Buffalo Bills' Biggest Draft Needs and Most Likely Picks in Rounds 2 and 3

With the Buffalo Bills trading out of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they have now set themselves up with nine selections over the final two days of the draft, including a couple of picks on Day 2.

While it was disappointing to see the Bills pass on a number of opportunities to select potential contributors in the first round, several quality targets remain scattered throughout the draft board in the second and third rounds. Buffalo’s top needs remain edge rusher, linebacker, cornerback and wide receiver, not necessarily in that order, and here are the players they’re most likely to select when they are put on the clock, beginning in Round 2.

Top-tier edge rusher

Before the start of the draft, my top choice for the Bills based on fit and draft projection was Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell. And he remains available with the second round still yet to begin.

Howell would be a prime prospect for the Bills to hone in on at the top of the round, whether it be a trade to move up a few slots and secure him, or wait for him to continue to drop to Buffalo’s second-rounder at No. 35 overall. However, it would be quite a shame if the Bills don’t pounce and they miss out on the freak athlete edge rusher.

Run-stuffing linebacker

If they do fail to land Howell’s services, the next place to turn should be linebacker, where Georgia’s CJ Allen is still on the board. Allen’s ceiling at inside linebacker isn’t quite as high as that of the Texas A&M EDGE. Still, he is a high-level prospect who proved to be a strong run defender during his collegiate career.

Buffalo last drafted a linebacker two years ago, when they took Edefuan Ulofoshio in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. If they don’t pick Howell in the second round on Friday, selecting Allen would be a good pivot.

Support at cornerback

I believe the best spot for the Bills to target a cornerback is in the third round, where Texas’ Malik Muhammad should remain available for Buffalo at pick No. 66. The Bills are bereft of cornerback depth, and Muhammad’s selection would deliver a boost to an area of significant need.

Maxwell Hairston is expected to start opposite Christian Benford, a year after the Bills drafted Hairston in the first round of the 2025 draft. Hairston started only three games for Buffalo during an injury-plagued rookie season that ended with him on the sideline. If Buffalo brings in Muhammad in Round 3, they would have another capable boundary cornerback to add to the mix.

Boosting wide receiver room

I thought there was a slight chance the Bills would be aggressive in moving up near the start of the first round to attack a game-breaking wide receiver. But now that they’ve decided to lie in wait while adding draft capital, part of my final draft projection could still come true.

I previously predicted that the Bills would trade out of Round 1 before pulling the trigger on selecting Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell in the third round, and the way things look entering Day 2, I’m sticking with what I explained in my mock draft. Bell’s production increased each year of his collegiate career, and his presence would help improve Buffalo’s much-maligned pass-catching corps.

After pick No. 66, the Bills have seven other selections, including four fourth-rounders (101, 125, 126), two in the fifth round (167, 168), a sixth-rounder (182) and a seventh-round pick at 220.

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