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The Buffalo Bills kicked off the 2026 NFL Draft with the 26th pick, but by the end of the first round, they hadn’t selected a single player, opting instead for three trade-downs.

The Bills Could be Looking to Draft One of These Two Players

Fortunately for Bills fans, they won’t have to wait long to make their next move, as they’ll be on the clock with the 35th pick, the third selection of the night. NFL insider Albert Breer mentioned two potential players the Bills might consider at that spot, assuming they don’t trade down again: Ohio State’s defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and Texas A&M Pass rusher Cashius Howell.

“Speaking of that sort of maneuvering, the Bills did the same when, sitting at 26, they saw their board flatten out—with a bunch of players on the board with similar grades. So they traded down with the Texans, then the Patriots, then the Titans. In doing so, they turned the 26th, 91st, and 165th picks into Nos. 35, 66, 101, 125 and 167,” Breer wrote on Friday. And that means the Bills have now turned their first three slotted picks (26, 60 and 91) into the 35th, 66th, 101st, 125th picks and WR DJ Moore.

“Now the Bills have nine picks, including the third pick in Round 2, the second pick in Round 3, and the first pick of the day Saturday. They also have work to do in finding more scheme fits for new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, with both McDonald and Texas A&M pass rusher Cashius Howell seen as those types of guys.”

It seems likely that the Bills will focus on defense when they decide on their first pick in this year’s draft. After all, they already spent a second-round pick this offseason to add wide receiver DJ Moore by sending a pick to the Chicago Bears. Given that, it would make sense for them to target a defensive player with their first draft selection.

Who is Kayden McDonald?

McDonald is a defensive tackle who played nose tackle for three seasons at Ohio State. Last season, he made an impact by appearing in 14 games, recording nine tackles for loss and three sacks.

Shockingly, no team selected McDonald in the first round. Some teams might be skeptical about his pass-rushing abilities, but he could be an elite run stopper from Day 1. The Bills should be looking to grab him to strengthen their run defense this season.

Who is Cashius Howell?

Howell played five seasons of college football, spending three years at Bowling Green and two at Texas A&M. Over the course of 56 career games, he recorded 35.5 tackles for loss and 27 sacks. In his final season, Howell was a standout on an Aggies team that reached the College Football Playoffs, recording 14 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in 14 games. His remarkable performance earned him the title of SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Howell is a pass rusher who has some room for development, but if he can team up with Bradley Chubb and adapt to the NFL style of play, the Bills might snag a real gem.