While Buffalo is still four months away from the start of the 2025 season, the Bills are already dominating the NFL power rankings.
Post-draft power rankings continue to roll in and Buffalo is consistently falling just outside the top-3 teams in the National Football League (3.6 average rank*). That’s better than where they were ranked in March 2024.
It’s easy to see why the Bills rate so high. They have relatively the same offense (minus sure-handed Mack Hollins) that got them to the AFC Championship. Plus, they’ve addressed the weaknesses on defense by signing Edge rusher Joey Bosa, while CB Maxwell Hairston leads a draft class that also includes DT TJ Sanders, Edge Landon Jackson, and DT Deone Walker.
Here are the latest power rankings:
Bills ranking: 5
“This slightly subdued ranking is less a suggestion that they’re dropping but more an acknowledgement that the other closely packed Super Bowl aspirants have improved more significantly — not to mention the likelihood that the AFC East probably won’t be the cakewalk it’s been in recent years. But we don’t mind you passing on wide receivers in the draft, Brandon Beane.” — Nate Davis
Bills ranking: 3
“If Hairston is as good on the field as he was in the draft green room, where he served as every other player’s hype man, the Bills will have gotten a steal at No. 30. Hairston ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the combine. Buffalo, which signed Joey Bosa in free agency, followed up the Hairston pick with three more SEC defenders — tackle T.J. Sanders, edge rusher Landon Jackson and defensive tackle Deone Walker — to help shore up the defense.” — Josh Kendall
Bills ranking: 4
“I can’t gripe too much with anything the Bills did in the draft, even if a few loose ends remain. The only reason I didn’t mock CB Maxwell Hairston to Buffalo was because of his so-so tackling; everything else about him made sense to me there. I thought the trade up for DT T.J. Sanders was a wee bit pricey; he was a prospect who left me wanting a little bit more when I watched, but I understand the purpose of the move. The overall focus on defense was obvious and needed. Edge rusher Landon Jackson was one of my favorite picks of theirs and a perfect fit. The Bills only took one wide receiver — Kaden Prather in Round 7 — so that could be a spot they look to upgrade through the veteran ranks. Their work isn’t done, but there’s no reason to think the Bills shouldn’t enter training camp as one of the Super Bowl favorites, even with a wait-and-see approach for the defense.” — Eric Edholm
Bills ranking: 3
“They’ve had a good offseason, extending a lot of their own, including Josh Allen, and adding good pieces in free agency in receiver Josh Palmer and edge Joey Bosa. They also had a heck of a draft, getting corner Maxwell Hairston and a bunch of help for the defense.” — Pete Prisco
Bills ranking: 19
Grade: B-
“The Bills made plenty of solid moves to help the defense, including signing Joey Bosa and making their first five draft picks on that side. A receiver better than free-agent addition Joshua Palmer would have been nice though.” — Frank Schwab
Bills ranking: 4
The Bills were smart not to force offensive skill picks in the draft and focus on defense, including new starting cornerback Maxwell Hairston and three more top backup selections at tackle and end. Much like the Ravens, they are working hard to get those key stops in a potential big Chiefs matchup.
Bills ranking: 4
“The Buffalo Bills have come oh so close to the Super Bowl in recent years, but to date the team hasn’t been able to get over the hump. Buffalo was 18th in sacks last year and 29th in third-down defense, so the team clearly prioritized that side of the ball in this year’s draft.
“All of Buffalo’s picks on the first two days were defenders—Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston, South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and Arkansas edge-rusher Landon Jackson.
“While addressing the media, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said the organization is happy with how the draft class shook out.
“Athletic ability, speed, power, all the things that you’re looking for (we got),” Beane said. “To get the guys we’ve been able to add, there’s a lot of excitement upstairs.”
“The question is whether that excitement will last into January — or whether the Bills will once again come up short in the postseason.
Analyst’s Take
“The Bills aren’t a team with many holes on the roster, and after another solid draft there are that many fewer on the defensive side of the ball. Granted, Buffalo isn’t without some question marks—unless Keon Coleman steps up, the Bills don’t really have an “alpha” wideout. But any team led by Josh Allen with a stout defense is going to be dangerous, and it would be a massive upset if anyone else wins the AFC East.” — Gary Davenport
Bills ranking: 3
“MVP Josh Allen allows you to infuse fresh blood into your defense early and often.” — Steve Serby
Bills ranking: 4
“Reigning MVP Josh Allen will always give the Bills a chance to make a Super Bowl run and they have continued to load up on defense, with Joey Bosa serving as a strong Von Miller replacement and first-round pick Maxwell Hairston offering key secondary help. Buffalo has continued to skimp on weapons for Allen, however, which leaves them as the third best team in the AFC at post time.” — Mike Phillips
Bills ranking: 4
“To put the Buffalo Bills at No. 4 on these NFL Power Rankings just feels gross. They have a legitimate argument to be the best overall team in the NFL, much less being the third-best team in the AFC on this list.
Buffalo’s roster is great. They have continuity on the coaching staff. They improved this offseason by pretty much every account. So what gives? We just need to see this team out there doing the thing in January. They are going to have a tough task this coming season of simply not sleep-walking through the regular season and losing any ground in their own division.
The floor has been raised for this team to the point that they have more margin for error than most teams, but they’ve got to show up when it matters the most.” — Sayre Bedinger
— Bill Wolcott is a producer who helps cover the Buffalo Bills, high school and Rochester sports in general. The lifelong New Yorker has been a journalist for 31 years.
*Average ranking includes power rankings released earlier this week.
**Frank Schwab’s power ranking did things differently than the others: It rated teams on the offseason they’ve had, not on who are the best overall teams. I included it to give another perspective on the Bills, but it’s not factored into Buffalo’s average rank because it would have an outsized impact.
