Future of Bills' Defensive Question Mark Could Be Decided in NFL Draft

The Buffalo Bills' defensive backfield has undergone major changes this offseason. It began with the team letting veterans like Tre'Davious White, Jordan Poyer and Cam Lewis, among others, test the free-agent market.

Then it was the Bills' turn to be active in free agency. While the team's big signing may have been edge rusher Bradley Chubb, Buffalo added a pair of high-pedigree safeties to fill the void at the position across from Cole Bishop in 2026.

Still, Buffalo could use long-term options at safety to help them defend against the AFC's top quarterbacks, like Patrick Mahomes and Drake Maye, in the coming years. The later rounds of April's NFL draft could be where they find their remedy.

State of safety room

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"The Bills added Geno Stone and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency. That's definitely enough to give them enough at the position alongside Cole Bishop and Damar Hamlin this season," Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine wrote.

However, all three were signed to one-year contracts. As a result, Hamlin, who has started 30 games for the Bills, Gardner-Johnson, whose infectious personality highlights a culture change in the locker room, and Stone, who has intercepted 13 passes over the past three seasons, need a backup plan behind them that will extend into 2026 and beyond.

Despite Buffalo selecting the versatile Jordan Hancock in 2025, the Bills could use one of their later draft picks to select a safety to serve as that long-term option, and Ballentine highlighted three prospects who could fit Buffalo's situation.

Three prospects Bills could welcome

Sep 27, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Kewan Lacy (5) runs the ball as LSU Tigers safety A.J. Haulcy (13) attempts to make the tackle during the fourth quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

After their first-round selection, the Bills do not pick again until pick No. 91, having traded their second-round pick to the Chicago Bears for wide receiver DJ Moore. That pick could present an opportunity to select LSU's A.J. Haulcy if he is still available.

The Bills hosted a top-30 visit with Haulcy in March. He tallied 88 tackles, a forced fumble, three interceptions and four passes defensed in 2025.

Another option at that spot is South Carolina's Jalon Kilgore, who led the SEC with five interceptions in 2024.

"He has the size, athleticism, and speed to transition right away and make an impact while adding length to disrupt the catch point," Bleacher Report scout Daniel Harms wrote in his scouting report of Kilgore.

However, Ballentine sees someone else as the best possible fit for Buffalo. "Ultimately, Jakobe Thomas might be the perfect blend of value and fit," Ballentine wrote.

"Jakobe Thomas is constantly delivering big hits, triggering downhill with force and a physical click and close ability. The aggressive mindset shows up in multiple phases in his game and contributes to his added impact as a blitzer and a box safety," Harms wrote about the Miami product.

Whoever joins Buffalo would likely see significant time on special teams, much like Hancock did as a rookie, when he played 42.4% of special teams snaps, the eighth-highest share on the Bills. The draft pick would then adjust to a full-time starting safety role in 2026.