Buffalo Bills' Top 25 Players of 2026: OLB Bradley Chubb

As the team enjoys its summer break, Bills On SI will unveil its Top 25 Player Rankings (based upon expected impact) for the 2026 season. The ranking methodology is based on positional value, past performance and expectations for any player. New Bill Bradley Chubb's presence on the edge lands him at No. 9.

The Buffalo Bills didn't make many splashes in free agency in 2026. However, one splash they did make was to acquire edge rusher Bradley Chubb from the division rival Miami Dolphins, inking him to a three-year, $43.5 million contract with a desire to win big.

Chubb's production backs up the price tag, as he has recorded at least eight sacks in the last three seasons he played in (he missed all of 2024 with a torn ACL) and led the NFL with six forced fumbles in 2023.

The fact that Chubb had 8.5 sacks last season is impressive considering he was on a bad team and hadn't played a game since New Year's Eve 2023 due to his knee injury, which also included a torn MCL, meniscus and patellar tendon.

That wasn't the first time Chubb had dealt with a major injury, as he suffered a torn ACL in Week 4 of 2019 in the other knee. It's an issue Buffalo will have to be cautious of, but since it went out and got him, they believe the positives outweigh the negatives.

Bradley Chubb's 2025 season

Bryce Young saw Bradley Chubb coming, and just dropped the ball.

#Dolphins recover the fumble.

pic.twitter.com/3DgNjCcVq6
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 5, 2025

The 30-year-old Chubb led the Dolphins in sacks in 2025 with his aforementioned total of 8.5. He also led the team with 20 quarterback hits and added 47 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles.

Chubb was graded poorly by Pro Football Focus in 2025, as his 54.5 overall grade ranked 100th out of 115 qualified edge rushers, but there's more to that than meets the eye when looking at that.

The two-time Pro Bowler is a consistent presence on the field, as his 766 snaps last season rank 14th out of 206 edge defenders. Even if he isn't producing, he's always drawing the attention of offensive linemen in the run and pass games.

Chubb is also familiar with new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who, in the last two seasons in Denver, served as secondary coach under Vance Joseph, Chubb's head coach in 2018 with the Broncos. With this, Chubb will likely need little time to adjust.

An veteran presence on the edge

Jun 9, 2026; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb (9) trains during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Buffalo made Chubb the longest-tenured player on its defense by signing him, and his experience is already paying dividends in the locker room. He got second-round rookie T.J. Parker to join him in his training ahead of training camp in late July.

"I asked him where he was training at. I knew I was going to go back to Clemson to train and he was like, ‘Man, come with me,'" Parker said of Chubb.

The rest of the outside linebacker room is full of relatively younger players, most notably Greg Rousseau (26), Michael Hoecht (28) and Mike Danna (28), which makes Chubb's experience that much more valuable.

On a unit that lost two of its most venerable players in Matt Milano and Tre'Davious White, the addition of Chubb to set an example for Buffalo's defense will be one of the most critical aspects of the team's chemistry in 2026.

The rest of the Top 25 so far:

25. RB Ty Johnson, June 16
24. CB Maxwell Hairston, June 17
23. K Tyler Bass, June 18
22. CB Dee Alford, June 19
21. LB Dorian Williams, June 20
20. RB Ray Davis, June 22
19. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, June 23
18. G Alec Anderson, June 24
17. TE Dawson Knox, June 25
16. DT Deone Walker, June 27
15. TE Dalton Kincaid, June 28
14. G O'Cyrus Torrence, June 29
13. LB Terrel Bernard, July 1
12. C Connor McGovern, June 30
11. LB Greg Rousseau, July 2
10. WR Khalil Shakir, July 3

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