Freak Athlete Linebacker is 'Perfect Pick' for Bills in First Round of 2026 NFL Draft

The Buffalo Bills are almost sure to target a linebacker in the upcoming NFL Draft, and there is one player in particular drawing a lot of attention from various analysts who could be a perfect fit for the Bills.

Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez has seen his draft stock steadily rise over the past several months, and while many view him as a second-round pick, he could be in play for the Bills at No. 26 overall in the first round. Rodriguez is a highly athletic player, ranking sixth among linebackers in athleticism score [82] at the NFL Scouting Combine.

While Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams are each returning contributors and are the team's expected starters at this points, FOX Sports’ Rob Rang believes inside linebacker is the Bills’ biggest need entering the draft, and they could fill what he views as a gaping hole with Rodriguez.

“The Bills were buffaloed at the point of attack last season, with not one but two safeties [Cole Bishop and Jordan Poyer] finishing with more tackles than any of the club’s linebackers,” wrote Rang while laying out what he termed the "perfect pick" for Buffalo.

While Rang also added that the 6-foot-1, 230-pound LB would be somewhat of a reach in Round 1, his skill set would deliver a significant, immediate boost for the Bills’ defense.

History at the position

Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez shares a kiss with his wife Emma prior to the Big 12 Conference championship football game, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Beyond Bernard and Williams, the Bills also have Joe Andreessen, Jimmy Ciarlo and Keonta Jenkins as lesser ILB options in first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s new multiple-front defense. However, none of them can change the game the way Rodriguez has proven he can. He finished his final collegiate season with 128 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four interceptions, seven forced fumbles and six passes defensed. All of which were career highs.

The last linebacker Buffalo drafted was Edefuan Ulofoshio in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He has since been released by the Bills and is now a member of the Cleveland Browns. Williams was a 2023 third-round pick, while Bernard was taken in the third round in 2022.

Bills general manager/president of football operations Brandon Beane does not have much of a track record that points to him using a high-value pick at the position. However, if you look back to 2018, Beane traded up for first-round ILB Tremaine Edmunds, who is now with the New York Giants.

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (LB21) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

So, while it hasn’t happened often under Beane, there’s a chance a player of Rodriguez’s caliber will strike Buffalo’s fancy when their selection comes at No. 26 overall. Or perhaps they trade down, out of the first round and still find a way to bring in the 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Either way, it would be worth it to acquire a player who was Pro Football Focus’ top-graded linebacker in 2025, earning a 93.3 overall grade. At this point in their quest toward a Super Bowl, the Bills need star players at key positions. Rodriguez would be just that.

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