Bills rookies earning trust of Sean McDermott according to Week 8 snap counts

The rookies were on the field a lot during the Buffalo Bills win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 8.

Buffalo Bills Maxwell Hairston jogs to another area of the field during voluntary workout at their practice facility. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills improved to 5-2 with a convincing 40-9 win in Week 8 over the Carolina Panthers.

Buffalo's defense had an excellent outing, sacking Andy Dalton seven times. Michael Hoecht led the way with 1.5 sacks in his debut game with the Bills.

He wasn't the only one making his debut for the team either. Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi was out there for the first time this season as well, and he recorded three tackles. The Bills also saw rookie Maxwell Hairston for the first time, as he made his NFL debut.

MORE: Surprising results from Maxwell Hairston's NFL debut for Buffalo Bills vs. Panthers

Hairston, who suffered a nnee injury in camp, wasn't exactly eased in either. He played in 27 snaps, which was 44 percent of the team's total. He wasn't the only rookie to log significant time either, as Sean McDermott is showing trust in multiple rookies.

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Rookie snaps during Bills win in Week 8 vs. Panthers

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker looks on after a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Let's take a look at the total snaps from rookies on Sunday, which begins with fourth-round pick Deone Walker, who was out there for 36 snaps.

Deone Walker, DT: 36
Jackson Hawes, TE: 35
Maxwell Hairston, CB: 27
Jordan Hancock, S: 16

Walker's snap count might have increased due to the loss of Ed Oliver to injury, but he still had more time on the field than veterans Ogunjobi and Jordan Phillips.

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On offense, the most impressive stat was the 35 snaps for Jackson Hawes. The fifth-round pick had 35 snaps which was far more than Dalton Kincaid or Dawson Knox. Kincaid is of course dealing with an oblique injury, which limited him to 14 snaps. Still, Knox had just 27, proving the team believes in Hawes.

His talent as a blocker surely had a lot to do with his time on the field, especially with James Cook running for 216 yards. Hawes did catch two passes for 15 yards, giving him more receptions than either Kincaid or Knox as well.

Buffalo Bills tight end Jackson Hawes warms up prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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