Bills focus on defense in NFL Draft, headlined by Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston

With NFL MVP Josh Allen showing he can effectively run an offense with a share-the-wealth approach in his first season minus receiver Stefon Diggs, the Buffalo Bills used this year's draft to replenish a defense that’s too often fallen short in the playoffs.

General manager Brandon Beane used Buffalo's first five selections and six of nine overall to address the five-time defending AFC East champions’ short- and long-term needs at cornerback and along the defensive line.

The top-end newcomers have the potential to immediately improve the unit after Beane cut edge rusher Von Miller, chose not to re-sign cornerback Rasul Douglas and gave up on cornerback Kaiir Elam by trading the 2022 first-round pick to Dallas last month.

"We did feel we needed to get younger in some areas on defense," Beane said. "Sometimes you have transition, age at certain positions, positions that don’t work out. ... I think it’s exciting where we’re at [because] of what we’ve added."

Buffalo opened the draft by taking Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston at No. 30. Over the next three rounds, Beane traded up to land defensive tackles — South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders at No. 41 and Kentucky’s Deone Walker at No. 109 — while also adding Arkansas edge rusher Landon Jackson (No. 72).

Add in the additions of free-agent edge rushers Joey Bosa and Michael Hoecht and tackle Larry Ogunjobi, and this represents a major shift from the aging defense that allowed 30 or more points four times last season — including a 32-29 loss to Kansas City in the AFC championship game in January.

Buffalo has just seven holdovers — including CBs Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson, who rejoined the team this year — from the defense that was trampled by K.C. in a 38-24 loss in the