Buffalo Bills Must Draft One of These Defensive Tackles on Day 3

There are two prospects sitting available for the Bills to start the fourth round.

Ole Miss defensive lineman Zxavian Harris (51) smokes a cigar after a college football game between Mississippi State and Ole Miss at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 38-19 in the Egg Bowl. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There’s no doubt that the Buffalo Bills have more than one roster hole to address entering the final day of the NFL Draft, but none more pressing than at defensive tackle.

Buffalo selected two DTs and three defensive linemen overall in the first four rounds of last year’s draft. Still, after finishing the 2025 season as the league’s fifth-worst rushing defense, the Bills elected to add nothing at the DT position near the start of free agency, leaving the team’s shoddy run support still in need of a boost.

The Bills open Day 3 of the draft with the first pick of the fourth round at No. 101 overall and must attack one of these prospects to bolster their unit up front defensively and deliver a boost to one of the game’s most important areas: a team’s ability to slow opposing ball carriers.

Gracen Halton, Oklahoma 

Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Gracen Halton (56) reacts during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Bills were linked to Halton during the predraft process, hosting him for a top-30 visit. Halton isn’t the most hulking presence, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 293 pounds. However, there are no concerns about his power and ability to create leverage at the point of attack, and he would be a nice piece to pair alongside 2025 draft picks Deone Walker and T.J. Sanders up front on the Buffalo defensive line.

Additionally, after the Bills selected an edge-setting defender T.J. Parker in Round 2, Halton’s additional pass-rush ability would be a nice complement to what Buffalo is equipped with elsewhere in the trenches. Halton finished the 2025 campaign with a career-best seven tackles for loss to go with 3.5 sacks.

Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss

Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Zxavian Harris (51) rushes as Kentucky Wildcats offensive lineman Jalen Farmer (52) blocks during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Harris is a mountain of a man, measuring 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds. The former Rebels defender carries a slight injury red flag, as he underwent foot surgery after the NFL Scouting Combine. Due to the ailment, he didn’t participate in on-field workouts. However, he tested well, with his athleticism score of 67 ranking 15th among defensive tackles, according to Next Gen Stats.

Harris had a big season in his final year at Ole Miss, recording nine tackles for loss and three sacks, both of which were career highs. He earned a Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 77.9, ranked 124th of 887 graded players.

Either player would be a good choice for the Bills to kick things off in the fourth round and fit into new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard's multiple-front defense, which is expected to feature a 3-4 base alignment.

Buffalo still holds three fourth-rounders [101, 125, 126], two fifth-round picks [167, 168] and pick No. 220 in the seventh round to finish out their 2026 draft slate. Day 3 begins at 12 p.m. ET, with the Bills on the clock.

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