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Buffalo Bills DST

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Player Outlook
The Bills DST was among the best units in Fantasy in 2024 and should be worth starting most weeks in 2025. This DST would be more of a priority if not for a Week 1 matchup with the Ravens. Despite a strong 2024 season, the Bills defense certainly has holes. Buffalo ranked only 22nd in yards per play allowed and 18th in sacks while relying on an impressive 16 interceptions to rack up Fantasy points. The Bills need a healthy Joey Bosa and improvement in their secondary to be more consistent which is why they drafted cornerback Maxwell Hairston in the first round. The Bills DST could be solid and is worth drafting, but it may not be as productive as it was in 2024 when it finished as the No. 4 DST.

Fantasy News

  • Bills' Maxwell Hairston: Inks first pro deal

    Rotowire
    Hairston (hamstring) signed his rookie contract Friday. The Bills have big plans for the speedy rookie, as he's lined up for a starting cornerback role right out of the gate after being selected 30th overall in April, assuming the pulled hamstring he suffered this week during minicamp is nothing major. Hairston's Kentucky teammate Deone Walker also signed his rookie deal Friday.
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  • Bills' Maxwell Hairston: Should be OK for camp

    Rotowire
    Hairston pulled his hamstring Wednesday during mandatory minicamp but should be ready for training camp in the summer, Chris Brown of the Bills Radio Network reports. The cornerback was selected with the 30th overall pick in April's draft, and he's expected to play a starting role right away across from Christian Benford. Hairston's 4.28 40 speed should allow him to play downfield man coverage against fast receivers, and he could serve as the type of corner the Bills have lacked in recent years.
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  • Bills' Joey Bosa: Sidelined for start of minicamp

    Rotowire
    Bosa (calf) was inactive for the start the Bills' mandatory minicamp Tuesday, Maddy Glab of the team's official site reports. Bosa remained on the sidelines as minicamp got underway, continuing to nurse the calf injury that forced him to miss OTAs. With only two days left in minicamp, the 29-year-old will likely sit it out completely, and he'll shift his focus to being ready for training camp in late July.
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  • Bills' Shaq Thompson: Bound for Buffalo

    Rotowire
    The Bills signed Thompson (Achilles) to a one-year contract Tuesday. Thompson sat out the majority of the 2024 season after tearing his Achilles, but that didn't deter Buffalo from bringing him aboard on a short-term deal. He has played in just six games over the past two years combined, and he just turned 31 in April, but he could still play a significant role on the Bills' defense in 2025 if he can manage to remain available.
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  • Jaguars' Dawuane Smoot: Back with Jags

    Rotowire
    Jacksonville signed Smoot on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Smoot played his first seven NFL seasons in Jacksonville before signing with Buffalo for the 2024 campaign, and now he's returning to the team that drafted him back in 2017. The Jaguars don't have a surplus of depth on the edge behind starters Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, so Smoot could actually play a notable role with his old squad in 2025.
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  • Bills' Joey Bosa: Dealing with calf issue

    Rotowire
    Coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday that Bosa will not participate in offseason workouts this spring due to a calf injury, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports. McDermott said that Bosa "pulled a calf" and that he is expected to be ready for training camp in July, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN reports. The update could still be viewed as concerning for Buffalo, given Bosa has missed a combined 23 games over the past three seasons. Until he's ready for football activities again, his absence should open up more first-team reps for veteran A.J. Epenesa and rookie third-rounder Landon Jackson.
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  • Bills' Deone Walker: Healthy in rookie camp

    Rotowire
    Walker, who is in rookie camp this week, revealed that he played the 2024 season with a back injury, Alec White and Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site report. "I had a pars defect in my back," Walker said on the night of the 2025 NFL Draft. "I didn't know about it until after the season, really until the combine. We didn't really know what it was, but I feel a 100 percent right now." Walker, selected in the fourth round, is a giant of a man at 6-foot-7, 331 pounds, and at some point during his college career at Kentucky he was expected to be drafted higher, as he was a lot more productive when healthier in 2023. He'll begin as a rotational defensive lineman among a talented crew that includes Greg Rousseau. Ed Oliver, Joey Bosa and DaQuan Jones, though Walker offers plenty of upside. Perhaps the Bills got themselves a steal now that the back issue is mostly behind him.
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  • Bills' Dorian Strong: Headed to Buffalo

    Rotowire
    The Bills selected Strong as the first pick of the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 177th overall. Strong finished out his five-year career at Virginia Tech with 53 games played, racking up 112 tackles and seven interceptions. He doesn't jump off the page as an elite athlete but has decent size at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. Strong excels at play recognition and is solid supporting in the run game, making him an ideal fit for Buffalo's zone defense. He'll likely kick off his career in a depth role and may be asked to contribute on special teams. The Bills have put a heavy emphasis on bulking up the secondary thus far in the draft, making Strong their third pick at cornerback after Maxwell Hairston (first round) and Jordan Hancock (fifth round).
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  • Bills' Jordan Hancock: Taken by Bills in fifth round

    Rotowire
    The Bills selected Hancock in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 170th overall. Hancock primarily served as the nickel corner at Ohio State while also mixing in at free safety and on the boundary. The 21-year-old impressed in coverage, but his average athleticism may limit his ceiling at the NFL level. Hancock may be a better fit at safety in the near term because Taron Johnson seemingly has the slot corner role locked down and the Bills drafted cornerback Maxwell Hairston in the first round.
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  • Bills' Deone Walker: Headed to Buffalo

    Rotowire
    The Bills selected Walker in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 109th overall. The 6-foot-7, 331-pound Walker showed his versatility on the defensive line in Kentucky as an edge rusher and defensive tackle. His best season came in 2023, when he recorded 55 tackles (28 solo), including 7.5 sacks, 51 pressures and two pass deflections in 13 games. He earned preliminary first-round grades following his sophomore season, but his production dipped in 2024 partly due to a back injury. Walker has the physical capabilities to be an immediate contributor on the Bills' defensive front, and he'll have the opportunity to work on his technique while learning from veterans Ed Oliver, Joey Bosa, DaQuan Jones and Greg Rousseau.
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  • Bills' Maxwell Hairston: Bills add speedy corner in first

    Rotowire
    The Bills selected Hairston in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 30th overall. Hairston (5-foot-11, 183 pounds) is quite a bit lighter than the corners targeted by the Bills in recent years, and as a tackler in particular the former Kentucky standout might need to improve before gaining the approval of coach Sean McDermott. It's possible that Hairston's abilities are just what the Bills have lacked at crucial points in recent history, however -- more specifically, Hairston projects as a standout downfield man coverage corner, and with 4.28 speed he can match stride with almost any receiver. If speed specialists gave the Bills trouble, then Hairston gives the team a direct counter that it previously lacked.
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  • Cowboys' Kaiir Elam: Dealt to Dallas

    Rotowire
    The Bills agreed Wednesday to trade Elam and a sixth-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for future fifth- and seventh-round picks, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Elam handled a depth role across 13 regular-season appearances with Buffalo in 2024, recording 26 total tackles (17 solo) and two passes defensed. The 2022 first-round pick, now heading into the final year of his rookie contract, will work to improve his coverage skills and rebound with a new squad.
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  • Bills' Damar Hamlin: Staying with Buffalo

    Rotowire
    The Bills will sign Hamlin to a one-year contract, Alec White of the team's official site reports. After starting 14 games for Buffalo in 2024 and totaling 89 tackles (62 solo) and two interceptions, Hamlin will be back for at least one more season. He currently projects to start in 2025, but the Bills could add talent at safety either later on in free agency or in the draft in April.
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  • Von Miller: Set to be released

    Rotowire
    The Bills are releasing Miller, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. After finishing 2023 with no sacks in 12 regular-season games, Miller enjoyed a bit of a bounce-back in 2024, recording 6.0 sacks over 13 regular-season contests. However, Buffalo is electing to cut ties -- at least temporarily -- with the veteran pass rusher in order to free up $8.4 million against the salary cap. That said, Rapoport notes that both the Bills and Miller are open to a reunion, so it's not yet certain that the soon-to-be 36-year-old will be with a new team next season.
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  • Bills' Greg Rousseau: Inks four-year extension

    Rotowire
    Rousseau agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract extension with the Bills on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The 2021 first-round pick has been a stalwart for the Bills' defense in his first four years in the NFL. He's coming off a 2024 campaign in which he logged 53 tackles (36 solo), including 8.0 sacks (tying a career best), three pass defenses, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery across 16 regular-season games while adding 2.0 sacks across the Bills' three playoff contests. Rousseau will continue to serve as a linchpin for Buffalo's defense alongside Terrel Bernard, A.J. Epenesa and Ed Oliver.
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  • Bills' Terrel Bernard: Re-signs for four years

    Rotowire
    Bernard and the Bills have agreed to terms on a four-year, $50 million contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The 2022 third-round pick had one season remaining on his rookie contract, after thriving the past two years. He wasn't as statistically dominant in 2024 as he had been in 2023, but he still topped 100 tackles and had multiple interceptions despite missing four games. In 2023, he had one of the best statistical seasons by a linebacker in recent years, recording 143 tackles (84 solo), including 6.5 sacks, five pass defenses, including three interceptions, and three fumble recoveries. Garofolo reports that Bernard's new contract includes $25.2 million guaranteed, which would put him fourth among off-ball linebackers behind Baltimore's Roquan Smith ($45 million), Chicago's Tremaine Edmunds ($41.8 million) and San Francisco's Fred Wagner ($27.5 million). The reported average annual value of $12.5 million ranks a bit lower, tying for sixth at the position.
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  • Bills' Christian Benford: Clears concussion protocol

    Rotowire
    Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters Monday that Benford has cleared concussion protocol and has resumed football activities, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports. Benford suffered a concussion during the first quarter of the Bills' AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs, and it wasn't until about a week after the game that he cleared protocol, per Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo. Benford finished the 2024 regular season with a career-high 64 tackles (50 solo), including 1.0 sacks, 10 pass defenses (including two interceptions) and two forced fumbles over 15 games.
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  • Bills' Jordan Phillips: Sees some action in limited role

    Rotowire
    Phillips finished with five tackles (four solo) and an interception in seven regular-season games with the Bills in 2024. The defensive tackle signed with Buffalo after getting cut by Dallas in November, and he assisted on one tackle in two games with the Cowboys as well. Phillips played on at least 17 percent of the defensive snaps in six of his seven regular-season games with the Bills and in all three of the team's playoff games, making three tackles (one solo), including 1.0 sacks, in the postseason. The second-round pick of the Dolphins in 2015 will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and he last signed a multiyear deal in 2020.
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  • Bills' Brandon Codrington: Contributes as return man

    Rotowire
    Codrington recorded 306 kickoff return yards and 313 punt return yards over 17 regular-season games in 2024. The rookie cornerback, who played more snaps on special teams (126) than he did on defense (64), also contributed nine tackles (eight solo) and a pass breakup. He did not suit up for any of the Bills' three playoff games. Codrington signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent last May before being traded to the Bills in late August.
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  • Bills' DeWayne Carter: Has quiet rookie campaign

    Rotowire
    Carter ended the 2024 regular season with 14 tackles (11 solo) and a defensed pass over 11 games. After being selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Carter was used primarily in a rotational role as a rookie, though he did make three starts. The Duke product also had a five-game IR stint due to a wrist injury and didn't get any snaps during the Bills' three playoff games. The wrist injury seemed to stall Carter's development to some extent, as his role had been increasing prior to the IR stint. He'll look to stay healthy and continue to adjust to the NFL game as a sophomore next season.
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