Buffalo Bills (Last Year: 13-4)
2025 NFL Season Preview:
Veteran Additions:
WR Joshua Palmer, WR Elijah Moore, G Kendrick Green, DE Joey Bosa, DE Michael Hoecht, DT Larry Ogunjobi, LB Shaq Thompson, CB Dane Jackson, CB Tre’Davious White, S Darrick Forrest, P Jake Camarda.
Draft Picks:
CB Maxwell Hairston, DT T.J. Sanders, DE Landon Jackson, DT Deone Walker. Bills Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
WR Amari Cooper, WR Mack Hollins, DE Dawuane Smoot, DT Quinton Jefferson, DT Jordan Phillips, DT Austin Johnson, CB Rasul Douglas, P Sam Martin.
2025 Buffalo Bills Offense:
There were concerns regarding Buffalo’s offense entering the 2024 season. The narrative was that because the Bills lost Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in the offseason and didn’t find a replacement at the position outside of second-rounder Keon Coleman, they weren’t going to be very productive on this side of the ball.
This turned out to be completely incorrect. The Bills scored the second-most points in the NFL and earned the No. 2 seed in the AFC. They did so via Josh Allen, who was a one-man show last year, rightfully claiming the MVP award in the process. Allen accounted for 40 touchdowns, 28 through the air and 12 on the ground. He threw just six interceptions and led the NFL in QBR with a 77.3 score. It was quite the impressive season for a quarterback with no receiving talent.
The Bills tried to address this situation by trading for Amari Cooper. The former Brown had a great game against the Rams, but caught only 10 passes over the next six contests, thanks in part to an injury. Coleman never developed into the talented rookie Buffalo thought when it selected him. Even tight end Dalton Kincaid was a disappointment, though he dealt with a PCL injury. No matter what, the only viable receiver was Khalil Shakir. It seems as though Shakir will once again be Allen’s top threat. The Bills signed Joshua Palmer, but he just had a lackluster 2024 campaign.
Excluding Allen, the most productive offensive player was James Cook. He rushed for only 1,009 yards, but did so on just 207 carries, and he scored a league-high 16 rushing touchdowns in the process. There’s some speculation that Cook could be traded because he’s disgruntled with his contract. If so, Ray Davis proved that he can be a dominant runner with his terrific performance against the Jets in a close Monday night victory.
Allen and Cook were helped by a solid offensive line. The Bills have an excellent tandem of tackles with Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. Dawkins is the best blocker on the line, while Brown, a recent third-round pick, has developed into a quality right tackle.
The interior blocking is not as good as the tackle play, but it’s still solid. Center Connor McGovern is the best of the bunch on the inside. David Edwards, signed over from the Rams a couple of years ago, did just fine in 2024. The weak link was O’Cyrus Torrence, but he’s a very recent second-round pick, so he still has promise as a young blocker.
2025 Buffalo Bills Defense:
The Bills have tried to build their roster to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, but haven’t been able to do so. For this reason, they had to feel incredibly frustrated to watch the Philadelphia Eagles completely dismantle the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Perhaps, after the frustration subsided, the Bills figured out what they needed to do to finally vanquish the Chiefs, and that would be adding as much talent as possible to the pass rush.
Buffalo’s front office added six new players to the defensive front to help combat Patrick Mahomes and opposing running games. The big name is Joey Bosa, who was signed in free agency. Bosa is a great talent, but he’s spent lots of time on the injury report over the years. If he can remain healthy, he’ll be a great bookend for Greg Rousseau, who led the team with eight sacks in 2024. Bosa won’t be an every-down player, so A.J. Epenesa (6 sacks) will continue to see ample snaps. Buffalo also used a third-round pick on Landon Jackson, an athletic edge rusher with tons of upside. Another free-agency addition was Michael Hoecht, who is a run-stopping specialist on the edge.
The starting defensive tackles from last year will return once again, with Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones reprising their roles. Jones is a solid player, while Oliver is an excellent pass-rushing force in the interior. The Bills, however, recognized that they needed to obtain talent here as well. Second-round rookie T.J. Sanders is a high-upside player who should be able to generate heat on opposing quarterbacks. Conversely, fourth-round rookie Deone Walker will help as a run stuffer. The Bills also picked up Larry Ogunjobi in free agency, but he’s well past his prime.
While the Bills used three early draft picks on defensive linemen, their top choice was spent on a cornerback. The secondary was abused when Christian Benford suffered an injury in the AFC Championship, but the team needed help across from him regardless. Maxwell Hairston was acquired to be an upgrade over Kaiir Elam. It remains to be seen if that will be the case, but he was highly regarded by Charlie Campbell’s NFL sources. Benford, meanwhile, is a terrific cornerback who will be able to lock down opposing No. 1 receivers. The solid Taron Johnson will continue to play against slot receivers.
Buffalo can be more optimistic about its cornerbacks, but safety is a big question mark. Taylor Rapp is coming off a down year, while Damar Hamlin is not a starting-caliber player. Hamlin can play well in run support, but he’s a liability in coverage. The only thing the Bills did to address this position was use a fifth-round selection on Jordan Hancock.
No resources were used at linebacker until June, when the Bills signed Shaq Thompson. The former Panther was added as insurance for Matt Milano, who has an extensive injury history. Milano missed the first three months of the 2024 season and then struggled in his return the first few weeks. However, Milano improved as the weeks went on and became his usual, terrific self once again. Milano is a great linebacker, but has issues remaining on the field. He’ll start next to Terrel Bernard, who struggled mightily last year.
2025 Buffalo Bills Schedule and Intangibles:
Tyler Bass had a solid year, rebounding from a down 2023. He was 24-of-29, including a perfect 4-of-4 from 50-plus.
Buffalo has replaced punter Sam Martin with Jake Camarda. This doesn’t seem like a good move because Camarda had the second-worst net-punting average in 2024.
Buffalo has some tough non-divisional matchups against the Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers, Eagles, and Texans. However, the overall schedule isn’t too bad, given that the Bills get to navigate through the AFC East and NFC South.
2025 Buffalo Bills Rookies:
Go here for the Bills Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.
2025 Buffalo Bills Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):
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Projection: 15-2 (1st in AFC East)
2024 Projection: 11-6. 2024 Actual Result: 13-4.
2023 Projection: 13-4. 2023 Actual Result: 11-6.
2022 Projection: 14-3. 2022 Actual Result: 13-3.
2021 Projection: 14-3. 2021 Actual Result: 11-6.
2020 Projection: 11-5. 2020 Actual Result: 13-3.
2019 Projection: 9-7. 2019 Actual Result: 10-6.
2018 Projection: 3-13. 2018 Actual Result: 6-10.
2017 Projection: 5-11. 2017 Actual Result: 9-7.
2016 Projection: 8-8. 2016 Actual Result: 7-9.
NFL Draft Team Grade: A Grade
Goals Entering the 2025 NFL Draft: The Bills have 10 picks, so they’re in a position to trade up. Cornerback, safety, and wide receiver are areas that must be upgraded. The defensive line needs some help, too, especially given their struggles against the run.
2025 NFL Draft Accomplishments: The Bills need to figure out how to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs. The way they attacked the 2025 NFL Draft made it apparent that they completely understood that.
Buffalo’s first five picks were all used on the defensive line or secondary. Two picks were cornerbacks, including the team’s opening-round choice, Maxwell Hairston. Two pass-rushing defensive linemen were also obtained – T.J. Sanders, Landon Jackson – and then there was Deone Walker, who will help stop the run. The Bills clearly watched the Eagles dismantle the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, which would explain why they made it a priority to draft players like Sanders and Jackson to complement the newly signed Joey Bosa.
The only negative about Buffalo’s draft class was that a receiver wasn’t selected prior to pick No. 240, though Kaden Prather, who was chosen at that selection, provided great value. However, the Bills were able to come away with a great haul. What they accomplished will allow them to have a much better chance of finally vanquishing the Chiefs in January.
NFL Draft Individual Grades:
30. Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky – A- Grade
I was hoping for a pass rusher here, given that the Bills likely saw what the Eagles did to their arch-nemesis Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Still, Maxwell Hairston is a very good pick. He’s a stellar cornerback prospect who fits the system, and he was discussed as someone who could have gone in the early 20s. He fills a huge need.
41. T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina – A Grade
The Bills traded up to this pick, but didn’t really surrender much for it. With that in mind, I love this pick. The Bills must have watched what the Eagles did to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, so they know they need a great pass rush. They signed Joey Bosa, and now they traded up for T.J. Sanders, who has incredible upside as an interior defensive lineman.
72. Landon Jackson, DE/DT, Arkansas – A+ Grade
The Bills definitely watched the Super Bowl. They’re arming themselves with as many pass rushers as possible to finally take down the Chiefs. I love this pick. Not only does it fill an obvious need, but the highly athletic Jackson easily could have gone in the second round, or perhaps even earlier.
109. Deone Walker, NT, Kentucky – A Grade
The Bills have drafted multiple pass rushers thus far. This is another defensive lineman, but it’s one who will help against the run. I thought Deone Walker would be chosen on Round 3, so I love this pick for value and need.
170. Jordan Hancock, CB, Ohio State – B+ Grade
Another cornerback makes sense for the Bills, given their need at the position. Jordan Hancock makes sense in this range as a very instinctive cornerback and a willing tackler. Another solid pick from Buffalo.
173. Jackson Hawes, TE, Georgia Tech – B Grade
Jackson Hawes won’t be competing for targets with Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. He’s a quality blocking tight end who should be able to carve out a role on the team. This is a fine, but not great pick.
177. Dorian Strong, CB, Virginia Tech – A Grade
A third cornerback, but I like it. The Bills know that they have to nail down their pass rush and cornerback play, so I like them attacking the position, especially with a prospect who could have gone two rounds earlier. Dorian Strong has nice size and potential.
206. Chase Lundt, OT, Connecticut – B+ Grade
There was definitely some buzz around Chase Lundt toward the end of the draft process. He’s a lengthy tackle who has some potential. It’s nice that the Bills were able to find some depth at the position.
240. Kaden Prather, WR, Maryland – A+ Grade
I thought Kaden Prather would go much earlier than this. He’s a huge receiver who runs well for his size. He could end up being a factor for the Bills down the road.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
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