Jacob Rodriguez Emerging as Dark Horse Option for Bills at No. 26

In just a couple of days, the 2026 NFL draft will kick off in Pittsburgh. The Buffalo Bills enter Round 1 with the 26th overall pick and it’s hard to predict exactly what direction they will go.

Several mock drafts, including my own, have Buffalo going for a wide receiver. Others have them targeting a pass rusher. Alex Brasky adds that they’re intent on improving the secondary based on pre-draft visits.

Based on a recent report from Tony Pauline, however, another position could be in play. Pauline says Buffalo has been connected to Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez while doing an “insane amount of work” on linebackers.

”Rodriguez is also being spoken about as a possibility for the Buffalo Bills at the 26th pick. In my prior first-round mock draft, I had Buffalo selecting CJ Allen of Georgia. I’m told that the Bills, who don’t have a selection until pick No. 91 after their choice in the initial frame, have been doing an insane amount of work on the off-ball linebackers,” Pauline writes.

Georgia’s CJ Allen is a player who was mentioned earlier in the draft process as a possible target, but Rodriguez is more of a dark horse option.

Why Jacob Rodriguez makes sense for Bills

Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez asks for more crowd noise during the Big 12 Championship football game. — Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez asks for more crowd noise during the Big 12 Championship football game. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Adding linebackers in Round 1 isn’t always the most popular decision on draft night. That feeling goes away quickly if the linebacker is effective, and Rodriguez could be far more than that.

Rodriguez was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 after racking up 128 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and four interceptions. Even more impressive was the fact that he forced seven fumbles which ties the most all-time in a single season.

His ability to take the ball away is what makes him an ideal fit for the Bills. As good as Buffalo was in 2025, the offense had to work far too hard for every yard they gained. Adding Rodriguez will help them as much as the defense by giving Josh Allen and company more short-field opportunities.

When did Bills last take a WR in Round 1?

Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds looks on during warmups before an AFC divisional round game. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Under general manager Brandon Beane, the Bills have taken a linebacker in Round 1 just once.

That was during the 2018 draft when they selected Tremaine Edmunds at No. 16, which was also the same draft where they took Allen seventh overall.

Edmunds went on to start 74 games in five years with Buffalo. He never had fewer than 100 tackles in a season, which would be the minimum expectation for Rodriguez should he be selected in Round 1.

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