The Buffalo Bills jettisoned a lot of longtime veterans this offseason, traded for D.J. Moore, and brought in a few players in NFL free agency. With a team up against the cap, though, they will mostly have to improve through the draft. So, which rookies will help open the new Highmark Stadium in September? We asked the PFF 2026 NFL Mock Draft simulator what the Bills may do in April, and here’s what it came back with.
Round 1, Pick 26: EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
The idea of getting an edge rusher is not a unique one. The latest ClutchPoints 2026 NFL Mock Draft has the team taking Texas A&M pass rusher Cashius Howell. What makes this pick a little different is that it is Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker, which makes total sense with what Brandon Beane has done in the past.
The reason we took Howell in our mock draft is that the Bills do not—and have not for a long time—have a speed rushing component to the defensive line. Players that Beane has drafted, like Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa, are big, powerful defensive ends, and rushers he’s brought in, like Bradley Chubb this offseason, are also usually power-based.
Parker fits the Beane mold well. He is a solidly built 6-foot-4, 263-pound with a lot of power in his game. His get-off is just average, though, which could limit his effectiveness, especially against stronger tackles.
Lots of draft gurus have a problem with the fact that Parker’s sack totals dropped from 11.0 to 5.0 last season, but that seems like a function of Clemson’s overall slide. The bigger problem with the Parker pick for the Bills is that is the same old selection Beane has been making for years without great results.
Round 3, Pick 91: CB Malik Muhammad, Texas
With the Bills’ second-round pick now in the Chicago Bears’ possession, it’s going to be a long wait for Bills Mafia between picks 26 and 91. And when the team does pick for a second time, there will be a lot of talent off the board.
The 2026 NFL Draft quarterback class does have some good depth, though, so taking one here makes sense. Christian Benford is a solid CB1, but 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Harrison can’t stay healthy.
Malik Muhammad has decent size (6 feet, 182 pounds), decent speed (4.42 40), and decent production (97 tackles, three interceptions, 16 passes defended in three years at Texas). He’ll be a valuable depth piece this season with all the tools needed to develop into a reliable CB2 down the line.
Round 4, Pick 126: DT DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
Another Clemson defensive lineman heads to the Bills in this PFF 2026 NFL Mock Draft simulator run, with DeMonte Capehart going to Buffalo. Capehart is a 6-foot-4, 313-pound run-stuffer who can play on the interior of the line on early downs. He’s not a true nose tackle, which the team still needs, but as a rotational DE in Jim Leonhard’s new 3-4 defense, he will get playing time.
With so few picks in the draft, a pick like Capehart is a smart move for Beane and the Bills. He is a specialist who will immediately find a role in the NFL, and that’s a good deal in Round 4.
Round 5, Pick 165: OT Diego Pounds, Ole Miss
This pick is a one-for-one replacement for Ryan Van Demark, whom the Bills lost to the Minnesota Vikings in NFL free agency. Diego Pounds is a 6-foot-6, 325-pound lineman who projects as a swing tackle at the next level. Buffalo needs to add this kind of depth to the position group, so Pounds makes perfect sense here.
Round 5, Pick 168: RB Demond Clairborne, Wake Forest
The Bills let fullback Reggie Gilliam walk in NFL free agency, which means that Joe Brady’s offense—now free of Sean McDermott’s shackles—will probably rely on more one-back or multiple halfback looks this season.
With James Cook, Ray Davis, Ty Johnson, and Frank Gore Jr. already on the roster, Beane will look to diversify the group of powerful backs behind Cooks. Demond Claiborne is a 4.37 40 home run threat, the likes of which the Bills don’t already have. He can be a nice change-of-pace and help in the return game as well.
Round 7, Pick 220: LB Red Murdock, Buffalo
Lastly, the PFF 2026 NFL Mock Draft simulator gives the Bills a hometown selection with UB linebacker Red Murdock. Right now, he can be a core special teams player, but with 39.5 tackles for a loss and a college football record 17 forced fumbles in three seasons, he could develop into a more athletic version of his former teammate (and Bills Mafia fan favorite), “Buffalo” Joe Andreesen.
