The Bills are 4-2 after six games, but after back-to-back losses, there is some genuine concern about the ceiling of this team. Many of the problems stem from the defensive side of the ball, particularly their inability to draft and develop impact playmakers. Buffalo selected three straight defenders in the 2025 class, and none of them has had any impact this season.
One of the biggest issues is their linebacker room, which continues to be a disaster. Matt Milano can’t stay on the field and he looks like a shell of himself. Dorian Williams has been an issue, and Shaq Thompson is on a one-year deal. That’s why it would surprise no one if the Bills decided to take a linebacker early in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Expect the Bills to draft a LB in Round 1
The Bills added a bunch of young defensive linemen to the roster this offseason and the hope is that Deone Walker, T.J. Sanders, and Landon Jackson can all be big-time players by 2026. But now it’s time for them to spend some resources on the middle of their defense, and luckily for them, the 2026 draft class is loaded with linebacker talent.
In a recent article by Jordan Reid of ESPN, he put together a full Round 1 mock draft for 2026. And as you would expect, he had the Bills going defense in the first round, selecting CJ Allen, a linebacker from Georgia. Here is what he had to say about the potential pairing:
"A run-and-chase linebacker, Allen is a quick mover at the second level and fills gaps with great physicality. He has an advanced feel for reading and reacting, and he is showing improvement in pass defense. That makes him not only one of the top linebackers in this class but also a perfect fit for a Bills defense with two linebackers (Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson) on the other side of 30."Jordan Reid, ESPN
Allen isn’t particularly big (6-1, 235 pounds), but he has excellent speed and the ability to fly from sideline to sideline. One of Buffalo’s biggest issues right now is its lack of team speed on defense, and Allen would undoubtedly be able to fix this issue. Allen has already racked up a career-high 5.5 tackles for a loss, and it won't be a shock at all if he ends up being an All-American selection in 2025.
But Allen isn’t the only Round 1 linebacker who could help the Bills in 2026. Sonny Styles (Ohio State), Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas) and of course, Arvell Reese Jr. (Ohio State) are all linebackers who are projected to go in Round 1 who could be immediate impact players for the Bills. Expect Brandon Beane and the rest of the front office to do a tremendous amount of work at this position in the offseason and for one of these players to end up in Western New York next summer.