills’ Best And Worst Draft Pick

The Buffalo Bills made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game in 2024, before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now, the team is trying to improve the roster to go even further in 2025. The team added solid veterans like edge-rusher Joey Bosa and wide receiver Joshua Palmer in free agency.

Then, the team entered the 2025 NFL Draft with just a few obvious needs. With the No. 30 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the team addressed one of these needs by selecting speedy cornerback Maxwell Hairston out of Kentucky.

Hairston impressed at the combine in Indianapolis by running a 4.28 40-yard dash and has the speed to keep everything in front while not being afraid to get physical.

In the second round, the team added T.J. Sanders, a defensive tackle from South Carolina. Sanders will help the run defense and be as sturdy presence next to Ed Oliver.

With the rest of the picks, the team added intriguing prospects like edge-rusher Landon Jackson, defensive tackle Deone Walker, and cornerback Dorian Strong.

Now, let’s identify the best and worst pick made by the team last weekend.

Best: Round 2, Pick 9: T.J. Sanders, DL, South Carolina

The best pick the team made has to be the second-round selection of defensive lineman T.J. Sanders.

Sanders dominated at South Carolina, collecting 50 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and four sacks. Sanders was already a force against the run, but the defender added some pass-rush moves in 2024.

Pro Football Focus gave Sanders an elite 82.4 grade in 2024 and credited the defender with nine quarterback hits and 19 hurries.

In Buffalo, Sanders could form a dominant duo with Ed Oliver and wreak havoc from the interior.

Worst: Round 1, Pick 30: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

The Bills’ first-round selection of Maxwell Hairston is strange to me. Evaluators agree that Hairston’s best fit is as a slot corner in the NFL, but the Bills already have Taron Johnson at that spot.

Hairston’s slight frame may give him problems on the boundary, and the Bills desperately need a reliable corner on the outside. Hairston is a liability in run support and will have a hard time staying in front of physical receivers.

At the No. 30 spot, the Bills could’ve gone for Will Johnson, Benjamin Morrison, or Trey Amos, who all would be better on the boundary. There were injury concerns with Johnson and Morrison, but their talent is clearly a step above Hairston’s.