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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 25: Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane looks on before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills had nine picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, but unfortunately, many of the players they selected struggled through disappointing rookie seasons. The situation was most notable with first-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who managed to play in only 11 games and started just three due to an injury he picked up in training camp. In light of these challenges, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski graded the Bills’ 2025 draft class with a “C-“, highlighting Hairston as one of the biggest letdowns.
Bills Get Hit With Tough Grade
“The Buffalo Bills were looking for talent to push the team over the top, and the front office failed to deliver,” Sobleski wrote on Thursday.
“First-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston opened the season on injured reserve thanks to an LCL sprain and ended it out of the lineup due to an ankle issue.”
Hairston wasn’t the only top pick who struggled last season; defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and third-round defensive end Landon Jackson also faced challenges and didn’t perform well.
“Second-round defensive tackle T.J. Sanders struggled mightily against the run. Third-round defensive end Landon Jackson barely played,” Sonleski added.
Sanders appeared in 12 games but didn’t perform well, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF ranked him as the 128th interior defensive lineman out of 134 and gave him the 110th grade for run defense.
The Bills likely didn’t expect to receive less contribution from their first two draft picks, and it didn’t help that their third selection, Jackson, didn’t play much either. Jackson played only three games, which is a very limited sample size for accurately assessing his performance.
Buffalo also didn’t manage to hit a home run with any of their Day 3 picks either.
Why Did Buffalo Keep Brandon Beane?
“The Bills didn’t really find much quality until the fourth and fifth rounds upon selecting defensive tackle Deone Walker and tight end Jackson Hawes,” Sobleski added. “Even then, those picks are limited. Walker looked more like the preseason first-round projection than where he was actually drafted, but he was still inconsistent. Hawes is an awesome blocking tight end but not much of a weapon in the passing game.”
The draft class is one of the reasons why the Bills failed to reach the Super Bowl this past season. Sobleski noted an interesting observation: why did general manager Brandon Beane keep his job, while head coach Sean McDermott lost his?
“A look at this class and it makes a person wonder why the Bills retained general manager Brandon Beane instead of previous head coach Sean McDermott,” Sobleski wrote.
The Bills need a significantly better showing in the 2026 NFL Draft, or they might start slipping quickly. As much as Josh Allen can hold the team together, there’s only so long before Buffalo begins to lose a few games.
Drafting young star players is essential for NFL teams to succeed, and the Bills have struggled to assemble a strong draft class in recent years. This issue is beginning to catch up to them, costing Buffalo a chance at a few Super Bowls.
Danny Fisher Is a football journalist covering the Buffalo Bills for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL for Gridiron Heroics, focusing on the AFC and Penn State football for Nittany Central. More about Danny Fisher
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