The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone. Now is the time for fans of every franchise to review the picks, speculate on how they fit, and try to guess as to what kind of impact they will have. For fans of the Buffalo Bills, criticism has been a major part of the reception.
General manager Brandon Beane has faced his share of criticisms and sometimes rightfully so. While he has something of a spotty record with first-round picks, he has done enough to earn some leeway. Coming out of the 2026 NFL Draft, there are three things to be positive about.
3 reasons why Bills fans should be excited after NFL Draft
1.) Beane addressed ever major depth issue
Coming into the draft, the Bills had a clear need to add at cornerback, edge rusher, receiver, linebacker, and on both sides of the trenches. With a few draft trade-downs, Beane managed to address those depth concerns pretty much across the board.
EDGE was obviously the biggest investment, but Beane has found a couple of promising guys who can sit lower on the depth chart in 2026 while learning and growing. Even better, Beane addressed these concerns without having to overpay on the free agent market, thinking both in the short- and long-term.
2.) Bills added 3-5 potentially impactful players
Though we won’t truly know where everyone stands for 2-4 years, it looks like the Bills could have a few impactful players in this class. T.J. Parker, 35th overall out of Clemson, seemed like a top 10 pick going into the year. He has all the tools necessary to be a stud, and the fact that the Bills got him in the second round makes him an even better find.
Davison Ogbinosun, Jude Bowry, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, and Jalon Kilgore all feel like potential starters with proper development. Skyler Bell has “sleeper” written all over him, and Beane hopes to get the kind of return on Zane Durant that he got out of Deone Walker. None of these guys are pressed into being a Day 1 starter, so they’ll be able to develop and grow.
On top of all that, you have to add the acquisition of D.J. Moore into this class. The Bills’ original second-round pick was dealt for what should be the team’s No. 1 receiver going forward. That makes this draft an even bigger win.
3.) Maximized value
It really can’t be talked about enough how well Beane did in terms of expanding the draft class and finding better value. He could have taken Parker at No. 26, and it wouldn’t have been a major reach. Instead, he traded back, accumulated picks, and turned seven draft choices into ten selections.
Beane has historically done well after the first round, and this draft feels no different. If he can unearth 2-3 starters and a few more depth pieces, this class is a win. Coming into the draft, it didn’t feel like there were enough choices to go around but Beane got it done.
Bills solidified themselves as true contenders again
Before the draft, the Bills were already contenders in the AFC. Coming out of it, they have at least a rotational pass rusher with potential (Parker), a corner who should push Maxwell Hairston on the boundary (Igbinosun), depth on the offensive line (Bowry, Ar’maj Reed-Adams), potential starters at linebacker (Elarms-Orr) and safety (Kilgore), and a couple of intriguing prospects (Bell, Durant).
It is a great balance of potential impact this season coupled with an eye toward the future. Combined with the veteran signings from free agency, Beane has done well to retool with salary cap challenges and keep the Bills right in the mix for the Super Bowl.
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