The defense for the Buffalo Bills went through a major revamp this offseason and now we are getting the chance to see how it all comes together. With a new defensive coordinator in Jim Leonhard coming into the building, fans were wondering how this unit would look under him as compared to what Sean McDermott was running.
Not only is there a scheme change (4-2-5 to a 3-4), but the playstyle overall should look more different. In McDermott’s defense, it was all about not letting up the big play over the top in zone coverage. It was also all about versatility out of the linebackers, which is why someone like Matt Milano was so successful.
With Leonhard now, there is expected to be more of a consistent pass rush where more guys are coming at the quarterback than what we have seen. Along with that, that means more linebackers are coming off the edge, which is why the Bills went out and signed someone like Bradley Chubb and drafted T.J. Parker early on in the second round of the NFL Draft.
One unit that features a good amount of new guys is in the secondary at the safety position, which ironically was the position that Leonhard played when he was in the NFL. The Bills already had Cole Bishop, and they opted to re-sign Damar Hamlin to another one-year deal. In addition, they brought C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone in free agency.
Then during the NFL Draft, they got a potentially huge steal in South Carolina safety, Jalon Kilgore, who many people were surprised that he fell as far as he did. You could make the case that he could be a starter next year if both Gardner-Johnson and Stone are one-and-done in Buffalo this season.
Bills may have rookie gem in S Jalon Kilgore
Kilgore is the type of player that can play both safety, and also line up in the linebacker box to help stop the run. In three years at the University of South Carolina, Kilgore racked up 178 total tackles along with 21 pass breakups and 8 interceptions.
Now with him being part of the Bills, he gets the luxury of having someone like Leonhard to coach him up, considering that they both played the same position.
Leonhard spoke with the media ahead of practice on Thursday, and he talked about how Kilgore is "going to be a good player" and how he is "quiet" and "very coachable" per Sal Capaccio.
Bills DC Jim Leonhard on Jalon Kilgore: “he’s going to be a good player. He’s quiet. Very coachable.” Said he’s excited to see what he can keep doing given some opportunities over the next couple weeks.
— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) August 6, 2026
Hearing that Kilgore has come across as coachable is a great thing to hear because that shows that he is willing to grow as a player, and that the coaches are able to truly develop his game as he starts his pro career.
Even though many people are expecting Gardner-Johnson to be the starter along with Cole Bishop on the backend, it would not be surprising at all to see Kilgore not just get reps during the regular season, but also show the fanbase that he can be a starter after his rookie season. It would be a similar path that Bishop was on early on in his career.
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