The Buffalo Bills currently hold the 30th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but fans and analysts have differing opinions on the direction the Bills should take with their first-round pick.
The Bills lost Mack Hollins and Von Miller in the offseason and have yet to re-sign Amari Cooper or Rasul Douglas. They also traded Kaiir Elam following his ugly postseason performance against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, earning him a 41.6 overall grade in the postseason from Pro Football Focus.
Despite these losses, Buffalo has made moves in free agency, signing key players Joshua Palmer and Joey Bosa to fill some of these holes and re-signing key players like Khalil Shakir, Greg Rousseau, and Christian Benford.
What the Experts Say
After addressing these needs, some questions and differing opinions remain about what the Bills should do with the 30th pick. ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper and Field Yates have different outcomes for what the Bills will decide while on the clock on April 24.
Kiper has the Bills drafting Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston with their first-round choice, while Yates has them trading out of the first round like they did in 2024.
Most fan mock drafts have Buffalo taking a cornerback in the first round, but not everyone agrees. Some fans have them taking a defensive lineman instead.
What Should the Bills Do?
The Bill should take a cornerback with the 30th pick.
Despite having Taron Johnson, who earned All-Pro Second Team honors in 2023 at the slot cornerback position, and Benford, who received an 82.6 overall grade from PFF for the 2024 regular season, making him the fifth-highest rated corner, there is still a big hole to fill in the next outside cornerback spot.
With no news or progress being made with re-signing Douglas, Buffalo should look to draft someone to play alongside Benford. The Bills did pick up Dane Jackson and Tre’Davious White in free agency.
They will both be making their return to Buffalo, but drafting an elite cornerback prospect would still be the best option for Buffalo so they can further strengthen their secondary that has given them problems in the past.
Who Should They Go For?
Although many fan-made mock drafts have Buffalo taking Shavon Revel, the Bills may want to avoid making that pick due to Revel’s physical build suiting him better for man coverage, which does not fit the Bills’ defensive scheme. Buffalo ran zone coverage 71.3% of the time in 2024.
Revel is also going to make the transition to the NFL after playing only three games in his senior season, before suffering an ACL injury, which makes drafting him a risk.
Buffalo should target Maxwell Hairston, since he will be a better fit for Buffalo’s defense. Hairston, being primarily a zone cornerback, fits perfectly with the Bills’ defense.
On top of that, Hairston ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the combine this year, clocking in at a time of 4.28. His elite speed, combined with his experience in zone coverage, could make Hairston the perfect match for Buffalo.
Buffalo can go many different directions with their first-round pick on April 24. If they want to make the most of it, though, they should draft a corner and strengthen their secondary to push for a Super Bowl victory in 2026.
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