Bills Central

Bills praised for defensive upgrades in recent months

The Buffalo Bills made it their mission to get better on defense through the NFL Draft.
Jeremy Brener|
Buffalo Bills rookie Maxwell Hairston jogs to another area of the field during voluntary workout at their practice facility
Buffalo Bills rookie 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

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The Buffalo Bills knew they needed to revamp their defense during the offseason in order to have a shot at reaching the Super Bowl.

Josh Allen and the offense couldn't have had a better year, so still missing the Super Bowl meant the defense needed an upgrade or two.

After adding some pieces in free agency like Joey Bosa and Larry Ogunjobi, the Bills didn't stop there. The team used the NFL Draft to also add pieces to the defense. Pro Football Focus writer Dalton Wasserman praised the Bills for addressing their defensive needs in the draft.

South Carolina Gamecocks defensive tackle T.J. Sanders during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium
South Carolina Gamecocks defensive tackle T.J. Sanders during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | Butch Dill-Imagn Images

"The Bills desperately needed cornerback help after they earned the second-lowest team PFF coverage grade in the NFL last season. Their Super Bowl hopes have been repeatedly dashed by an inability to make defensive stops in big moments. They used this year’s draft to alleviate that problem," Wasserman wrote.

"Six of Buffalo's first seven selections were defensive players, including first-rounder Maxwell Hairston and defensive linemen T.J. Sanders and Landon Jackson. If this iteration of the Bills finally makes it to a Super Bowl, it will be because the team's 2025 draft class made an immediate impact."

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It remains to be seen how many of these defensive draft picks will pan out, but the math behind six players taken in the first seven picks suggests the Bills should have at least one or two that become mainstays on defense.

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If the Bills can find a way to develop these players during training camp to a level where they can play in their rookie seasons, Buffalo could get over the hump and reach that lucrative goal of making the Super Bowl.

The Bills are set to report to training camp on July 22.

Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston works out during Minicamp at Highmark Stadium
Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston works out during Minicamp at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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