The Buffalo Bills' 2026 NFL Draft guide is here to get you ready for the upcoming annual selection meeting. Ahead of this crucial week, let’s look at the Bills’ draft pick, their biggest needs, potential targets, and their recent draft history. The draft is in Pittsburgh, PA, this year, with the Round 1 kicking off on Thursday, April 23. Rounds 2 and 3 happen on Friday, April 24, and the festivities wrap up with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 25.
Bills’ 2026 NFL Draft picks
The Bills are without their second-round pick right now due to the D.J. Moore trade, meaning they will only pick twice (as of now) on the first two days. However, Brandon Beane is notorious for wheeling and dealing his way around the draft board, so don’t be surprised if Buffalo trades back, out of Round 1, to acquire more draft capital.
- Round 1, Pick 26
- Round 3, Pick 91
- Round 4, Pick 126
- Round 5, Pick 165
- Round 5, Pick 168
- Round 6, Pick 182
- Round 7, Pick 220
Bills' 2026 NFL Draft needs and targets
EDGE: The Bills still have Gregory Rousseau and brought in (yet another) aging pass rusher in Bradley Beal, but neither of these guys is the young, speed-rusher type who could set up Jim Leonhard’s defense for success for years to come.
Buffalo could address this need in Round 1 or even try to trade back into early Round 2 for a player who fits this need. Names to watch here are Cashius Howell (Texas A&M), Zion Young (Missouri), or Malachi Lawrence (UCF) in that late-first, early second range.
WR: Bringing in D.J. Moore doesn’t mean the Bills are done addressing their wide receiver issues. That position group still lacks big-time playmakers, so taking one in the 2026 NFL Draft seems like it is going to happen.
As with EDGE, WR is a possibility in Round 1 or early Round 2 with a trade back. KC Concepcion (Texas A&M), Denzel Boston (Washington), and Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana) are the players likely available in this range. If Beane wants to wait, he’ll have to take a chance on a deep sleeper, as this class is not that great. Zachariah Branch (Georgia) or Jeff Caldwell (Cincinnati) are worthy lottery tickets, though.
LB: Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams may not be the best fit at middle linebacker for Jim Leonhard’s defense. The new Bills DC needs more aggressive, downhill players who can plug gaps and blitz the quarterback. C.J. Allen (Georgia) is a name to watch early, or the Bills could stay local and go with Buffalo’s Red Murdock late.
DT: The Bills actually have a surplus of DTs who can play DE in Leonhard’s system. What they are missing, though, is a true, space-eating nose tackle. Kayden McDonald from Ohio State is the best of the bunch and could be available at 26, as could Lee Hunter (Texas Tech) or Christen Miller (Georgia). Dominique Orange (Iowa State) and Dontay Corleone (Cincinnati) are later-round targets.
Recent draft history — top picks for the last five years
2025: CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky (Rd 1, pick 30)
2024: WR Keon Coleman, Florida State (2/33)
2023: TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah (1/25)
2022: CB Kaiir Elam, Florida (1/23)
2021: EDGE Gregory Rousseau, Miami (1/30)
2020: EDGE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa (2/54)
Bills Mafia may be handwringing over the fact that the team doesn’t have its second-round pick this year, but the truth is, Brandon Beane has done much better drafting in the later rounds than the earlier ones. The group above has just one Pro Bowl between them, and that is from Kincaid, who was a late replacement for Travis Kelce last season.
Of the players above, Kincaid and Rousseau are solid starters, as was Epenesa, although he wasn’t re-signed this offseason. Elam is a certified bust, and the jury is still out on Coleman and Hairston, who are trending in the wrong direction due to effort and injury, respectively.
The good news here is that Beane has plenty of Saturday picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. The general manager’s hit rate has been much better at that point over the last half-decade. Current or recent Bills picked in Round 4 and later include Gabe Davis, Dane Jackson, Damar Hamlin, Khalil Shakir, Christian Benford, Ray Davis, and Deone Walker.
