Bills Edge Rushers on the Roster Bubble vs. Roster Locks

After adding two key pieces this offseason, the Buffalo Bills’ pass rush will enter the 2026 campaign with incredibly high expectations.

The Bills’ group of edge defenders were one of the least-effective units in the league last year, as the free-agent additions of Joey Bosa and Michael Hoecht failed to make the impact the team was hoping for in its effort to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

Bosa started strong with four sacks in the Bills’ first eight games of the year, but the veteran faltered down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs. Hoecht was on his way to revitalizing the team’s pass rush when he returned from a six-game suspension in Week 8, but an Achilles injury thwarted his momentum and ultimately ended his season.

To help deliver a boost entering the upcoming campaign, the Bills signed Bradley Chubb to a three-year, $43.5 million free-agent deal, while they drafted T.J. Parker in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Along with Hoecht and the team’s leading sack-getter from a year ago, Greg Rousseau, both Chubb and Parker are roster locks who should reenergize Buffalo’s quest to improve its pass rush.

Bills’ pass rush must be better in 2026

Buffalo Bills defensive end Michael Hoecht (55) trans during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rousseau’s quarterback pressure rate of 14.6% was tied for the best among Bills defensive linemen last season, according to Next Gen Stats, as the 26-year-old finished the year with a team-high seven sacks. Hoecht was incredibly impressive, albeit during a brief stint on the field, equaling Rousseau’s QB pressure rate while recording two sacks in about a game and a half of action.

With Chubb now in the fold, that will give Rousseau an adequate running mate in the Bills’ starting lineup, while Hoecht will battle with Parker for a role as the next man up in the team’s pass-rush rotation. Chubb is coming off bounce-back year in which he recorded 8.5 sacks a year after he sustained a knee injury that forced him to miss the entirety of the 2024 season. Parker recorded a pass rush grade of 74.5 in his final collegiate season, which was ranked 180th out of 852 players graded at the position, according to Pro Football Focus.

Due to Hoecht’s continued rehab, at this point, Parker is likely to begin the season as the third man in the rotation. But if Hoecht is able to ramp up his return from injury over the next several weeks leading into Week 1, he could push the rookie for that spot.

A list of Bills pass rushers on the roster bubble

Buffalo Bills defensive end Javon Solomon (56) celebrates after a missed field goal during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Along with the aforementioned additions, Buffalo also brought in former Super Bowl champion Mike Danna on a one-year, $1.4 million free-agent contract to compete with 2024 fifth-round pick Javon Solomon for what could be the final spot on the team’s depth chart. Both players are on the roster bubble with training camp set to begin on July 29.

Solomon hasn’t done much since the Bills selected him with the No. 168 overall pick, recording just three sacks while playing just 329 defensive snaps through his first two seasons. Danna has a track record of production, including producing 11.5 sacks across two seasons in 2022 and 2023. But he finished last year with just one sack despite playing 42% of the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive snaps.

As it stands today, I believe Solomon will be the odd man out. But that could change depending on how each player performs during training camp.

Andre Jones Jr., a three-year veteran who spent much of last season on the Bills’ practice squad, and undrafted free agent Cade Denhoff will likely be left on the outside looking in. Their bubbles will almost sure to burst, but Jones Jr. would be a nice add to the team’s practice squad.

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