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Unfortunately, the Buffalo Bills can’t select a new head coach in the 2025 NFL Draft, so they will just have to settle on one of these three targets with the No. 30 pick. After the team’s season ended in utter devastation at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs once again, the franchise has to pick itself up, dust itself off, and go back to the drawing board for the 2025 campaign.
Overall, the talent on the Bills is solid. That doesn’t mean they are without needs. Buffalo has several needs on defense, such as more secondary depth and a run-stuffing defensive tackle. On the offensive side, they — like every other team — could always use another explosive playmaker to help Josh Allen.
With that in mind, here are three early Bills 2025 NFL Draft targets with the No. 30 pick.
One of the turning points in the Bills loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game was when cornerback Christian Benford went out with a concussion — his second in consecutive weeks — and Kaiir Elam, the Chiefs hunted him and seemed to complete the pass every time he was in coverage.
The irony here is that Elam was the Bills first-round pick in the same year (2022) that Christian Benford came to Buffalo in the sixth round. Overall, though, Elam is a bust, Benford’s career is in jeopardy, and Rasul Douglas is a free agent. That means the Bills need corners.
There will likely be three to five CBs off the board by the time the Bills pick at No. 30, so if the talent isn’t there they should look elsewhere. But if Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston is still available, he is a solid option.
At 6-foot-1, 186 pounds, Hairston is a physical, press-man corner who will fit in nicely with Sean McDermott’s scheme. He is also a playmaker and a ball-hawk with six interceptions, three forced fumbles, and three defensive touchdowns in 20 college games.
Plus, Hairston could be the perfect replacement for Douglas if the star cover man leaves in free agency. Why? Because you know who Bleacher Report and several other scouting reports compare him to? Rasul Douglas.
The Bills need help stopping the run. While they were a respectable 12th in run defense this season, a lot of that is because of the game script. The D gave up over 120 rushing yards in nine games this season, including 271 yards to the Baltimore Ravens in a Week 4 loss.
A big reason for the poor run defense is that the Bills are undersized on the D-line, especially inside, with 287-pound Ed Oliver leading the way.
That’s why 6-foot-3, 339-pound Michigan DT Kenneth Grant could be a good selection for the Bills, which is where he is in my latest 2025 NFL mock draft.
Grant is a space-eater who can help against the run and also had 6.5 sacks in two seasons...
