The Buffalo Bills used the 2026 NFL Draft to add talent, depth, and versatility at key positions across the roster. However, there is still plenty of work to be done - and plenty of time - for the Bills roster to round into shape this offseason, especially on defense.
As such, I'm spotlighting three unsigned (current unrestricted free agents) defensive players who make sense as potential additions to the Buffalo Bills depth chart.
This article excludes potential re-signings of players who lined up for the Bills in 2025, which includes Tre White, Matt Milano, Shaq Thompson, Joey Bosa, and many others.
Current defensive free agents Bills must consider signing
DT D.J. Reader
D.J. Reader is a mammoth nose tackle with a steady, consistent track record of starting-caliber production.
The 31-year-old has started at least 10 games in 8 of his 10 pro seasons, including all 17 regular season games last season with the Detroit Lions. Reader has also accumulated significant playoff experience, appearing in 13 playoff games across 6 different seasons, and played a crucial role during the Cincinnati Bengals' unexpected run to an AFC Championship and Super Bowl LVI berth in 2022.
The 6-foot-3, 330lb Reader is at his best as a run-stuffing space eater anchoring the center of a defensive line by attracting double-teams. He would immediately slot into the Bills defensive depth chart to do just that, likely as the primary backup to rookie breakout nose tackle Deone Walker.
LB Germaine Pratt
For those that swear by the old adage "availability is the best ability", Germaine Pratt is a player they can't help but praise.
Across 7 NFL seasons, Pratt has appeared in 119 of a possible 122 games, starting a whopping 114 of them. This includes Pratt's 7 playoff starts with the Cincinnati Bengals alongside the aforementioned D.J. Reader.
Pratt, who turns 30 in May, is a classic jack-of-all-trades, master of none NFL veteran. However, his outstanding durability, penchant for takeaways (8 career interceptions, 8 career forced fumbles, and 7 career fumble recoveries), and significant experience as an effective starter in defensive schemes with just 2 traditional linebackers (most recently with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025) make him an obvious candidate to bolster Buffalo's youthful but depleted linebacker core.
CB Rasul Douglas
Bills fans are already familiar with defensive back Rasul Douglas, who was acquired from the Green Bay Packers (along with a 5th-round pick) ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline for a 3rd-round pick.
When healthy, Douglas was a reliable, disruptive coverage specialist as the boundary cornerback partner to Christian Benford. The Bills decided to not bring back Douglas after the 2024 season in a bit of a surprising move, but ended up drafting his replacement in Maxwell Hairston.
Fast forward to the present, and the fortunes of Douglas and Hairston have flipped. Douglas returned to full health in 2025 and enjoyed a mini-resurgence on a one-year "prove it" contract with the Miami Dolphins, logging 13 starts and 2 interceptions. Meanwhile, Hairston's rookie season was derailed a bit by injuries before the regular season could even begin.
A reunion with Douglas could provide invaluable veteran leadership and competition for CB2 snaps.
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