The Buffalo Bills had two main goals this offseason: find more weapons on offense and improve the pass rush. Before free agency started, the Bills traded for D.J. Moore to help give Josh Allen more targets in the passing game. We can debate if Brandon Beane paid too much to get him, but there is no doubt that the receiving corps is better now with Moore part of the rotation.
As for the pass-rush unit, the Bills needed to get younger, and that’s part of the reason why they moved on from Joey Bosa. Despite being a productive player in 2025, the goal was to find a true bookend to Gregory Rousseau and someone who can play on all three downs. Luckily for the Bills, they were able to address that need early in Round 2 with one of the most complete players in the draft.
T.J. Parker could wind up being a huge steal for Buffalo
In a recent article by Dane Brugler of The Athletic, he wrote about his initial top-50 players heading into the 2025 college football season and cross-compared them with his final rankings and the actual selections.
One of the most notable rankings was where Brugler had T.J. Parker ranked going into the 2025 season. Parker was the first selection by the Bills in the 2026 NFL Draft, picking him at No. 35. But going into his final year at Clemson, Brugler ranked Parker as the No. 9 prospect in the class. Here is a snippet of what Brugler had to say about the former ACC star coming out of the draft:
“Parker never boasted the difference-making traits you ideally target for a pass rusher in the top 10. However, with 19 1/2 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2024, his disruption earned him this high spot going into last season. Parker’s impact returned to earth during the 2025 season, which knocked him out of the first round. However, he’s still a quality player.”
The entire Clemson team had a disappointing season, and that’s how a player like Peter Woods, who Brugler had ranked at No. 1 going into the season, fell to the bottom of Round 1. Other Clemson players, such as Cade Klubnik and Avieon Terrell, all fell dramatically from their preseason rankings to where they were actually drafted.
But the point is that not long ago, Parker was considered a potential top-10 selection in the NFL Draft. And while the 2025 season wasn’t quite as special as many had hoped, he is still a good player with a ton of college production. Parker has NFL size and athleticism, but the hope is that he can become a more dominant player at the next level.
The Bills don’t need him to be the next Myles Garrett or Will Anderson. What they need is a three-down defensive end who can stop the run and create consistent pressure. Bosa was able to rush the passer last year, but his inability to be a quality run defender was a big issue on early downs and significantly limited what Buffalo could do on defense.
Parker will have a chance to start as a rookie, and he should be able to contribute right away, even if it’s not as a pass rusher. But given how productive he was over three seasons at Clemson, don’t be surprised if he is further along than anyone anticipates. He’s got the potential to be a high-end starter in the NFL, and he showed that during his 2024 campaign. Now, it’s just about getting him back to that player again.
Add us as a preferred source on Google