The Buffalo Bills will soon be on the clock in the 2026 NFL Draft, hoping to find a promising young player to continue to build around in the pursuit of a championship for years to come. Their AFC East rivals will be looking to do the same, though some have more work to do than others.
Nonetheless, the Bills’ AFC East rivals stand to make some serious improvements in this year’s draft. The New York Jets have nowhere to go but up and hold two top-16 first-round selections to begin their Sisyphus-esque climb once again. The Miami Dolphins also hold two first-round picks, and so they could begin rebuilding their defense with new head coach Jeff Hafley while also giving new quarterback Malik Willis a shiny new weapon to grow alongside in his first full-time starting gig. Then there’s the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots, who’d like to leave Pittsburgh either with a difference-maker in the trenches or Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown in a trade.
With the draft fast approaching, let's take a look at one player Bills Mafia should be preparing to root against with one likely first-round selection for each division rival.
Buffalo Bills' AFC East rivals could reshape division with key draft additions
New York Jets: Ohio State’s Arvell Reese
Despite a bit of excitement, it seems all but certain what the New York Jets will do with their No. 2 overall selection, and it’s the right call. Players who compare to Micah Parsons don’t exactly grow on trees, and no one in the NFL is going to make the mistake of allowing a talent like that to slip to the 12th overall pick again.
Arvell Reese is quite likely to be the Jets' first pick of the draft, and that, along with his comparables to Parsons, will put a weight of pressure on his shoulders. New York gutted its defense at the trade deadline and didn’t retain many of its bigger names in free agency either. While the team moved for veteran experience at each level and will have him paired opposite Will McDonald IV, Reese will step into Aaron Glenn’s scheme as its most impactful and important player from Day 1.
Reese’s athleticism is an afterthought. He’s got the goods. But the measure of how much of a nuisance he becomes to the Bills Mafia ultimately lies in Glenn’s effective use of him. Glenn got a lot out of former Michigan standout Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit. Can he do the same with the top Buckeye prospect in this class despite his differing athletic profile?
That’s a question that will take a couple of seasons to answer, at least. In the meantime, Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown’s jobs on the edge of the line of scrimmage are about to get a lot harder.
Miami Dolphins: USC’s Makai Lemon
The Miami Dolphins have a lot of work to do, but priority one should be to make sure that they don’t look like fools for signing Malik Willis to be their new starting quarterback. He needs weapons, especially after the Dolphins traded away Jaylen Waddle.Â
With Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, and Malik Washington at the top of the depth chart, the Dolphins need to leave the first round with the best receiver they can get their fins on. That’s USC’s Makai Lemon, the draft’s second-best receiver. Lemon is a player Bills Mafia would love to have instead, as his similarities to fellow USC alumn Amon-Ra St. Brown are tantalizing to imagine at Josh Allen’s disposal. Unfortunately, Lemon might not make it past the Dolphins if they are serious about getting Willis the best receiver help possible.
With speedy targets in Atwell and Washington to clear out space for Tolbert and Lemon underneath, Miami could build a sneaky good passing game, especially if their rushing attack holds steady with De’Von Achane and Willis answers the call.
Either way, the Bills defensive backs will have to keep an extra eye out for the elusive route runner if he joins the Miami offense.
New England Patriots: Clemson’s Blake Miller
A.J. Brown is an Eagle until he isn’t. While the Patriots clearly need some extra beef up front on their offensive line, there’s a lot of smoke coming from the harbor that would indicate that New England is more than willing to part with its No. 31 overall pick and quite possibly more for Brown’s services.
But until that happens, the Patriots hold the penultimate pick of the first round, leaving them with many options to address their lingering needs after falling short in the Super Bowl. Addressing the offensive line seems most imperative, and with question marks drappuing the pass rushers likely to still be on the board, New England may find comfort in a more polished and experienced player from Clemson, offensive tackle Blake Miller.
Miller is the Patriots’ most common mock draft pick at No. 31 according to NFL Mock Draft Database, as are the previous mentions for the other two division rivals. As difficult as it is to project the 31st pick in the draft, Miller is a likely candidate to hear his name called if he’s still available when the Patriots are on the clock. He’ll offer versatility and immediate starting ability for an offensive line looking to rebound from a poor finish to the 2025 campaign.
The Bills are hoping to see a bigger spark from their pass rush in 2026, and could be targeting a new edge rusher just a few picks before the Patriots are on the clock. That said, the youth on the Patriots' offensive line, especially if Miller is added to the mix, is something Buffalo should use to their advantage with veterans like Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb bringing pressure off the edge.
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