Setting Expectations for 10 Bills Rookies After Mandatory Minicamp

With the Buffalo Bills having completed their offseason workout program, the next stop for the team’s 2026 rookie class will be training camp.

Before the team sets off for St. John Fisher University in mid-July, it will be important for each member of the team’s draft class to set their own expectations entering Year 1 in the NFL.

For players like second-round edge rusher T.J. Parker, selected with the No. 35 overall pick, their path to playing time may be simple. However, for others such as second-round cornerback Davison Igbinosun, the road to a contributing role may not be as clear.

Buffalo traded up to select Igbinosun with the 62nd overall pick, but he is set to enter training camp in competition for a starting role. If he fails to come out on top of the upcoming positional battle, he would join several other first-year players who will enter their professional careers as reserves.

T.J. Parker, edge rusher

Parker is the only player who the Bills drafted this year that has a direct road to earning at least a rotational role on the Bills’ defensive line. Buffalo brought in free agent Bradley Chubb to join 2025 leading sack-getter Greg Rousseau in the starting lineup. Still, the Bills will need more than two defenders to power their pass rush, which is expected to be much improved in 2026.

Parker recorded 21.5 sacks over three years at the college level, including a career-high 11 sacks in 2024. A fair expectation for him this season, as I wrote previously, is four to five sacks.

Davison Igbinosun, cornerback

As mentioned already, Igbinosun will compete for a starting job this season, but it’s all but guaranteed as 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston will square off with the rookie in what’s being billed as a true competition for a first-team role. Igbinosun enjoyed a successful career with Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes win a national championship in 2024.

This past season, he recorded a Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 79.9, which was 94th among 896 graded players at the position, while recording a couple of interceptions. If his physical style of play translates during training camp, he could beat out Hairston. Otherwise, I think a reasonable standard to set for the rookie's role is as a spot starter in case of injury, similar to how 2025 sixth-round pick Dorian Strong began his career.

Jude Bowry, offensive lineman

Bowry is the only member of the Bills’ 2026 draft class to remain unsigned after mandatory minicamp, which ran from June 9-10 in Orchard Park. The reason why he hasn’t inked a deal remains unclear, but that hasn’t kept the rookie away from the team’s practice facility this offseason.

The 6-foot-5, 314-pounder was a questionable selection at the top of the fourth round, and it’s unclear what the Bills are expecting out of him early in his development. Buffalo lost swing tackle Ryan Van Demark after he signed an offer sheet worth $4.2 million with the Minnesota Vikings, then officially joined the team on Mar. 20.

Buffalo has a few other irons in the fire at the tackle position, including 2025 sixth-round pick Chase Lundt and 2024 fifth-round pick Tylan Grable. Right now, it appears Bowry has some ways to go before leapfrogging those two players in the pecking order. One should expect very little from Bowry in Year 1. If he’s on the field, something has gone wrong with the Bills’ offensive line.

Skyler Bell, wide receiver

Bell shined during OTAs before he was sidelined due to a reported injury throughout mandatory minicamp. The first-year wide receiver ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash while recording an athleticism score of 85 at the NFL Scouting Combine, which ranked fifth among wide receivers, according to Next Gen Stats.

There is a lot to like about Bell’s game, but the Bills have veterans Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer returning in 2026, which could create a logjam for targets for the first-year pro. This is one of the more intriguing training camp competitions to watch. I think Bell will finish the year with anywhere from 30-40 receptions for 500 yards and a couple of touchdowns, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the 5-foot-11,192-pound target exceeds expectations.

Kaleb Elarms-Orr, linebacker

Aside from Parker, it appears as if, at this point of the offseason, that Elarms-Orr has the best chance among the other Bills rookies to earn a spot on defense in his first year in the NFL. That’s largely due to an injury sustained by his primary competition for the role, veteran Dorian Williams, who was missing in action throughout the team’s offseason program.

In Williams absence, the Bills have been getting Elarms-Orr prepared for a big-time jump, which he should be able to make based on his track record as an exceptional athlete. Elarms-Orr’s RAS score of 9.92 ranked 26th out of 3,215 linebackers from 1987 to 2026, per RAS.football.

I think that, with Williams remaining sidelined at this point, Elarms-Orr is trending toward finishing training camp alongside incumbent starter Terrel Bernard on the team’s depth chart at inside linebacker. It’s no guarantee, but I think he will win the job over Williams.

Jalon Kilgore, safety

The Bills added veteran free agents C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone while also re-signing Damar Hamlin this offseason, which likely leaves Kilgore on the outside looking in at a role on defense this year. However, he could become a key piece on special teams, including as a punt returner, where he recorded 12 returns during his collegiate career.

The Bills finished 29th in the league in punt return average [6.5 yards per return] last season and will likely turn over every stone in hopes of improving that mark in 2026. If Kilgore isn’t the answer, then he will be among those considered to fill other spots elsewhere on special teams, including on punt and kick coverage.

Zane Durant, defensive tackle

Much like Bowry, Durant’s selection didn’t make much sense considering the Bills have players aligned with his skillset already on the roster. Ed Oliver and 2025 second-rounder T.J. Sanders are first up in the rotation for snaps at DT, while other players vying for opportunities include last year’s third-round pick, Landon Jackson, who is shifting inside to a 4i technique this season.

It doesn’t appear as if Durant will have much opportunity to impact the game defensively this season. Anything he produces should be considered an unexpected bonus.

Toriano Pride Jr., cornerback

Pride Jr. is a developmental piece drafted in the seventh round that likely has a ways to go before earning ample snaps. With that said, it’s not unheard of for Bills late-round picks to rise in the ranks quicker than anticipated, as former sixth-round pick Christian Benford has proven throughout the course of his career.

Don’t expect much out of Pride Jr. unless the team is besieged by injuries. Even so, Buffalo may decide to seek a boost on the free-agent market rather than throw their rookie into the fire.

Tommy Doman Jr., punter

Joining Elarms-Orr, Doman Jr. has a realistic chance to finish training camp as a starter. Mitch Wishnowsky was solid, but not otherworldly in 2025 and Doman Jr., who finished his final collegiate season with 19 of his 50 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, should be given every opportunity to win the spot.

I think he will. The Bills will lean fully into their new youth movement and name Doman Jr. the starter before the beginning of the preseason.

Ar’maj Reed-Adams, offensive lineman

Nothing to see here. Ar’maj Reed-Adams is practice-squad material at best and it wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t make the team at all.

That’s just the nature of the beast when it comes to seventh-round offensive lineman. He will have to really shine during training camp in order to land with the Bills entering Week 1.

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