Five Hidden Gems for Bills to Target in 2026 NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is nearly upon us, and the Buffalo Bills’ possibilities are endless.

Buffalo holds the No. 26 overall pick in the first round and could kick off their draft slate by selecting a player at any number of positions. The options for the Bills with their top pick have been discussed ad nauseam, but what about the hidden gems that could be found later on?

With only seven selections in this year’s draft, the Bills must make the most out of their six picks on Days 2 and 3 if they hope to come away with an impactful haul of players. Five players stand out as hidden gems for Buffalo to target after the first round is through.

Jalen Farmer | Kentucky OL

Farmer is projected to be drafted in the third or fourth round and would be a nice fit for the Bills to bolster their interior offensive line. The 6-foot-5, 312-pound force earned a solid Pro Football Focus grade in both run blocking [67.4] and pass blocking [72.4] during his final season with the Wildcats, when he allowed just three sacks and 14 total pressures in 12 games.

The Bills need a replacement for former guard David Edwards, and Farmer could join the competition for the starting role left vacant following Edwards’ departure.

Diego Pounds | Ole Miss OL

Pounds could help alleviate the Bills’ concerns at the swing tackle position, as the loss of Ryan Van Demark has created a void in Buffalo’s offensive line room that must be addressed before Week 1. A few of the Bills’ recent draft picks, Tylan Grable and Chase Lundt, are in the running for that role, but adding another youthful prospect to the mix wouldn’t hurt.

Pounds stands 6-foot-6, weighing 325 pounds and carries plenty of collegiate experience, appearing in 45 games throughout his four-year career, which included stops at North Carolina and Ole Miss. The former Rebels OL is projected as a fourth- to sixth-round pick.

Cole Wisniewski | Texas Tech S

Cole Wiśniewski — Texas Tech Red Raiders safety Cole Wisniewski (5) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Wisniewski is coming off a solid season with the Red Raiders in which he recorded 78 tackles, six of which came for a loss, along with a sack, two forced fumbles and six passes defensed. Measuring 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, the former linebacker would be a nice player for the Bills’ first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard to plug into his attack-style defense.

Wisniewski projects anywhere from a fourth- to seventh-round pick. If he falls into the later rounds, that would make it hard for the Bills to pass up on the former FCS All-American.

TJ Hall | Iowa CB

Hall is slotted as a Day 3 selection in many mock drafts and would be a quality option for the Bills to bring in depth at a position that is lacking numbers at this point in the offseason.

The 6-foot-1, 189-pound defender ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, making him a questionable fit as a cover cornerback. However, he is regarded as a strong run defender, which could make him a candidate to back up the Bills’ new nickel cornerback Dee Alford, who was acquired in free agency to replace Taron Johnson.

Brandon Cleveland | NC State DL

Cleveland is a solid late-round target for Buffalo, as the 6-foot-3, 307-pound defensive lineman should be available on Day 3. Cleveland is coming off a career-best season with the Wolfpack in 2025, during which he recorded 36 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks.

The Bills selected interior defensive linemen T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker in last year’s draft, but are looking for more to bolster a unit that struggled to stop the run a season ago. Cleveland performed well as a run defender last season, earning a 75.4 PFF grade in that department.

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