Buffalo Bills Consensus Draft Grades

[gonzo1105]

I’m somewhere between an A- and a B+.  Favorite pick: TJ Sanders Least: Deone Walker 

[Logic]

8 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

I agree with your post but ask you to state which receiver you would have liked the Bills to pick at which spot

 

Thanks!

 

In terms of who was actually on the board at WR when we made picks:

I liked Jaylin Noel (though his skillset may have been a little redundant with Shakir as our locked in slot WR) in round 3. 

I liked Jalen Royals in round 4, and he could've been had without even needing trade up like they did for Deone Walker.

With small trade-ups (the likes of which they deemed worth executing for the DTs), they also could've been in position for Dont'e Thornton or Kyle Williams.

Alas, I'm not suggesting any of these guys would be THE difference or would be WR1s or anything like that. All of them would've simply added nice tools to the toolkit. 

[MJS]

A-. My only critique is that they could have traded up more and picked fewer players late. We had 9 draft picks and I doubt they will all make the roster.

 

Beane nailed the first three picks, and those are the important ones.

[Sierra Foothills]

37 minutes ago, Logic said:

In terms of who was actually on the board at WR when we made picks:

I liked Jaylin Noel (though his skillset may have been a little redundant with Shakir as our locked in slot WR) in round 3. 

I liked Jalen Royals in round 4, and he could've been had without even needing trade up like they did for Deone Walker.

With small trade-ups (the likes of which they deemed worth executing for the DTs), they also could've been in position for Dont'e Thornton or Kyle Williams.

Alas, I'm not suggesting any of these guys would be THE difference or would be WR1s or anything like that. All of them would've simply added nice tools to the toolkit. 

 

I'm in the majority that wishes we'd gotten the field stretching deep threat though I still love our draft and gave it an A.

 

The thing is I wouldn't change our first 4 picks/trades. I was definitely getting excited in the 4th when D'onte Thornton was still there... but he was taken the pick before we took Deone Walker at 109.

 

Then I was disappointed when KC took Jalen Royals at 133. Post-Walker trade, we would have had to trade 3 of our last 5 picks (probably including two of our 5th rounders) to move up and take him ... but like you said had we not traded up for Walker we could have had Royals at 132, assuming KC or another team didn't trade ahead of us.

 

Another interesting feature of the draft is that the Bills took Jordan Hancock at 170 with Chris Paul Jr. still on the board. I wonder if they were hoping to get Paul on their next pick but the Rams took him at 172 just before we took Jackson Hawes at 173.

 

Regardless, I really like the Deone Walker pick and I'm generally content with the draft... largely because I'm expecting the defense to be excellent this year.

 

[Ralonzo]

For giggles, charting the Bills' actual pick against Chris Trapasso's "interesting" pre-draft rankings.

 

#30 Maxwell Hairston (CT #17, CB4)

#41 TJ Sanders (CT #34, DT3)

#72 Landon Jackson (CT #98)

#109 Deone Walker (CT #71)

#170 Jordan Hancock (CT #105)

#173 Jackson Hawes (CT #272)

#177 Dorian Strong (CT #130)

#206 Chase Lundt (CT #258)

#240 Kaden Prather (CT unlisted)

 

UDFA:

Wande Owens (CT #235)

 

Edited Tuesday at 02:30 AM by Ralonzo

[GASabresIUFan]

Bills Picks vs the non-Kiper guys at ESPN - Yates, Reid & Miller (in that order)

30 - Hairston - 22, 38, 43

41 - Sanders - 63, 46, 91

72 - Jackson - 57, 59, 48

109 - Walker - 146, 93, 143

170 - Hancock - 196, 126, 218

173 - Hawes - 172, 201, 194

177 - Strong - 129, 164, 158

206 - Lundt - 195, 110, 149

240 - Prather - xxx, 202, xxx

 

From these boards the best value picks were Jackson, Strong and Lundt.  

[BigDingus]

14 hours ago, gonzo1105 said:

I’m somewhere between an A- and a B+.  Favorite pick: TJ Sanders Least: Deone Walker 

 

Pretty much how I feel, though I think Landon Jackson is my slight favorite, hoping he can really make use of that size on the edge.

 

Deone Walker would've been better had they taken him later in the draft. I don't think he's very good (yet), though admittedly I only began reading/watching everything I could on him after we already drafted him.

[Spun]

I have seen very little to nothing of all the draftees.  This draft was a statement on the desire for an improved defense.  Theoretically, a strong/elite defense gets Josh and the offense on the field more often.

 

My impression of both lines in the playoffs, against the Ravens and the Chiefs, was that they wilted at the end of both games.

 

We can agree that a stronger pass rush would be nice.  More time for Josh and a more productive and consistent running game would be special.  Dial it down James Cook, your services are needed.

 

i wasn’t impressed with the overuse of the tush push.  More imaginative  play calling and execution is needed near the goal line.

 

The Bills receivers are fairly young.  I expect them to improve in the upcoming season.

 

In a more perfect world, would bringing back Amari Cooper be feasible, reasonable and possible?  His window is closing.  What is most important to him?  A final infusion of money (Dallas) or a contract with a team that is within pecking distance of winning a Super Bowl?  In a change of direction, would the Bills consider bringing Cooper back?  A healthy Cooper and a full training camp could help him be more productive.  
 

Three months until training camp.

 

Tick tick tick…

 

 

 

 

[Luka]

Defense wins championships. 

 

I am going with a B grade. Did not address the weakest position group (safety) and the blocking tight end pick was frankly a throw away pick. Seemed early to make that kind of choice, would've been nice to see that pick made last and a receiver in the 5th. 

 

Other than that? Can't argue with overhauling the very weak defensive line. 

[BearNorth]

Yesterday Ryan Wilson of CBS gave the Bills a surprising A+ grade, praising the Hairston, Walker and Hawes Picks.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/ranking-each-teams-2025-nfl-draft-class-bills-raiders-49ers-come-up-aces-browns-bengals-raise-questions/

 

Maybe we are underrating this group.

[Ralonzo]

Hawes, it depends on the scouts. Some saw no upside at all as a receiver, others attribute it to the way Yale/GT offenses utilize the position, similar to the argument about Dont'e Thornton and Tennessee. Others think he can be a chain mover at least, but his metrics say he's not a 25-yard seam guy pretty clearly.

[GASabresIUFan]

47 minutes ago, Ralonzo said:

Hawes, it depends on the scouts. Some saw no upside at all as a receiver, others attribute it to the way Yale/GT offenses utilize the position, similar to the argument about Dont'e Thornton and Tennessee. Others think he can be a chain mover at least, but his metrics say he's not a 25-yard seam guy pretty clearly.

I watched Hawes constantly get open against a good UGA defense.  He made 4 catches that day and was always open.  We obviously see a lot of Tech games in Atlanta.  Hawes is an excellent blocker, but there is much more to his catch ability than advertised.  

Edited yesterday at 06:10 PM by GASabresIUFan

[nosejob]

On 4/26/2025 at 8:20 PM, stevestojan said:

Solid B. A weird reach in round 2 with T.J. Sanders. 
 

edit: I see a lot of disagreement. Just seemed to me he might have been there without giving up capital. But as I mentioned later in this thread, I don’t know 💩. 

The question is should we have moved and drafted Tyliek?....the best and last and found a 3rd another way...or possibly the same as what he did ?

[Doc Brown]

My draft grade is the same result as most of the throws made this in the Super Bowl.  Incomplete.

[nosejob]

I'm Happy overall. I had the feeling they loved Sanders. Then to get LJ and Walker where they did. Strong will be another Benford, no shade on Max. Hopefully he'll give us Tre white play. The above will all contribute this year  and that's exactly what we need.

[SoonerBillsFan]

I think its been a damn good defensive upgrade this offseason.. Coach them up and lets start getting to the QB taking them down and off the Damn field on 3rd downs. That right there makes this team much better.

[Don Otreply]

18 hours ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

I think its been a damn good defensive upgrade this offseason.. Coach them up and lets start getting to the QB taking them down and off the Damn field on 3rd downs. That right there makes this team much better.

Yup, 

 

our defense’s lack of third down success has been a huge issue, hopefully this off season’s acquisitions fix this problem. 

[SoMAn]

I couldn't go higher than A- without picking a 'sure thing' blue chip player that usually goes in the top ten. Also, it's all speculation at this point. But, my optimism has me believing the Bills got a handful of future starters/rotational players that will contribute to the ongoing playoff streak.

[T master]

On 4/26/2025 at 7:35 PM, Wizard said:

Initial Reaction Grades

 

Note: My grades reflect my initial reaction based on what I thought the needs of the team, value of pick (including if it was a trade up and the cost), potential making the roster, improving that particular position, and who else may have been available

 

Hairston B+/A-

TJ Sanders C-C+

Jackson B+/A-

Walker C/C+

Hancock B/B+

Hawes C-/C

Strong B+/A-

Lundt C-/C

Prather C+/B-

 

I think Hairston, Sanders, and Jackson all have potential. I think the price for Sanders was just too high. I think he will be good. I would've preferred a highly rated 1T in the 2nd.

 

Walker is a project. Needs to lose about 40-50 lbs and put on 20 lbs of muscle by September to be more than #50-#53 on the roster. The right position. A bigger guy that we need. I hope I am wrong about him.

 

Hancock and Strong I think are solid depth, and I can see one of them becoming an above average starter.

 

Hawes, Lundt, and Prather are projects, but this is to be expected.

 

 

 

 

I don't really know that much about any of the players the Bills took this year but from what I'm hereing your grades don't match up if what I heard is true .

 

Greg Cosell said Hawes was the BEST blocking TE in this draft and Hawes said he loves to just crush people in his interview with the Buffalo media .

 

Listening to 1 Bills live Beane, Browny, Cosell, all said that last season Walker played through a broken bone in his back some how which was the reason for his down turn in production in 2024, but looking at his 2023 tape if he had come out then he would have been a first rounder . Then I heard Browny reference Walker and said he is HUGE but doesn't have any belly that hangs over his belt so the losing weight thing not sure about your take on that either .

 

ALso mentioned and I can't remember which CB it was but again Cosell said from watching the tape he was one of the best press man CB in college, I'll have to go back and listen to it again to find out which one & he gave some praise to Sanders being a twitchy fast DT with good pass rush skills .

 

I'm no football guy just a fan so sorry but I'm gonna take it that they have those guys graded a bit higher than you do . Oh and they talked about Lundt;s up side being very good too so then there's that . 

[todd]

I'd love to hear the perspective of those who gave it an F or thereabouts.