It doesn’t matter what grade analysts gave the Buffalo Bills. The fact of the matter is that Brandon Beane delivered a solid draft class where he focused on building up the defense. Out of nine picks that the Bills made, six of them were on defense. Three of them on the defensive line and three in the secondary.
The Bills’ defense is what has been their Achilles heel in the playoffs and it was time for Beane to do whatever he could to fix that issue. He has an MVP quarterback in Josh Allen and in a year where they were supposed to take a step back, they were four points away from getting out of the AFC championship game and making it to the Super Bowl. However, we all know that they didn’t make it not because of the offense, but because of the defense.
While it will take time for the rookies that the Bills drafted to develop, players are expected to show that they can make some sort of impact in order to earn a roster spot, let alone becoming a starter. The only Day 1 rookie starter that should be on the field in Week 1 is cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
If you are drafted in the first round, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be a starter. While the Bills signed Tre’Davious White on a one-year deal, he no longer needs to be a starter. Hairston and Christian Benford can be that duo.
In addition to Hairston, the Bills also drafted cornerbacks Jordan Hancock from Ohio State, and Dorian Strong from Virginia Tech. Quite frankly, Hancock might be a tremendous steal for the Bills and Strong is a solid press corner who the Bills can develop into a fantastic rotational piece. The drafting of these three corners should put one Bills veteran on thin ice heading into the summer.
CB Dane Jackson is on thin ice for Bills heading into 2025 season
Dane Jackson was a draft pick under Brandon Beane back in 2020, drafted in the 7th round out of Pittsburgh. He wasn’t anything special as a corner in his first four years in Buffalo. While he had his moments, he was more of a liability than an asset. Jackson signed with the Carolina Panthers last offseason, but he only played in nine games and started in three. He was a quick one-and-done there and is now back with the Bills, but is it guaranteed?
At this point, Jackson isn’t competing for a starting spot. He should be lucky if he even makes it onto the roster come Week 1. If he is outperformed by the rookies, he could easily be released from the roster at the end of preseason. He has a lot more pressure on him than we think.