Shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, it was apparent that Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane was happy with how everything played out.

Just days before Buffalo holds their rookie minicamp, Bills fans got a glimpse behind the curtain to see how everything unfolded when the team released their latest episode of Buffalo Bills: EmbeddedAfter watching the episode, here’s a look at five things we learned about the draft class.

After watching the episode, here’s a look at five things we learned about the draft class.

Hairston was clearly “the guy” for Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott

After selecting Kentucky cornerback Max Hairston with the No. 30 pick in the draft, Beane told the media that the team had a first-round grade on the prospect.

Some fans were skeptical saying that this is something that all general managers say after making their first pick, but Embedded proved that Beane and head coach Sean McDermott were high on Hairston.

While it wasn’t at the level of Kevin Costner’s Sonny Weaver, Jr. character holding a post-it that read, “Vontae Mack no matter what,” Beane clearly wanted Hairston on draft night.

“No doubt. No doubt,” Beane said when the cornerback was shown on screen during night one of the draft.

McDermott was completely onboard with the idea as well.

“I feel like, ya know, we gotta get this guy,” the Bills head coach told team owner Terry Pegula.

Team scouts were also very high on Kentucky CB

It wasn’t just Beane and McDermott who were high on Hairston. Buffalo’s general manager discussed scenarios that the team had leading up to the draft. One question the team posed to scouts asked who they were most convicted on in the first round.

The runaway answer was Hairston.

“No one in the first round got more votes than Max,” Beane said on Embedded.

T.J. Sanders would have been considered at pick 30 if Hairston was off the board

Buffalo was worried about the Washington Commanders potentially selecting Hairston. Hairston made a pre-draft visit to Washington right after his 30-visit with the Bills.

If the Commanders had taken Hairston, Buffalo would have looked at moving back. Had they stayed put in that scenario, however, Beane said that T.J. Sanders, their second-round pick, would have been in consideration.

“TJ (Sanders) was a guy that if Max (Hairston) was not there, would have been in the conversation,” Beane said. “Strongly in the conversation.”

That explains Buffalo’s aggressive trade-up for the defensive tackle.

Landon Jackson has more “meat on the bone”

The Bills liked Landon Jackson’s tape, but his testing numbers at the combine showed them that the best is yet to come.

“The thing that impressed me about him… The guy tested out of the water,” Beane said.

At the combine, Jackson showed off a 40.5″ vertical, a 10′9″ broad jump and a 4.68 40-yard dash time at 264 pounds.

“There’s still more meat on the bone for this guy,” Beane added. “He’s not a guy walking in, as we say, tapping the ceiling.”

Hairston gave his stamp of approval for Deone Walker

After arriving to Buffalo on the second day of the draft, Max Hairston went through the facility with his family and took pictures with Beane, McDermott and Pegula.

At the end of their conversation, Hairston said he was excited to see who the rest of his teammates would be in the draft class. That’s when Beane let Hairston know that his college teammate, Deone Walker, was on the Bills’ radar.

After Beane mentioned potentially taking Walker at some point in the draft, Hairston gave the defensive tackle a glowing recommendation.

“I’m telling you, that’s the one,” Hairston told the GM. “I ain’t ever seen a dude 6′8″ move that fast off the line.”