The change from a 4-3 base defense to now a 3-4 under Jim Leonhard is going to set the Buffalo Bills for success if everything goes as planned. For nearly a decade, the Bills have been in a 4-3 that is successful in some ways, but the defense ultimately fell apart in crucial moments. Leonhard now steps in to fix that narrative.
Through the Bills' first two preseason games, the defense has looked extremely good. Now granted, it's just preseason, but they don't just look good, but they are absolutely dominating.
When it comes to this defense, there is one major battle going on that has had the attention of a lot of Bills fans. With switching to a 3-4 defense, the Bills are going to be relying more on outside linebackers to not just help stop the run, but also create a pass rush that Buffalo has been inconsistent about the last few years.
However, they still need to have their inside linebacker positions solidified. As of right now, Terrel Bernard is the only known starter. Then you have an ongoing competition between Dorian Williams and Kaleb Elarms-Orr who are battling it out for the final starting inside linebacker job. However, Jim Leonhard recently told the media that "if they had to pick a winner...they wouldn't be able to" per ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg.
Getzenberg also mentioned that Leonhard said "they've both earned the right to be on the field" and that the competition could extend into the regular season.
Bills DC Jim Leonhard said that if they had to pick a winner in the battle between ILBs Dorian Williams and Kaleb Elarms-Orr, they wouldn't be able to.
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) August 24, 2026
Said they've both earned the right to be on the field, could extend into the season.
Competition between Kaleb Elarms-Orr and Dorian Williams still has no clear leader
For any fans that may have thought either Elarms-Orr or Williams would have the lead in this competition, that doesn't appear to be the case. Williams has the NFL experience over Elarms-Orr, of course. However, Elarms-Orr has had more opportunities to impress early on in the summer because Williams was dealing with an injury before training camp.
When the Bills drafted Elarms-Orr in the 4th round this year, it looked like he would be the replacement for Matt Milano who is still a current free agent. He is a physical linebacker with the same kind of playstyle as Milano. He has been super impressive throughout the summer and the preseason.
When it comes to Williams, not only does he have the experience, but he is also one of the better run stoppers that the Bills have. While he isn't the best in pass coverage, the Bills could surely utilize his run-stopping ability.
As the preseason wraps up here this Thursday for the Bills, this is one more chance for each player to state their case. For Leonhard to say that this competition could go into the regular season is very interesting. Both players have strengths that could be beneficial for the defense, but there should also be some continuity as well.
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