Draft Coverage

'All I needed was a foot in the door' | 3 things to know about Bills NFL Draft pick safety Jalon Kilgore

Apr 25, 2026 at 04:40 PM

Sydney Ciano

Seasonal writing associate

The Buffalo Bills selected safety Jalon Kilgore in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, No. 167 overall.

Here are three things to know about Kilgore before he gets to Buffalo:

1. Kilgore brings a versatile skill set to the Bills

General manager Brandon Beane emphasized on Friday that the incoming rookies will be important depth pieces, competition for backup and starting roles and special teams players as well. The South Carolina product has experience playing nickel on defense and as a punt returner on special teams.

Kilgore brings three seasons of punt return experience. While his special teams role limited as a sophomore and junior due to a more prominent role on defense, he appeared in that third phase of the game in 36 matchups over his career. Kilgore averaged 6.2 yards per return in that time on 12 career returns.

"Putting me out there in the fire, going to make a play and on special teams, that just boosts the win percentages," Kilgore said. "So, if that's another role they need me to play, then I'm willing to do that as well."

On defense, he registered 178 tackles over his career, 21 pass deflections, eight interceptions (including a five-interception season in 2024, which led the SEC), 4.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. His production earned him a team captain title in 2025 as well as a Second-Team All-SEC selection that same season.

His athleticism and toughness are evident as tackler. Kilgore is someone who rarely gets beat, and his starting experience (33 games) proves that he can show up in big moments as well.

"Violent," Kilgore described as his play style. "I attack the ball … I tackle people … I get people on the ground … I hustle the ball violently. That's what I would like to say my style of defense is."

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2. Draft projections didn't matter, Kilgore is ready to be a Buffalo Bill

Kilgore was ranked the No. 8 safety in the draft class and was projected to be a third-round pick, per The Athletic's Dane Brugler. Those predictions – or even expectations – didn't matter to the former Gamecock, though. All he wanted was a foot in the door, and Buffalo gave him just that.

"The earliest was going to be the best team that I'd be on," was Kilgore's mindset. "I waited my time … fifth-round, 167 by the Bills; and that was my dream, and that's my goal. I'm going to take it and that's all I needed was a foot in the door."

When he met with the Bills for a private workout, Kilgore knew they had him pegged as competition to be a top safety on the roster. Being pushed to his potential and playing football is all that matters to him.

"Ready to compete and win," Kilgore said. "That's definitely an organization I'm ready to be a part of."

Kilgore added that he's ready to be a gamechanger for the Bills, and "mold with the team" while doing so. Meshing in with the team and building his character to fit who a Buffalo Bill is – that's what lies ahead for Kilgore.

3. How the SEC molded Kilgore

Kilgore feels ready to play for a winning team, and he thanks the SEC for preparing him to do so.

"It's the best type of ball. College ball is the closest thing to the league … my goal has always been [to] make it to the NFL, no matter how I got there," Kilgore said of the SEC.

"Just being able to play in the SEC [defense] and being effective and being a starter for all three years, I [felt] like it [developed] me very well going into the league."

The safety also overlapped with a 2025 NFL Draft pick at South Carolina as well, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders. In 2023 and 2024, the two defenders played for the Gamecocks before Sanders left for the NFL.

"[Sanders] was my dog. He took me up under his wing my first year," Kilgore said. "He always knew I was a good player. Always talk trash back to each other, just jokingly and stuff. So, it's going to be good just to team back up with him again."

He also learned a lot about the Bills from Sanders. Kilgore said the defensive tackle explained how thorough and detailed Buffalo is, and how everyone is there to play football and win together.

"I'm willing to be a part of that," Kilgore said.