The NFL Combine is this week, kicking off the Buffalo Bills’ road to the 2026 NFL Draft held in Pittsburgh beginning on April 23.

Before then, general manager Brandon Beane will be able to address needs in free agency, but there’s no doubt he’ll have to use the draft to reload, especially on defense, where 14 2025 contributors have expiring contracts.

That’s why defense is the prevailing need in my first three-round mock draft of the offseason. New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will need cornerstone pieces on his new defense, pieces head coach Joe Brady can rely on for years to come, once Leonhard has no doubt begun to draw head coaching interest himself.

Buffalo Bills 3-round mock draft puts defense first

T.J. Parker

Round 1 | EDGE

It all starts on the edge for Buffalo this offseason. While the team can see suitable veteran options, such as Maxx Crosby in Las Vegas, those options will prove too expensive for a contender with so many needs across the roster.

Clemson’s T.J. Parker might not be the top pass rusher to be had in the first round, but so far, his stock seems to indicate he’ll be available when the Bills pick at No. 26. That’s largely due to a lack of explosiveness and twitchy speed, but his power and frame get the job done. Bleacher Report’s scouting report compared him to a less-explosive Bradley Chubb, another veteran option the Bills could entertain in free agency.

Keep in mind, the Bills don’t just need a strong pass rusher; they also need someone who can set the edge in the run game and make stops with frequency after the team finished 28th against the run last season. In three seasons at Clemson, Parker had nearly doubled his sack total in tackles for loss, grabbing 41.5 TFLs to 21.5 sacks, proving his play-style offers a healthy, balanced strength in both areas.

Jacob Rodriguez

Round 2 | ILB

Bills fans are likely already on one side of the fence or the other with Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriquez. His intangible traits jump off the page of his scouting report, but his physical limitations are sure to make many worried about his viability as a long-term starter.

His Combine performance will help settle his draft stock, which will likely be somewhere on Day 2. Of course, how the Bills plan to address the inside linebacker position will ultimately determine whether Rodriquez is a solid option for them with the No. 60 pick.

Terrel Bernard will man one of the inside spots, and theoretically, Beane could re-sign either Shaq Thompson or Matt Milano. I’ve mentioned before that my vote is for Milano, primarily for continuity reasons. With Bernard and Milano as the starters, Rodriguez would be an excellent option to develop behind Milano as he winds down his career, rotating in as needed, especially on passing downs.

In that scenario, Rodriguez’s value is more of a long-term play for the Bills, as he develops his physical traits over the early portion of his career. Still, through that process, the Bills can get an injection of youth in the middle of their defense with someone with the makeup to hold down the position on a second contract. In the meantime, the Bills would offer rotational snaps to a promising player who forced 13 fumbles and six interceptions over his college career.

Deion Burks

Round 3 | WR:

With two cornerstones for the defense selected, it’s time to find the first offensive draft pick of the Joe Brady era, which seems destined to be a wide receiver.

While many fans would prefer to address the position sooner, I am of the position that Buffalo has the resources to find a veteran option who is a proven WR1 talent. Whether that’s A.J. Brown from Philadelphia in a trade or Mike Evans from Tampa through free agency, there are options to give Josh Allen the type of elite threat he needs in this offense.

If Beane goes that route, then finding a playmaker in the third round who can develop at a steady pace and grow into a prominent threat over time is a more fulfilling decision for the health of the wide receiver corps. The room has a big, contested-catch option in Keon Coleman, and a strong, dedicated slot receiver in Khalil Shakir, and in my scenario, the primary X receiver is solved externally.

Deion Burks, out of Oklahoma, would give Buffalo a deep threat with underneath playmaking ability, meaning he can be a dynamic option in Brady’s screen game, and work off play action down the field for splash plays with Allen’s cannon arm. He works inside and outside, is a strong route runner, and electric with the ball in his hands after the catch.

Injuries and size concerns limit his draft stock, but provided he can stay healthy in Buffalo as he did for the Sooners in 2025, he can become a dynamic playmaker in Brady’s offense.