水果派AV

Jay Skurski

Favorite pick: It is a challenge for any prospect picked on Day 3 of the draft to make the 53-man roster of a team with a championship-caliber roster. But there is a pretty clear path for Georgia Tech tight end Jackson Hawes to do so with the Bills. The team didn鈥檛 re-sign Quintin Morris, meaning the No. 3 tight end job behind Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid is wide open. Hawes is an old-school beast of a blocker. He鈥檚 not going to contribute a ton in the passing game, but that鈥檚 not what the Bills will ask him to do. He鈥檚 going to line up and try to impose his will on the defender in front of him. You don鈥檛 see many NFL rookies with economics degrees from Yale, either.

Least favorite pick: Taking a 330-pounder with back trouble is not my favorite idea, but that鈥檚 what the Bills did in the fourth round 鈥� trading up to do so, no less. Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker earned first-round grades from some scouts after his 2023 sophomore season, but he slipped to the fourth round partly because of his back injury 鈥� specifically, a fracture between two vertebrae in his spine 鈥� that greatly impacted his production in 2024. Walker gives the Bills a big body in the middle of the defense, but he actually didn鈥檛 play much one-technique defensive tackle last season. There is a lot of projection here 鈥� both that he will get healthy and then develop into the run-stuffer the defense needs.

Ryan O鈥橦alloran

Favorite pick: I was intrigued by Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock when the Bills drafted him No. 170 overall (fifth round) because of his experience 鈥� he played 41 games in college 鈥� and how he basically played an NFL-length season last year (16 games) for the national champions. But when general manager Brandon Beane said the plan is to have Hancock also learn the safety spot, I labeled him as my favorite pick of the Bills鈥� draft. I wanted the Bills to draft a true safety at some point for right away and for down-the-road purposes. But Hancock ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at his pro day and was listed at 6 feet, 185 pounds, so he鈥檚 worth a shot at safety. If he learns the system, he could challenge Cam Lewis for a role as the sub-package, hybrid player.

Least favorite pick: I have to select somebody as least-favorite, so 鈥� did the Bills really need to draft three cornerbacks? Granted, they might have other plans for Hancock, but they also took Virginia Tech鈥檚 Dorian Strong in the sixth round (No. 177). Picking Strong here has more to do with what else the Bills could have done than it is a knock on him 鈥� his ball skills do pop out, with 35 career pass breakups. Four running backs went in the sixth round, but the Bills didn鈥檛 prioritize that. I would have considered Boise State edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein instead.

Katherine Fitzgerald

Favorite pick: I鈥檓 high on T.J. Sanders. I think with the way the draft went after him, it was a good plan for the Bills to move up and go get the defensive tackle. When we spoke to Sanders in person Saturday, you could tell how much that trade meant to him, and how motivated he will be to prove Beane and the Bills correct. I like his versatility, and in the Bills鈥� revamped defensive line, I think he can be a quick contributor.

Least favorite pick: I know wide receiver is topical around Buffalo right now, so at the risk of wading into that debate, I鈥檒l say Kaden Prather. This isn鈥檛 to single out Prather. I was more just surprised at a wide receiver at that point in the draft. Beane said Prather can contribute on special teams, and Prather seems more than willing to do so, but I was a little surprised the Bills didn鈥檛 go for someone with a bit more special-teams experience, as that is the likely path to the roster for anyone drafted in the seventh round. Still, Prather鈥檚 work ethic impressed the team, and he seems ready to soak in anything and everything.