After another crushing playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott made it clear that his defense needed to improve in 2025.
One NFL expert believes that could start in the trenches.
The Bills struggled in their defensive line at times this season, giving up big games to opposing running backs and failing to generate a consistent pass rush at others. Though the Bills made some big investments in the position in recent years by signing Von Miller and using high draft picks on Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa, there could be another big investment in the coming months.
Bills Expected to Address Defensive Line
In a mock draft published this week, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm predicted the Bills would use their No. 30 overall pick to address the defensive line, taking Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.
Edholm noted that the Bills have some other defensive needs, but won’t pass up on the “massive” Grant who could eventually climb to the top of their depth chart.
“I’m sure the Bills will look hard at the cornerback options, too, but they also need reinforcements up front,” Edholm wrote. “Grant is a massive body who can be groomed to eventually take DaQuan Jones’ spot.”
NFL.com called the 6-foot-3, 342-pound Grant a “broad-bodied, two-down nose tackle whose tape can run hot and cold depending on the game and the types of blocks he’s facing.”
“He struggles to anchor when hit with down blocks due to his narrow base and tall pads, but he uses his power and length to beat single blocks and split double teams when he finds the crease,” the site’s analysis noted. “He had some sack production in college, but it might not translate to the league. He’s expected to be a monster tester but needs to prove he can become a more consistently dominant force to be more than an average starter.”
The Bills could also use their draft pick to address the secondary, a thin position that could become more of a need with starting safety Damar Hamlin headed to free agency this offseason. The Bills used a second-round pick on safety Cole Bishop last year.
Sean McDermott Admits Defensive Issues
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, McDermott admitted that a big part of last week’s 32-29 loss was a failure to contain quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on offense.
The Bills were only able to hold the Chiefs on three drives, with one ending in a lost fumble and two on punts. The Chiefs scored on five other drives, with the other two ending by running out the time and the end of the first and second halves.
“Defensively, we have to perform better than we did. That’s real,” McDermott told reporters.
The Bills face some other big decisions on defense this coming offseason, including whether to bring back Miller for another season. The veteran pass rusher has a cap hit of $23.8 million for the coming season, and the Bills could save $17.4 million if he is designated as a post-June 1 cut.
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