Bills
Bills GM Brandone Beane has been defensive after receiving criticism for using their first five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on defense and not selecting a receiver until the seventh round. Mike Sando of The Athletic cites one anonymous executive who thinks Beane’s track record speaks for itself, but it’d be “bad form” from other GMs around the league.
“If it was anybody but a handful of GMs, I’d say that is bad form, but he has walked the walk, and he has backed it up. When you do that, you earn that. Their fan base and media are a little spoiled. Don’t forget how bad it was before,” the executive said.
Another executive views Bills first-round CB Maxwell Hairston as “the most athletic corner in the draft.”
“They got a fast corner for the first time maybe ever,” an executive said. “He is maybe the most athletic corner in the draft, a potential No. 1 corner. Anybody would take that kid, no matter what, because of the speed.”
Regarding third-round DE Landon Jackson, one executive expects him to be a “designated pass rusher.”
“They figure they are going to be ahead in most games and play in sub all the time, so he becomes a designated pass rusher for them, which makes sense,” an exec said. “The miss factor for him would be if a 3-4 team tried to make a case for him.”
- Regarding Jackson, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN cites sources around the league who projected him as a second-round pick.
- Fowler writes that Jackson “loosely expected” to go in the second round but braced himself to be a third-round pick.
Jets
New York selected TE Mason Taylor with the No. 42 overall pick, who’s the son of Hall of Fame DL Jason Taylor. Jets GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn praised his receiving ability, and Glenn highlighted his high IQ due to the football successes in his family.
“A tight end we’ve had our eye on. Think he can come in and really help us on offense. Young, athletic, really good ball skills, instinctive, has versatility,” Mougey said, via Ethan Greenberg of the team’s website.
“He’s a smart man. The bloodlines of him understanding football, that stands out,” Glenn added. “His ability to block and be a receiving threat is something that stood out on tape. He’s going to come in, he’s going to compete and I think he’s going to do a good job for us.”
Patriots
Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said that the team wants QB Drake Maye to take on more of a leadership role.
“Drake’s been a consummate teammate and worker,” Wolf said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I think that’s the first thing that stands out. He also has some talent, so any time you can combine the three of those things you’ve got a chance to be pretty good. He’s come in, just put his head down and worked. I think one area I know he’s going to take a step forward and has already is in his leadership. As a rookie, maybe you feel like it’s not your place to speak up but those times are over for him now. There’s going to be a lot of people looking to him for those leadership moments and he’s certainly up to the task.”
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