‘It was widely anticipated that defense would be the focus and a consistent theme throughout the three days in which Buffalo made their draft selections this weekend and that proved to be the case. Each of the Bills’ first five picks were on the defensive side of the ball, marking the first time that’s happened since the Bills’ 2006 draft.’
BillsBeat - April 27, 2025
'I bring a high motor' | Five things to know about new Bills defensive tackle T.J. Sanders
‘”A guy who plays with a high IQ, adaptable, explosive, twitchy,” Sanders said of how he would describe himself. “Can play the run, can rush the passer, I feel like that’s just me.”‘
BillsBeat - April 26, 2025
Bills move up in second round to select South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders
‘Sanders, 6-foot-4 and 297 pounds, spent his entire college career with the Gamecocks, appearing in 39 games with 16 starts. He appeared in 13 games and made nine starts in 2024, finishing with 50 tackles (seven for loss) and four sacks. In 2023, he started seven games and finished with 43 tackles (9½ for loss), 4½ sacks and four passes defensed.’
Buffalo Bills add defensive end Landon Jackson in third round
‘“My phone said, ‘potential spam risk’ whenever they called,” Jackson said. “I thought I was getting pranked to be honest with you. Then, my wife said, ‘Go ahead and pick it up. I think it’s somebody.’ And then I picked it up, and they said, ‘This is the Buffalo Bills.’”’
Mark Gaughan: Bills go for speed over bulk, try to bolster ailing pass rush
‘So getting more interior pressure is a must. Sanders produced decent pass rush stats, with four sacks in 2024 and 4½ in 2023. That’s despite playing only 36 snaps a game the past two years.’
Call from quarterback Josh Allen one of many highlights for new Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston
‘“We got a chance to talk about comfort in zone and man and I just think I’m so versatile, I can work in the scheme because it’s a mixture of both,” Hairston said. “I feel like I’m a player, you can put me anywhere on the field – zone or man, whether I’m pressing or off – they’ll trust me to go out and make a play if the opportunity presents itself.”’
Buffalo Bills pick TJ Sanders in 2025 NFL draft: Scouting the athletic DT
‘Sanders has the versatility to play both the one-tech and three-tech, but he will have to work on his run defense which wasn’t always superior in college. At 6-foot-3, he does have nice size on the interior, and he ran a 4.95 in the 40 so he has athleticism.’
Buffalo Bills pick Landon Jackson in 2025 NFL draft: Scouting the high-energy edge rusher
‘There are some injury concerns as he suffered a torn ACL and a broken ankle in high school, and when he started his career at LSU he again tore the ACL and missed eight games. But after he transferred to Arkansas in 2022 he stayed healthy and put up three outstanding seasons.’
Here are Bills targets, best available players in Day 3 of NFL Draft
‘The vision could not be clearer: For five consecutive years, the Buffalo defense has played poorly in the playoff elimination game – four losses to the Chiefs, one to the Bengals – and not even the brilliance of Josh Allen could overcome the defensive shortcomings.’
Buffalo Bills all-time best 22 picks in the late rounds of NFL draft
‘The Beane/McDermott regime has unearthed several mid- to low-round success stories, but so have previous Bills’ regimes.’
Bills new speedy CB has 'penchant for big-time plays': What Brandon Beane says
‘“We thought there would be some good options for us tonight,” Beane said. “We didn’t necessarily think we would need to trade back or trade up, and being patient paid off. I know we usually do trade, or I usually do trade – we had opportunities both ways, but liked what was there.”’
Needing playoff answers, Bills invest in SEC defenders
‘A year ago, the Bills traded away the pick that would be used on the fastest player in the NFL Draft. Thursday night, they drafted someone fast enough to cover him.’
Bills make aggressive trade up in 2nd round, select athletic South Carolina defensive tackle
‘Buffalo didn’t wait for the run on defensive linemen to start on Day 2 of the NFL draft. Sanders was the first defensive tackle off the board in the second round. The San Francisco 49ers took Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins two picks later.’
Bills’ second-round pick went from All-State hooper to ‘perfect fit’ for Buffalo (6 things to know)
‘Sanders is listed at 297 pounds, but he has bulked up this offseason. He says he is currently between 305-310 pounds and still feels as explosive as did at 297 pounds. The new Bills defensive tackle added that he feels he can play at 315 pounds. That is right around DaQuan Jones’ weight so there is no doubt that Sanders can fill the 1-tech role in Buffalo’s defense.’
Buffalo Bills select Arkansas edge rusher Landon Jackson with third-round pick
‘Jackson said that he met with the Bills multiple times during the draft process and now joins a Buffalo defensive line that has undergone a complete overhaul this offseason. Jackson is one of two new defensive linemen added on Friday after the Bills selected defensive tackle T.J. Sanders in the second round. The Bills signed veteran edge rusher Joey Bosa, versatile lineman Michael Hoecht, and veteran tackle Larry Ogunjobi during free agency.’