Buffalo Bills 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

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No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the Bills' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

Buffalo Bills Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Edge Rusher
2. Defensive Back
3. Offensive Line

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Buffalo Bills 2026 Draft Capital

The Bills have the 27th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

Buffalo Bills Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Bills to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

Buffalo Bills Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Buffalo Bills, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Josh Allen
2. Kyle Allen
3. Shane Buechele

Although Josh Allen's counting stats declined in 2025, he had another excellent season.

Allen posted career lows in touchdown passes (25) and passing yards per game (215.8), but career highs in completion rate (69.3%) and yards per pass attempt (8.0).

Those rates ranked fourth and fifth in the league last season.

Although his passing touchdowns dropped from the year prior for the fifth consecutive season, Allen still posted a 5.4% touchdown rate, his sixth consecutive season over 5%.

No other quarterback over that span can say the same.

On top of the passing efficiency, Allen added 579 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, his third season in a row with double-digit rushing scores.

If there is one nit to pick with Buffalo, it is that they do not throw it more.

Skeptics will point to Buffalo’s strengths being the offensive line, James Cook, Allen’s own rushing ability, and the subpar group of pass catchers they have as the primary components for leaning into the run, but any time Buffalo was pressed to throw the football last season, they were successful.

Buffalo may not have had a great group of pass catchers, but Allen raised that tide.

Buffalo had a 46.7% success rate on passing plays, seventh in the league.

The addition of D.J. Moore, paired with Joe Brady being elevated to head coach (and a worse defense on paper), could lead Buffalo to push the ball more through the air.

Since taking over as the play caller in Buffalo, Brady has called conservative game plans.

Ken Dorsey was presumably fired in 2023 for throwing the ball too often.

Over the final nine games in 2023, Buffalo was 31st in the NFL dropback rate (52.4%) and 27th in the rate of yardage gained via passing (60.7%).

Before that, they were seventh in the NFL in dropback rate (63.2%), and 68.5% of their yardage came through the air (13th).

In 2024, Buffalo had a 56.3% dropback rate (25th) with 63.5% of their yardage through the air (22nd).

This past season, the Bills posted a 54.3% dropback rate (30th) with 57.6% of their yardage via passing (30th).

What will be interesting to see is how much that was by Brady’s own design or top-down influence from Sean McDermott.

Allen turns 30 this May.

His current contract runs through 2030, but it will surely be reworked over the next few years.

Allen has cap hits of $44.3 million in 2026 (14.7% of the cap), $56.1 million in 2027 (17.4%), and $62.3 million in 2028 (17.6%) before spiking to $89.2 million in 2029 (23.8%) and $82.8 million (20.8%) in 2030.

Running Back

1. James Cook
2. Ty Johnson
3. Ray Davis
4. Frank Gore Jr.

James Cook got a new contract last offseason, which was earned.

Cook is coming off the best season of his early career, setting career highs in rushing attempts (309), rushing yards (1,621), touches (342), and yards from scrimmage (1,912) to go along with 14 touchdowns.

The league leader in rushing yards, here is where Cook ranked among the 49 running backs this season with 100 or more attempts:

• 5.2 yards per rush (2nd)
• 45% success rate (9th)
• 12.6% rate of runs for 10-plus yards (8th)
• 10.7% rate of runs failed to gain yards (2nd)

That came while facing eight or more defenders in the box on 56% of his attempts, the second-highest rate in the league.

Cook faced a light box (6 or fewer defenders) on only 11.3% of his runs, the third-lowest rate in the league.

The Buffalo offensive line is excellent, but Cook was not given many free squares.

If there is one nit to pick here, it is that Cook is arguably underused in the passing game.

He has averaged 9.0 yards per catch over his career, but only 2.0 receptions per game.

Cook was on the field for 43.9% of Buffalo's dropbacks in 2025, which ranked 15th at the position.

Ty Johnson has chipped in for the Buffalo passing game.

He caught 24 passes for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns last year, rushing 50 times for 200 yards and 3 more scores.

Johnson is an unrestricted free agent after the season.

The Bills did not use Ray Davis as much last year as they did in his first season.

After 130 touches for 631 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024, Davis handled 68 touches for 361 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2025.

He played 15% of the offensive snaps after 24% as a rookie.

Davis still averaged 5.3 yards per touch.

The offense just ran through Cook.

Wide Receiver

1. D.J. Moore
2. Khalil Shakir
3. Josh Palmer
4. Keon Coleman
5. Tyrell Shavers
6. Mecole Hardman
7. Trent Sherfield
8. Jalen Virgil
9. Stephen Gosnell

In 2025, Buffalo's wide receivers averaged 10.6 receptions (18th) for 125.8 yards per game (22nd) and 11 touchdowns (23rd) in the regular season.

Collectively, Buffalo wideouts were targeted on 21.4% of their routes, which was 27th in the league.

Allen averaged 7.9 yards per pass attempt when targeting his wide receivers last season, which was 15th in the league.

Allen averaged a league-high 10.0 yards per pass attempt when throwing to his tight ends and 6.8 yards per attempt when throwing to his backfield (7th).

Buffalo may not be done adding here, but given what they used to acquire D.J. Moore, paired with his remaining salary over the next two seasons, Moore immediately steps in as the leading candidate for targets.

Moore is coming off a down season with the Bears, and his mercurial behavior has come up in each of the past two seasons.

In 2025, Moore posted career lows in receptions (50) and receiving yards (682).

Moore was targeted on a career-low 15.3% of his routes.

His previous career low was 19.1% as a rookie in 2018.

Moore only had one game last season with more than 73 yards receiving, to go along with 11 games below 50 yards.

If lighting a candle for Moore, he did play better to close the year.

Moore scored 5 touchdowns over the final six games last season.

2025 saw Moore set career lows in just about every category you can find, but if you are looking at his career production, his overlap playing under Joe Brady in 2020-2021 with Carolina was a strong campaign.

The hope is that a reunion with Brady, while playing alongside Josh Allen, keeps Moore engaged.

Moore is at the crossroads of his career, and this change of scenery is a boost for his opportunity to lead a passing game again.

Buffalo is one of the neediest teams for a wide receiver, while Allen is the best quarterback that Moore has played with over his career to this point.

Allen has not had a feature WR1 since Buffalo moved on from Stefon Diggs.

Khalil Shakir led the Bills in targets (95), catches (72), and receiving yards (719) in 2025, but he is coming off a down year compared to his career output.

He averaged a career low 10.0 yards per reception last year.

Shakir was playing through an ankle issue, which led to offseason surgery.

The addition of Moore allows Shakir to serve in more of an ancillary function, since he is not an alpha lead WR1.

Through four NFL seasons, Shakir has run 73 total pass routes in one or two WR sets,

Last year, with a limited roster, he was on the field for 25 routes in one or two WR sets, accounting for 18.8% of those play calls.

Shakir also has a limited presence near the end zone, totaling just 6 targets in the end zone through four seasons.

Moore had 15 of those last season with the Bears.

Josh Palmer made a minimal impact in his first season with Buffalo, catching 22 passes for 303 yards and 0 touchdowns over 12 games.

The Bills have been supportive of Keon Coleman through the media, but their actions say otherwise.

Coleman caught 38 passes for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns in his second season.

He caught 8 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, but then completely fell off the table.

He did not top 49 yards in a game the rest of the season.

Coleman was a healthy scratch in three games and only played on 53% of Buffalo's dropbacks.

Both Palmer and Coleman have multiple years remaining on their current contracts, but Buffalo should not be done adding to this receiver room.

Tight End

1. Dalton Kincaid
2. Dawson Knox
3. Jackson Hawes
4. Keleki Latu

This was the best part of the Buffalo passing game in 2025.

Buffalo tight ends combined for 95 receptions (13th) for 1,210 yards (2nd) and 12 touchdowns (3rd) last season.

Dalton Kincaid was hyper-efficient with 2.73 yards per route run, but limitations with injuries, as an in-line player, and his role in the run game on a run-heavy team have limited his opportunities.

Kincaid only played 33.4% of his snaps in-line last season.

The Bills ran the ball only 28.5% of the time when he was on the field, compared to 57.1% when he was off the field.

That has capped Kincaid’s overall participation in the offense and limited the routes he runs.

Over his three seasons in the league, Kincaid has been on the field for 64.1% of the team's dropbacks.

He dealt with a hamstring injury and a PCL injury on top of his limited role in the run game.

He did not have surgery, but offseason reports indicate that Kincaid will still need to be managed in 2026 due to his knee injury.

That led the Bills to work out a new contract with Dawson Knox.

With Kincaid missing time and being an active run blocker, Knox played 653 snaps last season, his most since 2022.

He caught 36 passes for 417 yards and 4 touchdowns, all highs since 2022 as well.

Jackson Hawes played 43% of the snaps as a rookie.

Buffalo ran the ball 70.6% of the time with Hawes on the field, but he did grab 16 passes for 187 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Offensive Line

LT: Dion Dawkins, Tylan Grable
LG: Alec Anderson, Austin Corbett
C: Connor McGovern, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Lloyd Cushenberry
RG: O’Cyrus Torrence, Nick Broeker
RT: Spencer Brown, Chase Lundt, Travis Clayton

This was still one of the better units in the league last season.

Buffalo ranked fourth in ESPN’s pass block win rate (71%) and first in run block win rate (75%).

At Pro Football Focus, they were sixth in pass blocking grade and sixth in run blocking grade.

They remained one of the healthier units in the league.

Their starters played together on 71.4% of the offensive snaps, which was fourth in the league.

Buffalo is bringing back four of those starters this season.

Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown is one of the best tackle duos in the league, and both are under contract for multiple seasons.

Center Connor McGovern received a four-year extension this offseason.

David Edwards went to New Orleans in free agency, pushing Alec Anderson up the depth chart.

Anderson has made six starts over the past two seasons with Buffalo and is an unrestricted free agent after the season, so competition and depth can be added here.

Buffalo added Austin Corbett and Lloyd Cushenberry to push for that job as well.

Both Corbett and Cushenberry have dealt with significant injuries in recent seasons.

Cushenberry played for Joe Brady at LSU.

The rest of the starters are locked up, but O’Cyrus Torrence is also set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, meaning that the interior offensive line could have more moving parts sooner than later.

Buffalo Bills Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Buffalo Bills, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Ed Oliver
2. Deone Walker
3. T.J. Sanders
4. DeWayne Carter
5. Phidarian Mathis
6. Landon Jackson
7. Zion Logue
8. Tommy Akingbesote

The Bills struggled across the board against running backs in 2026, allowing 5.0 yards per carry to the position (30th).

They gave up an explosive run on 12.5% of the RB carries they faced (30th).

Buffalo’s coaching change will be felt the most on the defensive side of the ball, with Jim Leonhard taking over what had been Sean McDermott’s defense.

That will likely mean a shift to a 3-4 base, though the new coordinator is certain to live the “multiple” credo that dominates NFL defenses in 2026.

With DaQuan Jones gone, Ed Oliver should lead this room, but he appeared in just three games last year before returning for the playoffs.

Oliver did record 9.5 sacks back in 2023, and he had a massive 20.8% pressure rate on a very limited sample last year.

Both 2025 draft picks, T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker got some experience last year.

Sanders had something of a rough go, but Walker made plays in the running game, leading the team with 15 run stuffs.

That ranked fifth among all qualified defensive linemen.

DeWayne Carter missed all of last season with a torn Achilles, and he did not show great as a rookie.

Buffalo has youth up front, but they could use an addition to the defensive line.

Edge Defenders

1. Greg Rousseau
2. Bradley Chubb
3. Michael Hoecht
4. Javon Solomon
5. Andre Jones Jr.

Buffalo ranked 14th in pressure rate (37.3%) last season, finishing with 36 sacks (20th).

This unit will look different in 2026 with Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa leaving in free agency.

Buffalo made a big addition to the edge group, as well, signing Bradley Chubb to a three-year, $43.5 million contract.

He will play opposite Greg Rousseau, who had another good season in 2026, logging 7 sacks with a 15.4% pressure rate (14th).

After he opened the season suspended, Michael Hoecht appeared in just two games before landing on injured reserve with a torn Achilles.

Hoecht should play a versatile role in the new defense, and he perhaps should be listed with the defensive line group instead of along the edge.

Buffalo has no established options behind those three, and Hoecht is returning from an injury.

They have to add at least a rotational option to this group.

Linebacker

1. Terrel Bernard
2. Dorian Williams
3. Joe Andreessen
4. Keonta Jenkins
5. Jimmy Ciarlo

Linebacker lags behind some of Buffalo’s other needs in positional value, but they are in a rough spot here heading into the draft.

Terrel Bernard can hold down one of the starting spots, but he has not been great while missing time over the last two seasons.

Dorian Williams has played the run well, but he has allowed a 103.6 quarterback rating in coverage thus far in his career.

Matt Milano remains a free agent, and he could be a post-draft addition to solidify this unit.

But he will be 32 in July and has struggled to stay healthy for several seasons.

It is fair to argue the Bills need two starter-level additions to this linebacker group.

Cornerback

1. Christian Benford
2. Maxwell Hairston
3. Dee Alford
4. Dorian Strong
5. Te’Cory Couch
6. Daryl Porter Jr.
7. M.J. Devonshire Jr.

The Bills fared better against the pass than run, allowing 6.2 yards per attempt (4th) and finishing seventh in EPA allowed per pass attempt.

Despite that success, Christian Benford is the only primary snap taker returning from last year’s cornerback group.

Benford is coming off yet another good season and has allowed just 6.7 yards per target in his coverage thus far in his career.

That said, he has also never played a full season, appearing in 15, 15, and 14 games the last three seasons.

A first-round pick last year, Maxwell Hairston had a stop-and-start rookie season thanks to injuries, playing just 348 snaps.

The Bills need him to become a starter in year two.

Dee Alford was added in free agency to handle the slot snaps, though he has had some issues the last two seasons.

There are no experienced options behind that top three, a big concern given Benford’s history of missing a few games and Hairston's lack of experience.

At the very least, the Bills need to add some depth to their cornerback room.

Safety

1. Cole Bishop
2. C.J. Gardner-Johnson
3. Geno Stone
4. Damar Hamlin
5. Jordan Hancock
6. Sam Franklin Jr.
7. Wande Owens

Cole Bishop took a step forward in his second season, providing a steady presence at safety, but the Bills had a tough time finding someone to play opposite him.

They tried to fix that in free agency by signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone.

Gardner-Johnson had a falling out with the Texans early last season before joining the Bears in Week 9.

Stone was nearly an every-snap player for the Bengals over the last two seasons, but he struggled in their secondary.

Buffalo also brought back Damar Hamlin, who suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in October.

Buffalo has likely made their big moves at safety, but there are question marks up and down this depth chart, especially with Gardner-Johnson on a one-year deal.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams