The Buffalo Bills addressed some of their offense issues with strengthening the receiving core, which includes extending star receiver Khalil Shakir. The offensive line was solid last year and nothing has changed on that end. As far as running backs, nothing has changed right now and they also brought back Ty Johnson.
However, for the second year in a row, the defense is going through some changes. Key players like Rasul Douglas and Von Miller walked out the door and Buffalo traded cornerback Kaiir Elam away to the Dallas Cowboys. There are some players with questionable futures with the team, including Matt Milano, who recently took a pay cut to make him a free agent by the start of the 2026 offseason.
Due to the uncertainty of Milano's future with the Bills, the team might want add a young, talented player into the front seven in this year's NFL Draft. There typically aren't many great off-ball linebacker prospects, but there are two talented prospects that might be worth the draft pick.
Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
The leader who quarterbacked the 10th-ranked defense in college football last season is immensely athletic and ranked as a top ten talent in this year's class. Jihaad Campbell's raw abilities are too good to pass up, as he's showcased that during the 2024 season, earning himself a First-Team All-SEC selection, leading the team in total tackles (119), having 11.5 tackles for a loss, and 5 sacks.
Campbell will likely be drafted in the top 10-15 picks, so the Bills need to give up some draft capital to snag him. There's a chance that Campbell could drop outside the top-15 and maybe even the top-20, so the capital the Bills would be giving up may not be much.
Jalon Walker, Georgia
The leader of the Georgia Bulldogs has a sense of energy that is rare among many other players. Walker may not look that intimidating as he's a bit undersized for his position but backs it up with his ferocious play on the field.
You could describe Jalon Walker as a "hybrid player", a linebacker who can effectively play as an edge rusher and an off-ball linebacker. As of right now, Walker is believed to be an effective plug-and-play, early-down edge rusher at the NFL level.
Walker as an off-ball linebacker was mainly utilized as a run-stopper, effectively taking on blocks despite his undersized stature. His athleticism is something that is special, but it's going to take more than that to succeed in the NFL.
Walker is a prospect who could be a development project for a team, putting him most likely in the second-half of the first round to potentially be drafted, which is a realistic spot for the Bills to draft him at No. 30. Whether or not the Bills want to trade up for him, they won't need to give up much.