Buffalo Bills lauded for one of best NFL Draft classes this cycle

Buffalo Bills' general manager Brandon Beane appears to have done it again as the team has yet another successful draft class, according to one expert source.

During the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bills selected nine players with a big focus on defense as the first five picks were on that side of the ball.

Compared to the rest of the NFL, the Bills appear to be in the driver's seat for one of the best draft classes in 2025.

CBS Sports writer Ryan Wilson ranked all 32 NFL teams' draft classes with picks he loved, best value, and most surprising picks. There were only five teams he gave perfect A+ grades to with the Bills coming out on top.

Wilson's favorite pick from the draft came with Buffalo's first-round selection of Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston. While he might be undersized at the cornerback position, Wilson warns not to let that deceive receivers going up against him, thanks to Hairston's speed and physical style of play.

"Maxwell Hairston reminds me of Devon Witherspoon in that he may be undersized, but he plays much bigger than that. He battled a shoulder injury last season, but when he's healthy he's as close as you'll get to a lockdown corner in today's NFL. Hairston, who ran a 4.28-second (!!) 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, will have a chance to win the Day 1 starting job."

Hairston only played seven games last year due to a shoulder injury he suffered during the season. In 2023, he led the SEC in interceptions with five and interceptions returned for touchdowns with two.

Wilson next named Hairston's college teammate, defensive lineman Deone Walker, as his best value pick. Walker was a first-round prospect entering the 2024 season, but his back injury is why Wilson said he fell in the fourth round.

"Ten months ago, we were talking about Deone Walker as a first-round pick, and possibly top-15 talent. He battled a back injury in 2024 and his play suffered. But you're not going to find a 6-foot-7, 330-pound athletic defensive lineman just walking around looking for work. If Walker is healthy and locked in, we could end up looking back at this being one of the best players in this class."

Walker could still play through the back issues and finished with 37 tackles, five tackles for loss, two pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery in 11 games. He was named to the All-SEC team in each of his three seasons with the Wildcats.

As to the most surprising pick, Wilson named Georgia Tech tight end Jackson Hawes . Buffalo is solid at tight end with Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. Wilson said it was a specific trait in Hawes's game that separates him from the rest of the class.

"On the surface, you might wonder why the Bills need another tight end, but Jackson Hawes was the best blocking tight end in the class. I had a fifth-round grade on him, so to get him in Round 6 provides some value, too."

Hawes was an All-Ivy League selection in 2022 and 2023 for the Yale Bulldogs before transferring to the Yellow Jackets in 2024. He caught 16 passes for 195 yards in 12 games last year.

The Bills set themselves up for success over the next few years with a solid draft class that can immediately impact this season.