When you analyze the 2025 NFL draft class, it’s pretty clear that there is a deeper pool of starting-caliber defensive tackles as opposed to cornerbacks.
So, there is a school of thought that the Buffalo Bills – who have gaping holes at those two positions – should concentrate on picking a corner in the first round and getting a DT with one of their second-round picks.
It makes sense, but as always, we have no idea how general manager Brandon Beane has built his draft board, though we do know that very often, it does not line up with how the various draft analysts and mock drafters view which player would be best-suited to Buffalo. As he likes to say, they don’t have the mountain of information that teams have on these players.
Understood, but if there’s a defensive tackle sitting there at No. 30 who the Bills covet – many believe that could be Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, or maybe Derrick Harmon of Oregon – then Beane shouldn’t even need the allotted 10 minutes in the first round to make that pick.
Should that happen, it’s great for the Bills because that would address in the best way possible a position that needs an infusion of size and talent, and then they can find a cornerback with one of their two second-round picks at No. 56 and No. 62, or perhaps in the third round if they can make a trade to get into that round where they currently do not have a slot.
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The top corners including Travis Hunter, Will Johnson, and Jahdae Barron will most likely be gone before the Bills make their scheduled first-round pick, but there is a cache of players who could be available for Buffalo on Day 2, especially if Beane found a way to trade up into the high 30s.
Here are four potential targets who might fit the Bills.
1. Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
There are some analysts who have mocked Hairston to the Bills in the first round at No. 30, but on the NFL Mock Draft Database, which compiles many mock drafts, Hairston’s average projection is pick No. 36, so early in the second round, essentially where the Bills took Keon Coleman last year after trading back to No. 33 at the top of the second round.
If the Bills don’t have an appropriate grade for a DT at No. 30 and Hairston was sitting there, no one should blink if they picked one of the best athletes in the entire draft class.
He ran 4.28 in the 40, the fastest time at the NFL scouting combine, and his 39.5-inch vertical leap was second-best among cornerbacks and tied for 12th among all players. He weighs only 183 pounds at 5-foot-11, but his arms measured out at 31.5 inches which, along with his speed and jumping ability, helps overcome some of the lack of size.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote in his draft guide, “Overall, Hairston is a competitive, lanky athlete who feels routes developing around him and plays with the reactionary movements and ball skills to fit a variety of coverages. If he makes the necessary improvements as a tackler, he has the talent to become a capable NFL starter early in his career.”
2. Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State
Thomas comes in right around pick No. 40 on the mock draft database. He didn’t run at the combine, then ran a 4.58 in the 40 at his pro day which would have been second-slowest among the 24 corners who did run in Indianapolis.
What he lacks in speed is made up for in size as he stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 197 pounds and he has 32.5-inch arms which are among the longest of all the CBs. Doesn’t the lack of straight line speed, he showed the ability to recover during routes if he’s beaten quickly at the snap.
Thomas – whose brother, Juanyeh is a safety/special teamer for the Cowboys – is almost strictly a boundary CB which is what the Bills need. Pro Football Focus charted him with an 18.2% forced incompletion rate and a 51.5% completion percentage allowed with no TDs and one interception.
“We all wouldn’t be here if we weren’t physically talented,” Thomas said at the combine. “I think the thing that’s going to separate you from most players is your mentality. How do you think? You can’t be too high, you can’t be too low in a game. you have to stay constant and be poised.”
PFF said, “Thomas is a long, quick-footed press-man cornerback who showcases good natural movement skills and playmaker instincts. He lacks some strength in a few areas, but he plays the position with high intelligence to be a scheme-versatile CB2 projection for the NFL.”
3. Nohl Williams, California
One of the most experienced CBs in the draft is Williams. He began his college career at UNLV and was a three-year starter, then transferred to Cal and was a two-year starter, logging a total of 50 starts in 52 games with an incredible 3,328 snaps including more than 600 in special teams.
Then you meld experience with his outstanding size (6-foot, 199 pounds), his elite skills as a tackler which are among the best at the position in this class, and ball production which included an FBS-high seven interceptions in 2024 (he had 14 for his career) and an ACC-best 16 pass breakups and Williams checks a lot of boxes.
There are a few he doesn’t check, though, mainly because he ran 4.5 in the 40 and he isn’t considered a twitchy athlete which is why most analysts have a third-round grade, some even a fourth-round grade. But Williams has enough traits – he was also a terrific kickoff return man last season – that if the Bills haven’t already picked a corner in the second round, it might be worth exploring a trade to get into the third round to take him.
Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team said, “Williams projects as a potential scheme-specific starter. He’ll be best served playing in a physical press-man-heavy scheme to play matchups with opposing receivers. Williams should be considered a developmental talent, given the leap in competition and the margin for error required for playing in a high-stress island in coverage, but he’s worth the investment given his ball skills.”
4. Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
The evaluation on Morrison is undoubtedly clouded by the fact that he’s coming off hip surgery that cost him the final 10 games of his junior season at Notre Dame and did not perform at the combine or the Fighting Irish pro day. He also had a hip surgery in high school, so that’s certainly a red flag.
Before the latest injury, he likely would have played himself into conversations at the bottom of the first round, or somewhere in the second. Now, it might be a slight reach for Buffalo to take him with one of its second-round picks, or it could be a wise gamble that pays off.
Morrison, whose father Darryl played safety in the NFL for four seasons for Washington, played 1,546 snaps across three seasons in South Bend, and he proved to be a ball hawk. He had nine interceptions, 27 pass breakups and a career 45.7 completion percentage allowed in 31 games (26 starts) because he showed good vision and instincts, especially in zone.
He’s sturdy enough at 6-foot and 193 pounds, though one of the knocks on him was that he wasn’t great against the run and there were occasional issues with missed tackles, and that’s obviously something the Bills would have to be wary of.
“I think I am a versatile corner, I think I’m a productive corner,” he said at the combine. “The NFL is about productivity and getting the ball. When you look at my stats, I was a productive corner. I’m around the ball. It’s not a coincidence that I have those types of numbers. I think my ball productivity jumps off the tape, nine interceptions in 2 ½ years I think is a pretty good stat line. I hope that jumps off the film when they turn me on.”
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com said, “Linear outside cornerback whose eye-catching ball production must be balanced out by his inconsistencies in coverage. Morrison would appear to be a natural press corner, but he lacks ideal footwork to mirror and match not only the release but the initial route breaks. He has below-average coverage fluidity in open spaces and appears to be more effective covering the deep ball than shadowing routes on the first two levels. Morrison is more patient from off coverages and takes efficient paths to the throw, so a more zone-oriented scheme could make sense, while helping to minimize areas of concern.”