The Buffalo Bills believe their defense could be significantly improved in 2026, and there are some good reasons for optimism. The hope is that Jim Leonhard, who was hired to be the newest defensive coordinator, can be a breath of fresh air for a defense that needs it. He’s highly regarded as one of the smartest coaches in the league, and the hope is that he can bring some fresh ideas and concepts to this unit.
However, for the defense to actually take the next step, they need several players to take big steps forward. Getting Ed Oliver back should help quite a bit, but it’s his new running mate that could take the defensive line to the next level.
Deone Walker could be in for a breakout season
The Bills were hopeful that their 2025 draft class would take their defense to new heights as they spent their first five selections on that side of the ball. However, injuries plagued the rookie class as Maxwell Hairston, Landon Jackson, and T.J. Sanders all dealt with various injuries.
But the one rookie who did make a big impact was Deone Walker, a fourth-round pick from Kentucky. Despite being a Day 3 pick, Walker started 16 games for the Bills and was arguably their best defensive lineman at times. Going into Year 2, Buffalo expects Walker to take a big step forward.
In a recent article by The Athletic, they tasked their 32 beat reporters to predict one breakout player going into the 2026 season. For the Bills, that was none other than Walker, who Tim Graham believes could be a star sooner rather than later. Here is a snippet of what Graham had to say about the former SEC star:
“The 2025 fourth-round draft pick started every game after the season opener, making a strong impression at a position of need. Walker’s offseason mission has been conditioning to play all three downs. He said in June he had slimmed from last year’s playing weight of 338 pounds to 328 pounds. By a large margin, he led all Bills defensive linemen with 37 run stops.”
The hope is that Walker can be in better shape this year, which should allow him to play more snaps and be a more effective pass rusher. But what might help more than anything else is playing next to Oliver, who missed almost all of last season. Together, they could be among the best interior defensive tackle pairings in the league.
Walker’s development will be huge for the Bills in 2026. They need him to be a consistent playmaker up front and if that’s the case, the defense should improve by leaps and bounds. But if he regresses at all, it could be an uphill battle for Leonhard in his first year as a play caller.
Keep an eye on Walker throughout training camp and preseason as he is one of the most important players for the Bills going into the 2026 season. A big step forward could completely change all of the angles for Buffalo on defense this year.
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