During the offseason, well before training camp opens, there is nothing for fans to do but speculate. As is the usual case, Buffalo Bills fans are worried. The team was one play away from the AFC Championship game a season ago and largely returns the same roster in 2026.
The defense is a heavy focus of the offseason given its shortcomings in recent years. The Bills need a few strong performances right out of camp if they hope to succeed under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. With that said, there are four bold predictions that could come true for the Bills defensively in 2026.
4 bold predictions for the Bills defense in 2026
4.) Maxwell Hairston and Christian Benford will become one of the league’s elite corner tandems
Benford has quietly become one of the game’s outstanding perimeter cornerbacks. The opposite side of the field from him has been a question mark. Hairston, the team’s 2025 first-round pick, showed flashes but largely battled injury during his rookie campaign.
Hairston has all the tools and the opportunity to lock down the spot opposite Benford. Under Leonhard, Hairston will unlock his potential and help form one of the best outside corner duos in the NFL, continuing the tradition of strong pass defenses for the Bills.
3.) The Bills will finish in the Top 10 in sacks
Under former head coach Sean McDermott, the pass rush became a focal point of the defense for the wrong reasons. It couldn’t come up when that mattered most, and it felt like they couldn’t get to the passer at all in 2025. Finishing 20th in the NFL in sacks (36) seems to support that.
Leonhard knows how to achieve pressure without the need for an elite pass rusher. The Bills have a plethora of every solid rushers at their disposal, and Leonhard will find a way to get them free. It took 45 sacks to get into the Top 10 last season, and that kind of growth feels achievable.
2.) Bradley Chubb will have the most sacks by a Bill since 2016
One of the keys to that growth will be in the form of outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, who signed a three-year deal earlier this year. Chubb had 11 sacks for the Miami Dolphins before losing all of 2024 to an ACL injury. He had 8.5 sacks last season, flashing the potential that seemingly had him on the edge (pun intended) of being an elite sack artist.
Two years removed from surgery Chubb should be as healthy as ever. Motivated to prove his old team wrong, not to mention the impact of Leonhard, Chubb should be a formidable presence in the Bills’ pass rush rotation. Look for him to challenge Lorenzo Alexander’s 2016 season, when he finished with 12.5 sacks.
1.) The Bills will finish as a Top 15 run defense
The run-defense became a huge mess under McDermott. It came to a head last season, when the Bills gave up 2,315 yards, and allowed over 136 yards per game.
It feels like a new scheme alone should make them better at defending the run. The Bills have a slew of athletes like safety Cole Bishop, tackle Ed Oliver, edge rusher Gregory Rousseau, and tackle Deone Walker that can help bring the run defense to around league average. For a team like the Bills, that may be enough to make a championship-level difference.
Bills need more out of their defense in 2026
It is hard to ask for more out of the Bills offense, which has been a virtual lock to land in the Top 5 in total offense each season. The defense has continued to falter in the biggest moments, and a change was necessary.
The excitement about Leonhard is real, and he has more than a few tools to work with. A stronger pass rush and even an average run defense can be enough to provide the Bills the balance they need to finally get over the championship hump.
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