The Buffalo Bills are at a crossroads as they aim to break through in the AFC playoffs, balancing a defensive overhaul in the 2025 NFL Draft with a looming contract dispute involving running back James Cook, who is seeking a significant extension. The team’s draft strategy, while bolstering their defense, has drawn criticism for neglecting offensive needs, and Cook’s absence from voluntary workouts signals potential tension as the Bills prepare for a pivotal 2025 season.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, held April 24-26 in Green Bay, the Bills focused heavily on defense, selecting six defensive players among their nine picks, including cornerback Maxwell Hairston (No. 30 overall), edge rusher Jackson (No. 62), and defensive lineman Walker (No. 94), per ESPN’s draft tracker. Hairston, a Kentucky product, brings speed with a 4.37-second 40-yard dash and 6 interceptions in 2024, per NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, while Walker adds size at 6-foot-7, 331 pounds, addressing a need in the middle after the Bills ranked 22nd in run defense (121.4 yards per game) in 2024, per Pro Football Reference. GM Brandon Beane’s strategy reflects a commitment to building through the trenches, as noted in a Syracuse.com article from April 27, 2025, which highlighted the addition of three straight defensive linemen, a rare move echoing the Bills’ 2006 draft.
However, the draft approach drew scrutiny from ESPN’s Mel Kiper, who criticized the Bills for not addressing their wide receiver room until the 240th pick with Kaden Prather, per the same Syracuse.com piece. “Not taking a receiver until No. 240 was curious,” Kiper wrote. “While Buffalo walked away with some defensive upgrades, quarterback Josh Allen’s unit didn’t improve this month. Buffalo could regret not doing more there.” The Bills’ first five picks all went to defense, a focus that left their offense—already a strength at 30.9 points per game in 2024, second only to the Detroit Lions, per NFL.com—without significant reinforcements. Beane pushed back against criticism of the receiver room, telling The Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran on April 28, “We believe in our guys—Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, and now Elijah Moore. We’re not as thin as people think.”
The Bills did make a post-draft move to bolster their offense, signing former Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore to a two-year, $16 million deal on April 27, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Moore, coming off a career-best 2024 season with 59 catches for 623 yards, adds depth to a group that lost Stefon Diggs to the Texans in 2024, per Pro Football Reference. However, the more pressing offensive concern centers on James Cook, who skipped voluntary workouts in April 2025 to push for a contract extension, reportedly seeking $15 million per season, per Go Long’s Tyler Dunne. Cook, a 2022 second-round pick, is entering the final year of his rookie deal, set to earn $5.3 million in 2025, per OverTheCap.
Beane addressed Cook’s situation on Go Long with Tyler Dunne on April 29, saying, “You’d love for everyone to be here… But James is working. I know he’s down there training in South Florida. He’s competitive. And sure, everyone wants to get paid, and he knows he’s got to still show he’s James Cook—the guy we saw—if he wants to get that pay day. Either from us or someone else.” Beane also tempered expectations for a big running back contract, noting that “very few” backs are in the tier of Saquon Barkley ($12.5 million AAV), Christian McCaffrey ($16 million AAV), and Derrick Henry ($8 million AAV), per Spotrac. Cook, who views himself in that elite category, rushed for 1,122 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024, earning a Pro Bowl nod, per ESPN, but the Bills’ hesitation suggests they don’t see him at that level yet.
Cook’s absence from workouts echoes a broader trend of players leveraging their attendance to negotiate, as seen with Cowboys QB Dak Prescott in 2020, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. The Bills, who ranked 7th in rushing offense (141.2 yards per game) in 2024, rely on Cook’s versatility—he also had 48 catches for 431 yards, per Pro Football Reference—but Beane’s comments indicate a wait-and-see approach. The team’s financial constraints, with $231.8 million committed to the 2025 cap and only $12.4 million in space, per OverTheCap, may also play a role, especially after locking in Josh Allen’s $258 million extension through 2028, per Spotrac.
The Bills’ draft investments aim to address their playoff shortcomings, having lost in the Divisional Round three times in the last four years, including a 31-27 defeat to the Chiefs in 2024, per NFL.com. Their defense, which allowed 326.7 yards per game (11th in the NFL) in 2024, should improve with Hairston and Walker, but the lack of offensive additions beyond Moore could strain Allen’s unit, which lost Gabe Davis to free agency in 2024, per The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. Cook’s contract situation adds another layer of uncertainty—if he holds out into training camp, the Bills may need to rely on rookie Ray Davis, a 2024 fourth-round pick who had 405 yards as a backup, per ESPN.
As the Bills prepare for OTAs in May 2025, their path to getting over the AFC hump hinges on integrating their new defensive talent while resolving Cook’s future. Beane’s confidence in the offense, bolstered by Moore’s addition, suggests a belief in continuity, but Kiper’s critique looms large. If Cook can replicate his 2024 production and the defense gels, Buffalo could finally break through—but a misstep in handling their young star could jeopardize their Super Bowl aspirations.
