Lions' first-round defensive tackle suggests Bills wanted him over Max Hairston

Max Hairston to the Buffalo Bills may have never happened if a certain defensive tackle prospect was still available at No. 30 overall in the NFL Draft Round 1 order.

Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams went off the board to the Detroit Lions at No. 28 overall while the Bills were apparently eyeing him at the No. 30 spot.

It's worth noting that Williams was paired with Buffalo at No. 56 overall in the Bills On SI 7-Round Mock Draft, but it seems as if his second-round grade underestimated his market.

According to Williams, who formally addressed the Lions' press corps, the Bills were waiting for him at the bottom of Round 1.

"Yea, it's kinda of the same conversation I was having with the Lions," said Williams. "They kind of told if I was there, they want me. I had talks with the head coach and D-line coach. They said they love my game and how I play. It definitely was a possibility."

Detroit Lions first round draft selection Tyleik Williams speaks during the introduction press conference at Meijer Performance Center In Allen Park on Friday, April 25, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bills obviously saw a need at defensive tackle as they eventually drafted South Carolina's TJ Sanders with the No. 41 overall pick and Kentucky's Deone Walker at No. 109, trading up for both players. It's unclear where Williams ranked on Buffalo's board in relation to Sanders and Walker, but general manager Brandon Beane claimed that Hairston was the best player available by the time the Bills made their pick.

"Until we got to the very end of the draft, the very end of the draft, it was the highest player on the board. That's what it was," said Beane when asked about the organization's 2025 draft strategy.

Both Hairston and Williams have been on Buffalo's radar for a while as they each made pre-draft "30" visits to Orchard Park.

In hindsight, it would be interesting to see what the Bills would have done if both players were available with the No. 30 pick. Although we can't know what was going through Beane's brain at the time, we certainly know what Williams thinks they would've done.

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