Bills Urged to Trade For Run-Stuffing DT With Ties to Jim Leonhard

The Buffalo Bills could look to Jim Leonhard’s former team to shore up their run defense.

Denver Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones warms up before a game against the Buffalo Bills. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Much has been made of the Buffalo Bills need for help at wide receiver and on the edge.

These spots were tabbed as the biggest weaknesses entering free agency, and general manager Brandon Beane agreed. That’s why he traded for wide receiver D.J. Moore and signed former Miami Dolphins EDGE Bradley Chubb.

While those additions take care of the most glaring holes, the Bills still have other areas that need attention. That includes defensive tackle, where DaQuan Jones is a free agent and hasn’t been re-signed.

Buffalo could fill this void by looking to a player Jim Leonhard knows well, D.J. Jones. The current Denver Broncos defensive tackle was named a potential trade target for Buffalo by Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton.

Moton believes Jones’ familiarity with the scheme would help Leonhard, while also offering Jones the chance to play more than he has in Denver.

”New Bills head coach Joe Brady hired defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who was the defensive pass game coordinator on the Denver Broncos' staff under Sean Payton over the last two years. He may be able to convince the Bills that D.J. Jones is worth acquiring to strengthen the run defense,” Moton wrote.

“Although Jones only played 40 percent of the defensive snaps during the previous term, he logged 39 tackles (four for loss) and three sacks, missing just three tackles all year. In Buffalo, Jones could play in an expanded role as the leader of a young interior group that shows a little more resistance against ground attacks.“

Adding D.J. Jones could turn DT into a strength for Bills

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker reacts after a play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Buffalo was forward-thinking in the 2025 NFL draft, selecting two defensive tackles. They took T.J. Sanders out of South Carolina in the second round and Deone Walker from Kentucky in the fourth.

Sanders struggled as a rookie, which could be attributed to injury. He was also moved to the defensive end spot as the Bills tried to find the right fit. Buffalo isn’t ready to give up on Sanders and the change at defensive coordinator could be beneficial for him.

Walker, on the other hand, excelled during his first season. He proved he can slow down the opposing team’s ground game and was also a capable pass rusher from the interior.

There’s also Ed Oliver, who is a game-changer when healthy. That said, the interior could become a strength for the Bills by adding Jones, and it wouldn’t likely require much compensation should Denver be open to a trade.

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