Way too early look at the 2026 draft

[BigAl2526]

I know there are those of you who don't want to think about the draft at all in September.  Hopefully, you didn't even open this thread.  I follow mock drafts all year long.  If you are always interested, like me, this is what I'm seeing. 

 

There could be a bunch of QBs drafted in the first round.  There are up to nine that could go.  I don't think that will happen.  It will be more like 5 to 7.  Presumably, the Bills will be drafting late. hopefully at #32.  If that is the case, there will be a limit to what is available, of course.

 

If you're thinking nose tackle, you can forget it.  There just aren't any.  You might think the Bills could draft Caleb Banks out of Florida, but he's not a nose tackle.  He's actually a lot like Deone Walker.  He could line up anywhere on the line, but he's not the guy you want if you're looking for a guy just to tie up blockers and plug gaps.  If Buffalo drafts a nose tackle, I'm pretty confident it won't be in the first round.

 

Do you want a defensive end?  Depending on who drops, you're looking mostly at big guys who are probably not going to be true edge benders.  Several of them are highly rated based mostly on perceived potential and maybe run defending skills, not big-time sack production.  Dani-Dennis Sutton, LT Overton, Matayo Uiagalelei.  The exception to this list might be David Bailey, often listed as a linebacker.  He is a fast edge bender who is 6'3" and 240 lbs.  

 

Maybe you're thinking a linebacker, if you're thinking the Bills can't depend on Matt Milano to say healthy any more.  There is some variety here.   Anthony Hill Jr has decent size , great speed and has good instincts.  One of the few knocks on him is he can be overaggressive and bite on fakes.  C J Allen is plenty fast and is known as an outstanding run defender.  If you're interested in Tremaine Edmunds 2.0 you might like Sonny Styles.  He's very young, has great speed (sub 4.5) and great size.  He's a former safety who can cover, but he's still fairly new to the linebacker position, so he's still learning.  

 

I think a lot of us think safety is a real position of need for the Bills.  A good possibility might be Dillon Thieneman.  He's very smart, hits hard, has decent size at 6' and 207 lbs.  He has elite speed, running a 4.35 40.

 

So, you want to go offense?  I can't see Buffalo looking at many offensive spots in round one.  There is IMO no chance Buffalo would draft a QB, RB, TE or OT in round 1.  I've seen the argument made that Buffalo could choose not to re-sign Conner McGovern because of cap issues.  If that is what you think, you might be interested in Jake Slaughter from Florida.  The only other position that seems to be any possibility at all is wide receiver.  There are not a lot of possibilities.  Carnell Tate has good size and good speed for his size, which is to say he's not a burner.  Eric Singleton Jr.  is a bit under 6 foot and very fast.  Antonio Williams is the same size as Singleton, but not as fast.  He's still pretty explosive  Then, there is Nyck Harbor, who has Megatron-like measurables (6'5" 235 lbs 4.24 40 - not a typo) but doesn't garner much first round hype.  His production doesn't match his hype, but his technical shortcomings seem like they could be coached up. 

 

Some of these players will get picked before Buffalo has a shot.  Others will drop out of first round consideration while other players rise to take their place, but now, in early fall, this is what I'm seeing.

 

 

[DJB]

This is not the year to go WR its very much a down year and next year has a generational WR in J Smith and elite WR  in R Williams.

 

I also suspect that the Bills want to see what another year for Coleman will do to develop him and we have a lot of $ tied up in Palmer and Samuel. The Samuel contract ends at the end of 2026 and he won’t be back . 
 

The 2027 class is very deep at WR and that’s the time to take another stab at finding an elite #1 guy for Josh. 

[May Day 10]

LB is probably the way to go, unless there is an immediate contributor at S maybe

[NeverOutNick]

5 minutes ago, DJB said:

This is not the year to go WR its very much a down year and next year has a generational WR in J Smith and elite WR  in R Williams.

 

I also suspect that the Bills want to see what another year for Coleman will do to develop him and we have a lot of $ tied up in Palmer and Samuel. The Samuel contract ends at the end of 2026 and he won’t be back . 
 

The 2027 class is very deep at WR and that’s the time to take another stab at finding an elite #1 guy for Josh. 

Every year is a year to take a WR. Maybe not first round but you need to get cheap young good talent to grow with Josh instead of these jag nothings like Samuel and Palmer that we overpay. 

[BigAl2526]

35 minutes ago, DJB said:

This is not the year to go WR its very much a down year and next year has a generational WR in J Smith and elite WR  in R Williams.

 

I also suspect that the Bills want to see what another year for Coleman will do to develop him and we have a lot of $ tied up in Palmer and Samuel. The Samuel contract ends at the end of 2026 and he won’t be back . 
 

The 2027 class is very deep at WR and that’s the time to take another stab at finding an elite #1 guy for Josh. 

I agree with you, but I have to admit I'd be tempted if Nyck Harbor dropped to late in round 2.

[DJB]

1 hour ago, May Day 10 said:

LB is probably the way to go, unless there is an immediate contributor at S maybe

We are pretty solid everywhere with no glaring holes. It’s time we truly take the BPA and load up on talent 

 

 

1 hour ago, NeverOutNick said:

Every year is a year to take a WR. Maybe not first round but you need to get cheap young good talent to grow with Josh instead of these jag nothings like Samuel and Palmer that we overpay. 

But next year the class is super weak so yes more likely to draft a jag than a dude 

 

Plus our WR room is pretty crowded not sure where another rookie fits unless we cut Samuel

 

I just expect Beane will wait on that position another year so we can see how Coleman develops and how Palmer grows in the offense first before taking the plunge again 

 

And listen I’ve been the biggest proponent of getting Josh a #1 WR 

[NeverOutNick]

3 minutes ago, DJB said:

We are pretty solid everywhere with no glaring holes. It’s time we truly take the BPA and load up on talent 

 

 

But next year the class is super weak so yes more likely to draft a jag than a dude 

 

Plus our WR room is pretty crowded not sure where another rookie fits unless we cut Samuel

 

I just expect Beane will wait on that position another year so we can see how Coleman develops and how Palmer grows in the offense first before taking the plunge again 

 

And listen I’ve been the biggest proponent of getting Josh a #1 WR 

I would 100% give up next year‘s first round pick in order to get two first round picks to be able to move up for one of the studs in the 2027 draft but even then I’d still draft a wide receiver next year in the third or fourth round. There are always good receivers in that range. Just need a decent scouting department. Look at Teslaa, Lions traded a few 6th round picks to move up and grab him. 
 

and yes unload Samuel. He’s worthless 

[Thurman#1]

2 hours ago, NeverOutNick said:

Every year is a year to take a WR. Maybe not first round but you need to get cheap young good talent to grow with Josh instead of these jag nothings like Samuel and Palmer that we overpay. 

 

 

We don't "need" young WRs. The group we have now on offense is putting up 34 points per game.

 

I wouldn't mind it. At every position you want to bring in young talent to develop. WR is no exception, but we don't have any special need there.

 

As for overpaying, we are using 12% of our cap this year on WRs. That's cheap. And it seems like a tactic - historically used often by Super Bowl-winning teams to deal with having to pay a top-flight QB - of putting together a top-flight roster on both sides of the ball. One of the benefits of having an elite QB is that he can be effective and productive without expensive WRs. The Chiefs and the Brady-era Pats are the best recent examples, but there are plenty of others.

 

 

1 hour ago, DJB said:

We are pretty solid everywhere with no glaring holes. It’s time we truly take the BPA and load up on talent 

 

 

 

Yeah, this, please.

 

 

Edited September 23 by Thurman#1

[Victory Formation]

It’s such a loaded question at this point that discussing the draft renders it meaningless..

[Sojourner]

2 hours ago, NeverOutNick said:

I would 100% give up next year‘s first round pick in order to get two first round picks to be able to move up for one of the studs in the 2027 draft but even then I’d still draft a wide receiver next year in the third or fourth round. There are always good receivers in that range. Just need a decent scouting department. Look at Teslaa, Lions traded a few 6th round picks to move up and grab him. 
 

and yes unload Samuel. He’s worthless 

Problem becomes where we pick unfortunately. Unless this season goes in the pan, we are in the 29-32 range. 

[GunnerBill]

4 hours ago, NeverOutNick said:

I would 100% give up next year‘s first round pick in order to get two first round picks to be able to move up for one of the studs in the 2027 draft but even then I’d still draft a wide receiver next year in the third or fourth round. There are always good receivers in that range. Just need a decent scouting department. Look at Teslaa, Lions traded a few 6th round picks to move up and grab him. 
 

and yes unload Samuel. He’s worthless 

 

I'm looking. He is still meh. 

[GunnerBill]

My take on the 2026 class (and I really haven't started diving in yet) is it doesn't look a great class at the premium positions - a lot of people love the QBs but that remains to be seen. 

 

Think interior Dline, linebacker, running back will be decent groups with some depth. Agree with the OP there are some edge guys but they aren't really your quick twitch dominant pass rush types. They are your big end 5i types. 

 

There will be receivers but maybe not a ton of top names (possibly similar to 2025). I think the 2027 class not just at receiver but everywhere could be a bit of an all timer. But that is VERY early crystal ball gazing and a lot can happen inbetween times.

[machine gun kelly]

8 hours ago, BigAl2526 said:

I know there are those of you who don't want to think about the draft at all in September.  Hopefully, you didn't even open this thread.  I follow mock drafts all year long.  If you are always interested, like me, this is what I'm seeing. 

 

There could be a bunch of QBs drafted in the first round.  There are up to nine that could go.  I don't think that will happen.  It will be more like 5 to 7.  Presumably, the Bills will be drafting late. hopefully at #32.  If that is the case, there will be a limit to what is available, of course.

 

If you're thinking nose tackle, you can forget it.  There just aren't any.  You might think the Bills could draft Caleb Banks out of Florida, but he's not a nose tackle.  He's actually a lot like Deone Walker.  He could line up anywhere on the line, but he's not the guy you want if you're looking for a guy just to tie up blockers and plug gaps.  If Buffalo drafts a nose tackle, I'm pretty confident it won't be in the first round.

 

Do you want a defensive end?  Depending on who drops, you're looking mostly at big guys who are probably not going to be true edge benders.  Several of them are highly rated based mostly on perceived potential and maybe run defending skills, not big-time sack production.  Dani-Dennis Sutton, LT Overton, Matayo Uiagalelei.  The exception to this list might be David Bailey, often listed as a linebacker.  He is a fast edge bender who is 6'3" and 240 lbs.  

 

Maybe you're thinking a linebacker, if you're thinking the Bills can't depend on Matt Milano to say healthy any more.  There is some variety here.   Anthony Hill Jr has decent size , great speed and has good instincts.  One of the few knocks on him is he can be overaggressive and bite on fakes.  C J Allen is plenty fast and is known as an outstanding run defender.  If you're interested in Tremaine Edmunds 2.0 you might like Sonny Styles.  He's very young, has great speed (sub 4.5) and great size.  He's a former safety who can cover, but he's still fairly new to the linebacker position, so he's still learning.  

 

I think a lot of us think safety is a real position of need for the Bills.  A good possibility might be Dillon Thieneman.  He's very smart, hits hard, has decent size at 6' and 207 lbs.  He has elite speed, running a 4.35 40.

 

So, you want to go offense?  I can't see Buffalo looking at many offensive spots in round one.  There is IMO no chance Buffalo would draft a QB, RB, TE or OT in round 1.  I've seen the argument made that Buffalo could choose not to re-sign Conner McGovern because of cap issues.  If that is what you think, you might be interested in Jake Slaughter from Florida.  The only other position that seems to be any possibility at all is wide receiver.  There are not a lot of possibilities.  Carnell Tate has good size and good speed for his size, which is to say he's not a burner.  Eric Singleton Jr.  is a bit under 6 foot and very fast.  Antonio Williams is the same size as Singleton, but not as fast.  He's still pretty explosive  Then, there is Nyck Harbor, who has Megatron-like measurables (6'5" 235 lbs 4.24 40 - not a typo) but doesn't garner much first round hype.  His production doesn't match his hype, but his technical shortcomings seem like they could be coached up. 

 

Some of these players will get picked before Buffalo has a shot.  Others will drop out of first round consideration while other players rise to take their place, but now, in early fall, this is what I'm seeing.

 

 

Al, I don’t mind taking a peak at a 26 draft with the caveat that so many things change in 8 months.  For me it’s a safety on defense, and a WR on offense.  I believe Beane knows what he has in a top O Line so why mess that up?  There’s always a way to restructure some people to get McGovern a decent salary or heavier signing bonus to keep the salary lower.  The player doesn’t care as long as the $ is competitive.

[Bill from NYC]

Any good corners or safeties?

[GunnerBill]

17 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

Any good corners or safeties?

 

I know you are being facetious but I don't think this looks like being a good corner class, no. Safety looks better but I'd be shocked if the Bills went safety in round 1.

[Bill from NYC]

1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

 Safety looks better but I'd be shocked if the Bills went safety in round 1.

Me too. SO shocked that I might wind up in the hospital to be medicated if such a surprise occurence were to take place. 

[Prospector]

There are a couple kickers that look impressive in this crop… I say do it

[BillsFanForever19]

7 hours ago, NeverOutNick said:

I would 100% give up next year‘s first round pick in order to get two first round picks to be able to move up for one of the studs in the 2027 draft but even then I’d still draft a wide receiver next year in the third or fourth round. There are always good receivers in that range. Just need a decent scouting department. Look at Teslaa, Lions traded a few 6th round picks to move up and grab him. 
 

and yes unload Samuel. He’s worthless 

 

If they're as Generational and Elite as @DJB says, we could give up our 1st in 2026 to get 2 1sts in 2027 - and we still wouldn't get one of them. 

 

We pick at the bottom of the Round every year. And any team that would theoretically give up their 1st in 2027 for our 1st in 2026, isn't going to be the kind of team that could be picking early in '27. It would be another team that like us will be picking at the bottom of the Round.

 

So for example, let's say we end up with something like Pick 25 and Pick 30 in 2027 - that only gets us to about Pick 9 on the Trade Chart. That's not getting you a Generational or Elite talent.

 

The "Generational Talent" WR Prospects, your Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Marvin Harrison Jr., Sammy Watkins, Travis Hunter, AJ Green types go in the Top 4 Picks - often in the Top 2 or 3. Even Elite type talents, like Malik Nabers of recent memory, go before where we'd be able to Trade Up to with 2 Bottom of the 1st picks.

Edited September 23 by BillsFanForever19

[gonzo1105]

I have a preliminary list and have started delving into the Quarterbacks but don’t know which ones will declare. Mine will be quite different than the consensus at this point but a lot of information and the rest of the season to go obviously 

[Jimmy Harris 69]

Santa please bring us a new safety

 

Caleb Downs OSU

6-0205lbs    4.45 speed 

 

Dillon Thieneman Oregon

6-0207lbs 4.35 speed

 

Kamari Ramsey SC

6-0204lbs  4.52speed