Brandon Beane May Have Tipped Bills’ Hand During Draft Interview

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane might have let the positions he's targeting in the 2026 NFL draft slip.

Brandon Beane, general manager of the Buffalo Bills, heads off the field at the end of practice at training camp. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills were active on the first night of the 2026 NFL draft, even though they didn't make a selection.

They entered the draft with the 26th overall pick, and then traded back to No. 28. From there, they traded again to No. 31. Shockingly, they weren't done as general manager Brandon Beane pulled off a third trade, leaving Round 1 completely.

Beane's track record when trading out of Round 1 isn't great, which left fans frustrated. They were also annoyed that the Bills ignored players such as Omar Cooper Jr. and Peter Woods, who would have filled positions of need. Perhaps they can take some solace in knowing those players might not have been on their radar.

While Beane hasn't confirmed which positions he's prioritized, he might have tipped his hand in an interview with Matthew Bove before the draft. When Bove asked Beane about pass rushers, Beane said there were players available who could help. He then brought up inside linebackers and safeties without being asked.

"I do think there's some guys. I think there's some depth there starting in round one and kind of moving down. So we'll see how that falls, but I think there could be some opportunities for us in this draft I can't tell you which round necessarily. We have to see how it falls," Beane said.

"But I do think there's depth there. You know, we're talking, I think there's some inside backers too this year. Some years that can be a thinner class. I would say that's a deeper class. There's some safeties in this class as well."

Which players could the Bills target in Round 2 and Round 3?

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker CJ Allen in action against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Buffalo will be on the clock at No. 35 in Round 2 and No. 66 in Round 3, which will allow them to target some promising players. If we look at safety and inside linebacker, the list of targets could include the following players:

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU
Treydan Sukes, S, Arizona
Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina

Buffalo added multiple safeties this offseason

Cincinnati Bengals safety Geno Stone looks on before the game against the Denver Broncos. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Bills have already made investments in the safety position this offseason, signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Geno Stone. They also saw Cole Bishop grow into his role during his second season in the league.

Buffalo's new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has clearly made it a priority to get better on the back end of the secondary, and Beane might have hinted that he will continue to give him weapons.

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