As a lead-up to the 2025 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Buffalo Bills.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2025 NFL Draft Hub.
Who Did the Buffalo Bills Select in the 2025 NFL Draft?
The Buffalo Bills selected Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky) with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Bills also selected:
- T.J. Sanders (DL, South Carolina)
- Landon Jackson (EDGE, Arkansas)
- Deone Walker (DT, Kentucky)
- Jordan Hancock (CB, Ohio State)
- Jackson Hawes (TE, Georgia Tech)
- Dorian Strong (CB, Virginia Tech)
- Chase Lundt (OT, UConn)
- Kaden Prather (WR, Maryland)
Buffalo Bills Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2025
- Defensive Back
- Wide Receiver
- Defensive Line
What Picks Do the Buffalo Bills Have in 2025?
The Buffalo Bills have 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (30)
- Round 2 (56)
- Round 2 (62)
- Round 4 (109)
- Round 4 (132)
- Round 5 (169)
- Round 5 (170)
- Round 5 (173)
- Round 6 (177)
- Round 6 (206)
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Buffalo Bills 2025 Draft Capital Stats
The Bills have the 14th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.
Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
Buffalo Bills Draft Value vs. Other Teams:
The Bills’ draft value is 7% higher than the league average of all 32 teams.
Buffalo Bills Draft Prediction:
Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Bills to draft:
- Brendan Donahue's 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
- Ryan McCrystal's 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #8 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
Buffalo Bills Strength of Schedule, 2025
The Buffalo Bills have the 5th-easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2025 NFL season.
Buffalo Bills Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Buffalo Bills, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Depth Chart, Bills:
- Josh Allen
- Mitchell Trubisky
- Mike White
- Shane Buechele
Josh Allen was excellent again last season, winning his first MVP Award.
Allen averaged only 233.2 passing yards per game (his fewest since 2019), but he made up ground in efficiency, ball protection, and avoiding sacks.
Allen’s 7.7 yards per pass attempt were his highest since 2020, while his 12.2 yards per completion were his highest since his rookie season.
His 1.2% interception rate and 2.8% sack rate were career lows, contributing to his career-best 77.3 QBR and career-best mark in EPA per play (0.26).
Allen also rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.
That earned Allen a six-year contract worth up to $330 million this offseason.
Allen's cap hit is $36 million this season, and then it will be over $50 million per season through the remainder of the contract.
Behind Allen, Buffalo has veterans Mitchell Trubisky and Mike White signed for 2025.
They hold restricted rights on Shane Buechele after the season.
Running Back Depth Chart, Bills:
- James Cook
- Ty Johnson
- Ray Davis
- Darrynton Evans
- Frank Gore Jr.
James Cook ended his third season turning 239 touches into 1,267 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He took a slight dip in usage from 2023 (16.5 touches per game) to last season (14.9 per game) but was only dinged for a slight decrease in the passing game.
After 2.6 receptions for 26.2 yards per game in 2023, Cook caught 2.0 passes for 16.1 yards last season.
Cook only ran a route on 40.4% of the dropbacks in his games last season compared to 47.3% in 2023.
He made up for that loss of use in the passing game with touchdown equity.
Cook had only 9 touchdowns over his first two regular seasons before doubling that in 2024.
He enters 2025 in the final season of his rookie contract.
There have been rumors that Cook is seeking a new deal to make him one of the highest-paid backs in the league.
If there is a schism between Cook and Buffalo (again, see Josh Allen’s new contract), the Bills could use this draft as a potential pipeline to add a future starter.
They may have already done that last season with Ray Davis in the fourth round.
Davis handled 130 touches for 631 yards and 6 touchdowns as a rookie.
In the one game that Cook missed, Davis handled 23 touches for 152 yards, playing only 58% of the snaps.
Ty Johnson was brought back for two more years.
Johnson only had 59 touches in 2024, but he closed the season as the offense's passing-down back.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Bills:
- Khalil Shakir
- Josh Palmer
- Keon Coleman
- Curtis Samuel
- K.J. Hamler
- Laviska Shenault
- Jalen Virgil
- Tyrell Shavers
Buffalo threw the ball to wide receivers 59.6% of the time last season, 19th in the league.
Their wideouts combined to catch 190 passes (20th) for 2,407 yards (22nd) and 18 touchdowns (11th).
Khalil Shakir led the unit.
Shakir closed the season quietly but still put together the best season of his early career, catching 76 of 100 targets for 821 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Although he was held to fewer than 40 yards receiving in four of his final games of the year, Shakir was the lone constant wide receiver in this offense in terms of target opportunities.
He led the team with 20.2% of the targets and was targeted on 26.3% of his routes, second on the team behind Dalton Kincaid.
He can be limited in route participation due to playing 70% of his snaps from the slot, but the Bills rotated receivers on the outside, and it never threatened Shakir.
His performance earned a four-year contract that put Shakir on the books through 2029.
The ancillary wideouts for Buffalo were tough to depend on in 2024.
Mack Hollins was on the field for 70.7% of the dropbacks, which led the position.
Hollins went over to New England this offseason.
Amari Cooper remains a free agent.
He averaged a team-high 2.08 yards per route with Buffalo but was only on the field for 51.6% of the dropbacks after joining the team in Week 7.
With Hollins gone and Cooper seemingly out of their future plans, Buffalo signed Josh Palmer to a three-year contract.
Palmer has not filled the box score with counting stats over his rookie contract, averaging 3,1 receptions for 39.4 yards per game over his four seasons with the Chargers.
He could not jump Quentin Johnston last season, catching 39 passes for 584 yards and 1 touchdown.
That said, Palmer does have underlying metrics that keep the door open for future production.
Palmer ranked 10th among qualifying receivers in route win rate last year.
The next-closest Buffalo wide receiver last year was Cooper, who was 61st.
Palmer also gives Buffalo a potential man-coverage beating option, something they lacked in 2024.
Palmer was eighth among wide receivers in separation score against man coverage.
The next-closest Bill was Keon Coleman (54th).
Keon Coleman will enter year two, failing to answer the questions about his potential limitations entering the league, surrounding separation and versatility.
Coleman caught 29 of 57 (50.9%) of his targets for 556 yards and 4 touchdowns over 13 games as a rookie.
He averaged 19.2 yards per catch but was limited to playing as an outside field stretcher.
Coleman played 87.7% of his snaps out wide.
31.6% of his targets came 20 or more yards downfield.
The only receivers with as many targets as Coleman and a higher rate of deep targets were Alec Pierce (47.8%) and Demarcus Robinson (32.8%).
38.6% of his targets were go routes, second only to Mike Williams (41.2%).
Coleman was targeted on 27.9% of his routes against man coverage compared to 13.4% against zone coverage.
Buffalo will look for more growth from Coleman in year two.
Curtis Samuel is still signed for two more seasons.
In his first season with the Bills, Samuel averaged 2.2 catches for 18.1 yards per game.
Buffalo does not have a true alpha outside receiver.
That leaves room for the team to continue trying to find one, but after a year and a half under Joe Brady, that could be by design.
Tight End Depth Chart, Bills:
- Dalton Kincaid
- Dawson Knox
- Zach Davidson
It was a disappointing season for Dalton Kincaid.
After averaging 4.6 receptions for 42.1 yards per game as a rookie, he averaged 3.4 receptions for 34.5 yards over 13 games last season.
Kincaid’s season-high yardage in a game was 53 yards, and he was below 50 yards in 10 of 13 outings.
He was targeted on a team-high 27.2% of his routes, but only ran a route on 62.9% of the dropbacks in his games.
Kincaid had odd usage on the field when he was running routes.
After 11% of his targets were at or behind the line of scrimmage as a rookie, that rate spiked to 22% last season.
Oddly enough, his deep targets went up, however.
After a 7.7% deep target rate in 2023, that rate was 14.7% last season.
The problem is that he only caught 2-of-11 deep targets.
Kincaid missed four games, picking up a concussion, collarbone, and knee injuries.
All of those bumps could have contributed to his production dip, but Kincaid still has plenty of runway to participate in this passing game.
Dawson Knox is still on the books for $14.6 million and $17 million the next two seasons, but Buffalo can save nearly $10 million in cap space in 2026 if the team moves on from that contract.
It will be hard to justify paying Knox that much.
He is still active in the run game but has been nondescript as a pass catcher since the team added Kincaid a year ago.
Buffalo ran the ball 45.1% of the time with Knox on the field compared to a 36% rate with Kincaid.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Bills:
LT: Dion Dawkins, Tylan Grable, Travis Clayton
LG: David Edwards, Alec Anderson
C: Connor McGovern, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
RG: O’ Cyrus Torrence, Mike Edwards, Kendrick Green
RT: Spencer Brown, Ryan Van Demark, Richard Gouraige
Buffalo ended the season ranking fourth in ESPN’s pass block win rate (68%), but was 17th in run block win rate (71%).
That followed suit with Pro Football Focus, where they ranked fifth in pass blocking grade, but slipped to 12th in run blocking grade as a team.
For the second year in a row, Buffalo's offensive line was healthier than most of the league.
They had their starting line on the field for 79.1% of the snaps, which was second in the league.
They were also second in the department in 2023.
Alec Anderson was the only member to play in all 17 games, but Spencer Brown was the only one to miss multiple games (playing in 15).
The Bills are bringing back every starter this season.
Dion Dawkins (2027) and Brown (2028) are locked up long-term at both tackle spots.
O’Cyrus Torrence still has two years remaining on his contract.
Buffalo will have both David Edwards and Connor McGovern as unrestricted free agents after this season.
Should they lose either of those spots next offseason, they could add contractual depth or a player they view as a future starter.
But they do have more contractual depth here than most teams.
Tylan Grable, Travis Clayton, Mike Edwards, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, and Richard Gouraige are all signed for multiple seasons as depth pieces.
Buffalo Bills Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Buffalo Bills, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Defensive Line Depth Chart, Bills:
- DaQuan Jones
- Ed Oliver
- Larry Ogunjobi
- DeWayne Carter
- Zion Logue
Opposing teams could run on the Bills in 2024, with Buffalo allowing 4.4 yards per carry on running back runs (22nd).
That production was boom or bust, though.
Buffalo finished second in stuff rate (25.3%) but also last in explosive run rate allowed (13.4%).
The main pair from last year are back with DaQuan Jones and Ed Oliver returning for another season.
Neither player made a real mark against the run, with Jones specifically taking a big step back.
After a 4.6% stuff rate and a tackle on 16.8% of his run defense snaps in 2022 and 2023, those numbers fell to 2.2% and 6.7% for Jones in 2024.
He is also heading into a contract year.
Free agent addition Larry Ogunjobi should be able to help out against the run, but he will miss the first six games of the season due to a suspension.
He is also on a one-year contract.
Buffalo does have some youth here with 2024 third-round pick DeWayne Carter, though he did not have a ton of success as a rookie.
Especially with the longer term questions, the Bills could use a strong addition along the defensive line to help out against the run.
EDGE Depth Chart, Bills:
- Greg Rousseau
- Joey Bosa
- A.J. Epenesa
- Michael Hoecht
- Javon Solomon
The Bills did not have a prolific pass rush in 2024, finishing 23rd in pressure rate (32.5%) and 18th with 39 sacks.
Greg Rousseau led the team with 8 sacks on a quality 14.4% pressure rate.
That rate was 17th among qualified pass rushers last season, and it was actually a small step down from where Rousseau was in 2022 and 2023.
Buffalo signed him to a four-year extension in March that keeps him under contract through the 2029 season.
Von Miller added 6 sacks on limited snaps last season, but the Bills released him ahead of free agency before adding Joey Bosa on a one-year deal.
Bosa theoretically can offer Buffalo more than a rotational pass rushing role, but he has played 28 games total in the last three seasons including 14 last year.
He was a part-time player even with active last season.
That means we still should see a lot of A.J. Epenesa, who showed more pass rushing juice with a 13.9% pressure rate in 2023 but fell to a 6.2% mark last season.
He did get 6 sacks last season because he had more opportunities, setting a career high with 612 defensive snaps.
Even if he is not an elite pass rusher, Epenesa was a factor against the run last season, recording 14 run stuffs.
He is scheduled to be a free agent after the season.
Michael Hoecht was added to this group during free agency, but like Larry Ogunjobi, he will have to serve a six-game suspension to open the season.
Hoecht will bring a versatile skill set once he returns and could end up playing more inside with Buffalo, though he would also fit well in the Epenesa role.
Javon Solomon could be an X factor for this group after getting 2 sacks with a 17.1% pressure rate on a very small sample as a rookie.
Given Bosa's history, Epenesa's impending free agency, and Hoecht's suspension, there is certainly room to add here, but the perfect upside outcome for this group is pretty good.
Linebacker Depth Chart, Bills:
- Terrel Bernard
- Matt Milano
- Dorian Williams
- Baylon Spector
- Joe Andreessen
- Edefuan Ulofoshio
Matt Milano had another frustrating year, playing in just four games before the playoffs after participating in five games in 2023.
He did start all three games in the postseason, but he took a pay cut this offseason and will now be a free agent after the 2025 season.
It appears as if the Bills are ready to move on, but they should give Milano every opportunity to prove he is still the same player who earned an All Pro spot in 2022.
Terrel Bernard was the primary option last season with Milano sidelined, recording 16 run stuffs and a tackle on 20.6% of his run defense snaps.
He also allowed a 79.7 quarterback rating in coverage and 6.4 yards per target.
Buffalo signed him to a four-year extension this offseason, keeping Bernard under contract through the 2029 season.
2023 third-round pick Dorian Williams played the second most snaps at linebacker last season, getting 14 run stuffs of his own with a 24.4% tackle rate on his run defense snaps.
That tackle rate was sixth among qualified linebackers.
A healthy Milano would give the Bills a quality top three at the position, but the team could still look to add here given their seeming uncertainty about Milano's future.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Bills:
- Christian Benford
- Taron Johnson
- Tre'Davious White
- Dane Jackson
- Daequan Hardy
- Ja'Marcus Ingram
- Brandon Codrington
- Te'Cory Couch
Buffalo allowed 7.1 yards per attempt (18th) and a 4.8% touchdown rate (18th) in 2024.
They did do a good job limiting big plays (7%, 3rd) and finished fifth with 16 interceptions.
Christian Benford was another beneficiary of Buffalo's extension spree this offseason, signing a four-year, $76 million contract that keeps him with the team through the 2029 season.
Benford earned that deal by allowing just 5.4 yards per target in 2024, though he did give up 4 touchdowns in his coverage.
Slot corner Taron Johnson is also back after allowing an 80.3 quarterback rating in coverage last season.
He has three more years left on his deal.
Behind that duo is interesting.
Rasul Douglas is gone, but the Bills reunited with both Tre'Davious White and Dane Jackson this offseason.
Neither player impressed in their one season away, though White did have more success in a limited role after being traded to the Ravens midseason.
Perhaps the Bills could hope for a return to form for White, but the better bet would be adding to this group early in the draft.
This is arguably Buffalo's top need.
Safety Depth Chart, Bills:
- Taylor Rapp
- Damar Hamlin
- Cole Bishop
- Darrick Forrest
- Cam Lewis
Buffalo re-signed Damar Hamlin in free agency after he started 14 games for them in 2024.
While a great story, Hamlin was not an above-average starter last season and especially struggled in coverage, allowing a 103 passer rating and 10.7 yards per target.
Taylor Rapp played the second most snaps in this group last season, similarly struggling in coverage (109.2, 10.7) but producing more against the run.
Rapp was seventh among all defensive backs in tackle rate per run defense snap (16.3%).
Added in free agency, Darrick Forrest played well as an 11-game starter for the Commanders in 2022, but he fell off the next season while only playing five games and was a special teamer for them last year.
The upside outcome in this group would be Cole Bishop taking a step forward in year two.
A second-round pick last year, Bishop played 358 snaps on defense as a rookie but did not shine when given the chance, allowing a 127.4 quarterback rating in coverage.
Cam Lewis is a versatile option who helped out as a slot corner last year, but he is not a front-end starter.
Bishop taking a step forward and establishing himself atop this depth chart would make things look a lot better, but as it stands, there are no difference makers in this unit.
That could prompt the Bills to spend another early pick on the position.