2026 NFL Draft Team Needs & Predictions: Bills

This is the sharp end of Round 1.

Picks 25 through 28 belong to teams that won double-digit games and fully expect to be playing deep into January again. The Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Houston Texans aren’t looking for identity — they have one. They’re looking for reinforcement.

At this stage of the draft, the conversation shifts.

It’s no longer about fixing glaring weaknesses. It’s about strengthening pressure points before they become problems. Depth in the trenches. Secondary insurance. A rotational pass rusher. A long-term successor at a premium position.

For teams this good, the margins are razor-thin.

A missed tackle in the Divisional Round. A protection breakdown in the fourth quarter. A lack of depth when injuries inevitably strike. That’s often the difference between hosting a conference championship and watching it from home.

Late-first selections can also be strategic:

Planning ahead for looming contract extensions
Replacing aging veterans a year early
Adding cost-controlled impact talent to balance a top-heavy cap sheet

In this batch, we break down:

The biggest roster holes for each franchise
Contract situations and future cap implications
Which positions should be prioritized for veterans and rookies
Potential fantasy football implications

These are the teams that are already good.

The goal now? Stay that way — and get better.

Up next: Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Houston Texans.

Salary cap contract information provided by Spotrac.

Pick 26: Buffalo Bills

Team Needs: OG, DT, EDGE, S, LB, WR

2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

G David Edwards, EDGE A.J. Epenesa, CB Taron Johnson, CB Cam Lewis, S Darnell Savage, S Taylor Rapp

2026 Free Agents:

QB: Mitchell Trubisky
WR: Brandin Cooks, Gabriel Davis, Curtis Samuel
EDGE: Joey Bosa
DL: DaQuan Jones, Larry Ogunjobi, Jordan Phillips
LB: Matt Milano, Shaq Thompson
CB: Tre’Davious White, Dane Jackson
S: Damar Hamlin, Jordan Poyer, Sam Franklin
ST: Reggie Gilliam, Matt Prater

2027 Free Agents:

QB: Shane Buechele (RFA)
RB: Ty Johnson
WR: Mecole Hardman, Jalen Virgil (RFA), Tyrell Shavers (RFA)
TE: Dalton Kincaid (CLUB)
OL: OT Alec Anderson, G O’Cyrus Torrence, G Nick Broeker (ERFA), OT Ryan Van Demark
DL: Phidarian Mathis
LB: Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen (RFA)
S: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Geno Stone

Buffalo needed to target a WR who could stretch the field and work the boundary/intermediate levels of the field. As I mentioned in the Bears’ team needs section…DJ Moore to Buffalo made a lot of sense…even in hindsight.

So much so that it actually came to fruition (my full breakdown can be read here).

We shall see if the team even keeps Keon Coleman (with the latest discourse supporting the WR entering his third season from both the GM and new HC). If he remains on the roster…it’s a low bar for him to make an impact. Think Quentin Johnston in Year 3. Coaches expressed a lot of confidence in him during the offseason, and he delivered well above low expectations. But actions speak louder than words.

Tight end Dalton Kincaid has not been reliable with his health despite being productive when on the field.

Kincaid’s third season was plagued by more injuries, as he reportedly played through another torn PCL (for the second year in a row). But the Bills TE remained super-efficient despite limited usage/playing time (46% route participation and just three games with a snap share above 50%). He caught 80% of his passes for 682 yards and a career-high 7 TDs as the TE8 in fantasy PPG (9.6). His 2.7 YPRR led all TEs and ranked third among all receivers. His 27% target rate per route run also ranked first among TEs. If Kincaid can get healthy in 2026, he could leap into elite fantasy TE territory at a fraction of the cost.

Dawson Knox might be cut to save money against the salary cap (or his contract needs restructuring), which could help boost Kincaid’s routes/snaps. However, that will not be the case…as Knox inked a new three-year deal to keep him in Buffalo until 2028.

“If” Kincaid gets and stays healthy, we still could see his role grow. Part of why he’s been a part-time player is that he is always playing through an injury. But the Knox return definitely pours cold water on a full-blown Kincaid TE1 szn.

Furthermore, on offense, two of their starting interior offensive linemen are hitting free agency.

OG O’Cyrus Torrence is in the last year of his rookie contract. C Connor McGovern signed a 4-year contract extension.

Alec Anderson is projected as a starter at left guard (2027 free agent). Sedrick Van Pran-Granger also plays center, but could also compete for that other guard spot.

The biggest defensive need for the Bills every year always seems to be their run defense.

Getting a healthy Ed Oliver back will be a major boost. But many of last year’s DL free agent signings were major flops.

More EDGE presence will be needed if they don’t bring back either Joey Bosa or A.J. Epenesa. They are excited about some guys returning healthy in 2026, but how effective they will be after their injuries remains a big question mark.

They made a big acquisition in free agency, signing Bradley Chubb after he was released from Miami.

Also, I cannot overstate the major coaching change on the defense under the new coordinator, Jim Leonhard. Leonhard was formerly the defensive pass game coordinator for the Broncos (2024-2025).

Before coaching at Mile High, he was at Illinois (senior football analyst) and Wisconsin. Coached outside linebacker and 2026 NFL draft prospect, Gabe Jacas. Potential first-round pick at edge. The Bills’ new DL coach was also at Illinois.

The Bills’ new CB coach was at Oklahoma (2022-2025). There’s a surplus of former Sooners in this year’s draft, including EDGE R Mason Thomas, DI Grace Halton, and WR Deion Burks.

The new Bills OLBs coach spent the last 3 years at Stanford. Overlapped with projected top-10 pick, David Bailey, before he transferred to Texas Tech in 2025.

After moving on from Johnson, they replaced him with CB Dee Alford (projects to play nickel/slot). They also signed safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone to one-year deals.