The 2026 NFL Draft is now upon us, and the Buffalo Bills face their biggest draft in recent memory. With a new head coach and defensive coordinator, Buffalo needs to add talent and transition the roster—especially on defense—to fit new schemes and priorities. How will they do this? In our Bills’ 2026 NFL Mock Draft, we’ll predict all seven picks and try to answer that question.
Round 1, Pick No. 26: EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Bills have several needs on defense that they must address in the 2026 NFL Draft. The most pressing need is at pass rusher. Moving from a 4-3 defense with its edge-setting defensive ends to a 3-4 that utilizes speed-rushing outside linebackers is a big task. Incumbent DE Gregory Rousseau isn’t a perfect fit at OLB, and free-agent acquisition Bradley Chubb is turning 30 and oft-injured.
Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell can be a really nice fit for this defense. He is explosive and was extremely productive last season for the Aggies. His 11.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles for a loss were impressive for a player who started his career at Bowling Green.
The biggest knock on Howell is that his 30 ¼-inch arms are short for his position. That is a legitimate problem in the NFL, as long arms allow pass rushers to hold 6-foot-5-plus offensive tackles at bay. That said, his body type seemed to work fine in the SEC, so maybe his speed and technique can make up for that at the next level.
Round 3, Pick No. 91: LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
The Bills need aggressive, blitzing, downhill linebackers in Leonhard’s scheme, and Anthony Hill Jr. from Texas fits that bill. The 6-foot-2, 238-pound LB can fill up a stat sheet. He racked up 31.5 TFLs, 17.0 sacks, and eight forced fumbles in three seasons with the Longhorns.
The Broncos defense that Leonhard helped lead last season was one of the most blitz-heavy in the NFL, and Hill excels in that area. A player like this would excel in the Bills’ new defense and work well paired with Terrel Bernard or Dorian Williams. That said, drafting another linebacker is not out of the question, either.
Round 4, Pick No. 126: S Bud Clark, TCU
The Bills got a breakout season from Cole Bishop last season at the safety position. They also brought in Chauncey Gardner-Johnson as a hybrid nickel/safety player this offseason and re-signed backup Damar Hamlin. However, the team could still use one more starting-caliber safety in the mix.
Bud Clark is a playmaker at the back end of the defense who would work well covering for Bishop and CGJ in the deep half of the field. Clark is an experienced sixth-year senior and a three-time team captain. He has 15 picks in the last three seasons and took two of those back to the house.
Clark has a tendency to gamble, which can lead to explosive plays the other way. However, for a Bills team led by Josh Allen, takeaways are ultimately more valuable than long TDs are hurtful. That’s why the former Horned Frog would fit right into the Buffalo defensive backfield.
Round 5, Pick No. 165: CB Ephesians Prysock, Washington
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Ephesians Prysock is one of the biggest risers in the 2026 NFL Draft process. At almost 6-foot-4 with 4.45 speed, the former Husky has traits you just can’t teach. His production in college wasn’t great, but he should be even better matching up with big, physical wideouts at the next level.
Overall, Buffalo just needs more depth at corner. After Christian Benford, the position gets questionable fast. Last year’s first-round pick, Maxwell Hairston, couldn’t stay healthy in 2025, and free-agent acquisition Dee Alford is unproven. Prysock will provide the needed depth and should be a key special teams contributor.
Round 5, Pick No. 168: WR Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
Jeff Caldwell is a developmental wide receiver who has tantalizing size and skills that should allow him to contribute right away. At 6-foot-5 3/8, 216 pounds, he is the most athletic WR in this draft. His 4.31-second 40 and 42-inch vertical are wild for a man of his size.
Starting his career at FCS Lindenwood, Caldwell has slowly but surely developed each season, making his way to Cincinnati. He still has a ways to go, but the big man can fly. As a deep threat, he made 32 catches last season for the Bearcats, but six of those were for touchdowns. Overall, in his college career, almost a quarter of his total receptions went for scores.
Caldwell can contribute on special teams now and be useful on offense. If five or six times a game Joe Brady can tell him to run as fast as he can in a straight line toward the end zone, he’ll either keep racking up TDs or loosen things up underneath for the rest of the offense.
Round 6, Pick No. 182: LB Red Murdock, Buffalo
Bills GM Brandon Beane doesn’t need to look far to add another dynamic linebacker to the mix in Round 6 of this 2026 NFL Mock Draft. Red Murdock is a small school player and has some athletic limitations, but he is a turnover machine.
Murdock is a tough, physical defender who plays downhill. He’s not the fastest LB on the field, but he makes up for that with his instincts and his punch. Murdock forced an incredible 17 fumbles in his college career, setting a new NCAA record once set by another former Buffalo Bull: Khalil Mack.
The Bills have had good luck with UB players in the past (Joe Andreessen, Cam Lewis), and Murdock is another who has real potential to play in the same city he went to college in.
Round 7, Pick No. 220: DT Cole Brevard, Texas
The last part of the switch to a 3-4 defense that the Bills badly need is a true space-eating nose tackle. Cole Brevard fits that bill to a tee. At 6-foot-3, 336 pounds, the Texas NT can eat up blockers in the middle on early downs.
Brevard is a specialist, which is why he comes off the board at the end of this 2026 NFL Mock Draft. However, he did flash a little more at an earlier college stop at Purdue. In 2024, he was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten with 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
The post Bills’ 2026 NFL Mock Draft for all 7 picks appeared first on ClutchPoints.
