No. 26 – WR Denzel Boston, Washington
It seems too easy. A WR to satisfy not just a team need and an elite QB, but a most invested fan base? Sounds good to me.
No. 26 – EDGE/OLB Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
Buffalo has several pressing needs with pass rusher and wide receiver ranking among them. With their first pick, they take an impact edge player who will help bolster new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard's front. The 6-2, 249-pound Thomas is explosive, athletic and strong. He also brings good versatility, which will enable him to move around and capitalize on mismatches. — Mike Jones
No. 26 – WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
The Bills add a player with a wide catch radius to complement Khalil Shakir at receiver. Fields was excellent all week long at the Senior Bowl.
No. 26 – WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
Cooper looked better and better as his college football career progressed, culminating in an 87.4 PFF overall grade in his final season at Indiana. He averaged 2.55 yards per route run and dropped just 4.2% of the catchable passes thrown his way in 2025. He could be the perfect fit for a Bills offense still searching for a No. 1 wide receiver for quarterback Josh Allen.
No. 26 – WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
Thinking back to the best versions of Buffalo, yes, they had a downfield threat like Stefon Diggs, but they also had a slot merchant like Cole Beasley. Omar Cooper Jr. is not afraid of contact and is also capable of creating yards after the catch.
No. 26 – LB Jake Golday, Cincinnati
The Buffalo Bills are in desperate need of upgraded linebacker play. Sonny Styles and CJ Allen are already off the board, but Jake Golday deserves some first-round love, too. Golday was a tackling machine for the Bearcats throughout 2025, notching 104 takedowns.
No. 26 – S Emmanuel McNiel-Warren, Toledo
Safety: The Bills still have Taylor Rapp under contract for another year, but he's coming off a season-ending injury and had not played up to expectations prior to getting hurt. Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Oregon's Dillon Thieneman would both be good fits in Rapp's role, so Buffalo might look to bring in competition for Rapp before the job officially opens.
No. 26 – DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
Buffalo finished the regular season ranked 28th in in rushing yards allowed (136.2 per game) and surrendered a league-high rushing 24 touchdowns. Hunter is a wide-bodied run plugger with impressive quickness and agility. Reinforcing the Bills' current front with both Hunter and a healthy Ed Oliver would drastically stiffen the run defense.
No. 26 – DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Enter the 6-foot-3, 326-pound McDonald, who majors in stuffing the ground game.
No. 26 – DT Peter Woods, Clemson
Woods is a polarizing evaluation for scouts. He's an explosive, twitchy, powerful defensive tackle with natural disruption skills. But there's a worry about his shorter frame/arms, and his skill set did not often lead to production (only five sacks in three college seasons). I'll bet on the athletic upside of Woods, who occasionally played fullback -- he even scored a touchdown against Boston College last season. He's an urgent and sudden player who can impact both a pass rush and run defense. The Bills need a ton of the latter after allowing the third-most yards per rush in 2025 (5.1).
No. 26 – WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
Notre Dame's Malachi Fields is on an upward trajectory as the incoming draft class barrels toward the 2026 NFL combine. Fields was the best player on the field during Senior Bowl week and finally showed how dangerous he can be as an all-around target.
