Who Nailed the Draft—and Who Should Be Worried Because of It | 4 Downs

With one mile marker of the NFL calendar beginning to fade into the horizon in the rearview mirror, the league is already approaching another.

The schedule release on May 14 will be when, among every other detail, we’ll find out who the Philadelphia Eagles will open up their Super Bowl title defense against, the Christmas slate, Thanksgiving showdowns, and each of the 272 games we’ll all be counting down to with bated breath.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll also finally, probably get some clarity on the fate of the tush-push as a play in 2025 and beyond during the league’s next meeting, and before you know it, there will be live video streamed directly to your phones from OTA and minicamp practices across the country.

Before looking too far out the windshield, let’s take one last deep glance back at the NFL Draft, what we learned, the teams that stuck to their longstanding philosophies better than others, the veteran players who now must start looking over their shoulders, and the balance of power that I believe may have shifted dramatically after draft weekend.

All that and more inside this week’s 4 Downs. Let’s get after it.

First Down: Smartest Teams in the Room — Who Nailed the Long-Term Vision?

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There are several teams across the league that have either spent the past several seasons collecting Lombardi Trophies or knocking on the doorstep of the Super Bowl, in large part because they are run by general managers and front offices that not only understand the value of drafting well, but execute a philosophy in terms of both talent evaluation and player development to perfection.

The Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Rams are a few franchises that come to mind.

Buffalo also belongs in that conversation, and throughout the 2025 NFL Draft stuck to their long-term vision and organizational philosophies to assemble a draft class that fits the mold of what the Bills do, how they win, while collecting players that advance the ball closer to taking down the Chiefs in the race to Super Sunday in the AFC.

“Buffalo went all in on defense,” an NFC coach told me, when asked which team drafted with their long-term vision in mind. “They got a great cornerback, and two tough motherfuckers on the defensive line.”

Those “motherfuckers” are second-round pick T.J. Sanders, out of South Carolina, and fourth-round pick Deone Walker, out of Kentucky, who were two of the Bills’ first four selections after tabbing playmaking Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston in the first round.

Hairston, Sanders, and Walker arrive onto a Bills defense that, on the heels of allowing 32 points to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, allowed Von Miller to walk, while upgrading in the pass-rush-for-hire department by signing Joey Bosa in free agency.

This was a quintessential Brandon Beane draft, leaning hard into both the Bills’ needs and adding potentially game-changing talent at what have become premium positions across the NFL.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Hairston, 6-foot-1 and 186 pounds, is a long corner who held opposing quarterbacks to a 78.2 passer rating when targeting him and isn’t afraid to level a big hit to separate the ball from a would-be receiver.

Sanders shows some of the traits that have helped Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter become one of the most feared at the position league-wide, and last season produced an elite 12.6% pass-rush win rate. He is plenty capable of providing A-gap pressure against the likes of Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Mahomes, who perpetually are standing in Buffalo’s way of playing for the Lombardi.

Meanwhile, the coach I spoke to identified former Virginia Tech cornerback and Bills sixth-round pick Dorian Strong as one of the steals of the entire draft.

Strong intercepted seven passes across his five seasons in Blacksburg before running the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds with a 36-inch vertical leap at the NFL Combine, flashing the kind of traits the Bills believe they can develop into an eventual starter in the secondary.

Much like his counterpart in Philadelphia, Howie Roseman, Brandon Beane added not only at least one top-of-the-depth-chart difference-maker in Hairston, but filled out quality depth and developmental players at key positions who could become the Bills’ next wave of star defenders, propping open Buffalo’s Super Bowl window for years to come.

By sticking to an organizational philosophy and targeting the kind of prospects to fill key needs while also keeping one eye trained on the future, the players the Bills chose during this year’s draft might be the kind of difference-makers that push Buffalo across the finish line in 2025. They also most certainly have the potential to develop into the kind of players that keep the Bills in the mix.

Second Down: Veterans on Notice — Who’s in Trouble After Draft Weekend?

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The NFL Draft doesn’t just introduce future stars, it also signals shifting priorities.

For some veteran players, their team’s draft strategy could be the first hint that their role is shrinking, or their future elsewhere is being quietly mapped out.

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Get the rest of this week’s 4 Downs — including which veterans should be on high alert, best landing spots for the top remaining free agents, and how the AFC West is trying to catch the Chiefs.

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