The Buffalo Bills are shaking things up this year, looking to strengthen their defense after some tough playoff losses. With Josh Allen proving he can still lead a dynamic offense without Stefon Diggs, the team focused on bolstering their defense in this year’s draft. General manager Brandon Beane made some strategic picks, targeting cornerbacks and the defensive line to address both immediate and future needs for the team.
Beane’s strategy involved using six out of nine draft picks to reinforce the defense, following the release of edge rusher Von Miller and the decision not to re-sign cornerback Rasul Douglas. The team also traded cornerback Kaiir Elam to Dallas. “We did feel we needed to get younger in some areas on defense,” Beane noted, highlighting the importance of transitioning and addressing age-related challenges within the team.
Buffalo’s first draft pick was Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston at No. 30. Beane then traded up in the next rounds to secure defensive tackles T.J. Sanders from South Carolina and Deone Walker from Kentucky, as well as Arkansas edge rusher Landon Jackson. Adding free-agent edge rushers Joey Bosa and Michael Hoecht, along with tackle Larry Ogunjobi, signals a major shift from the older defense that struggled last season.
This revamped defense will feature just seven players returning from the 2020 squad that lost to Kansas City in the AFC championship. Beane started this overhaul over a year ago, moving on from several captains and trading Diggs to Houston to manage the team’s payroll. The Bills have transformed significantly since their 2019 season, which marked the start of their playoff streak.
The new draft picks are joining a solid core after the Bills locked in key players, including Allen, with contract extensions this offseason. “I think that’s the job of GM, is to make sure that you want to compete today, but you’re also having plans for more and how you’re going to do that,” Beane explained, emphasizing the importance of planning for the future while competing in the present.
With the addition of these new players, Buffalo now has 13 defensive linemen on the roster. The team prefers to rotate their linemen to keep them fresh, and they carried 11 linemen last season. Although depth might not be a problem initially, Ogunjobi and Hoecht will miss the first six games due to NFL suspensions.
Buffalo’s draft picks have a strong connection to the SEC, with their first four selections coming from the conference. Beane expressed respect for the SEC’s track record, noting, “Every year, every draft, a lot of premium players.” T.J. Sanders, who was picked in the second round, switched from basketball to football in high school and saw the SEC as a proving ground for his skills. “I feel like if I couldn’t play in the SEC, I couldn’t play in any league,” Sanders said, eager to demonstrate his abilities on a larger stage.
