The Buffalo Bills fell short of their ultimate goal once again in 2025, and there was one key area to blame. The team was unable to stop the run throughout the season despite fielding a decent overall defense.
Despite a glaring need for help, Brandon Beane only added one starter to his defensive front, edge rusher Bradley Chubb. Without many new faces in the building, Buffalo will rely on in-house development to fix the issue in 2026.
The efforts to fix the run defense may rest on second-year defensive tackle Deone Walker. The hulking 22-year-old had an encouraging rookie season, but he'll need to take a massive step forward if the Bills are going to field a passable run defense.
Bills relying on Deone Walker to improve run defense in 2026
Buffalo's defense overall was mediocre in 2025. They were near league average in EPA (Expected Points Added) per play allowed, defensive success rate, and total yards allowed. But the run defense specifically was horrendous.
The Bills ranked 31st in the NFL in EPA per rush allowed and 28th in total rushing yards allowed. For large stretches of the season, they were completely unable to shut down the run. They had to rely on Josh Allen and James Cook to give them an early lead, causing opponents to rely on the pass more than the run.
The response from the front office this offseason has been passive at best. Chubb should give the unit a boost, but the Bills are set to rely on six of the front seven players they started last season. So, improvement will come from development.
Walker was solid as a rookie. He can use his size to anchor the middle of the field, but he often prefers to shoot through gaps to get into the backfield. He logged 39 total tackles, a decent mark for a rookie on the interior.
But the 6'6" defender was shaky against the run. He often failed to gain adequate leverage, getting pushed back off the line of scrimmage despite his size advantage. His PFF run defense grade of 45.4 was an indicator of how inconsistent he was.
The 22-year-old will have to take a big step forward in 2026, and it starts with improving his pad level. If he can hold down the middle of the defensive line, the Bills could field a passable run defense. If not, they risk running into the same issue that derailed their previous season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google