INDIANAPOLIS, IN. (WKBW) — Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott officially kicked off the 2025 NFL Combine, he was the first NFL coach or general manager to speak with reporters.
McDermott said his approach to the combine is all about coming in with no preconceived notions.
"My exposure is 0.0%, and the local people know it's like that every time I come here," McDermott said during his Monday press conference.
Having a blank slate is something McDermott talked about with me and stressed how important that is for him in his approach to talent assessment. You can watch that full interview in the video player above.
During his end-of-the-season press conference in January McDermott told reporters that ideally, you need to have two to three playmakers on each side of the ball that can change the course of a game at any point.
Last year the team drafted wide receiver Keon Coleman to be one of those offensive playmakers, but McDermott said on Monday that he believes Coleman needs to take a step forward in his development.
"I thought he had an up-and-down first season," McDermott said. "I thought he got off to a start that built momentum through and then he got injured. From there on it was rather rocky."
McDermott was also asked about the defensive line class in this year's draft because according to multiple national draft analysts, it's one of the deeper position groups in terms of depth and playmaking ability.
"The first thing you want to do is get as many players back from last year's team," McDermott said. "That's key from a continuity standpoint it offers us a good foundation for next season. After that you asses where the free agency market is and then you get into the draft. Brandon (Beane) and his staff they've been spending most of their years to this point really focused on those two areas."
Assessing any prospect falls more on Bills general manager Brandon Beane and his staff who will have a better idea of how they're navigating the offseason.
Up Next: We'll hear from Beane on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
