Analyst Questions Bills' 'New Look' Defensive Line
The Buffalo Bills entered the 2025 offseason hoping to improve the team enough for a Super Bowl run and to keep pace with AFC rivals like the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.
Buffalo had eyes on improving mostly on defense, where it needed help at linebacker, safety, corner and the interior of the defensive line.
General manager Brandon Beane addressed corner with their first-round pick this year in Maxwell Hairston and spent their second-round pick on South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders. Their fourth-round pick was Kentucky DT Deone Walker, and the team also added another corner in the fifth round in Ohio State's Jordan Hancock.
With all the additions to the defense, Beane and the team hope there's enough there for a Super Bowl run.
But Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine wrote that Buffalo might not have done enough.
"Much like the Ravens, anything short of a Super Bowl is going to be disappointing for the Buffalo Bills this season. Both teams have unquestionably been among the most elite teams in the league," Ballentine wrote. "Both have been denied a Super Bowl berth because of Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs. For both teams, every offseason becomes an arms race to find the edge that could put them over the top. This offseason, it was clearly looking to upgrade the defensive line for the Bills. Not only did they add veterans in Joey Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht, but they also attacked the defensive front in the draft by taking T.J. Sanders (second round), Landon Jackson (third round) and Deone Walker (fourth round). Assuming all six new additions make the roster, that's a ton of depth up front.
"After watching the success the Eagles had against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the Bills have to hope that a deep collection of defensive linemen can push them over the top. They'll have to be because Buffalo is among the most cap-strapped teams in the league.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
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