When the Buffalo Bills traded out of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, few fans knew who they would take.
In the end, the Bills moved down three times on draft night, going from the No. 26 overall selection down to No. 35. After all the activity, the 35th overall pick came around, and the Bills drafted T.J. Parker.
Parker, a defensive end from Clemson, earned a spot on the All-ACC second team in 2024 after leading the conference with six forced fumbles.
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That said, despite proving to be a game-changer at times, drafting Parker was not the right decision for the franchise. There are a few reasons why.
Pass Rushers Not a Priority for Bills
The Bills had plenty of team needs coming into the draft. Yet, pass rushers were one of the positions where they already had considerable depth.
For starters, Gregory Rousseau is still on the team. Rousseau continues to be a problem for opposing quarterbacks like he has been ever since entering the league. Besides Rousseau, Buffalo also signed veteran Bradley Chubb to a three-year deal in the offseason.
Also on the depth chart is Michael Hoecht. Although he missed the end of the 2025 season with a torn Achilles, he is expected to be ready by the start of the next season.
All three of these guys are exceptional at getting to the quarterback. That won’t change any time soon.
Buffalo using its first draft pick on a position already set with proven talent doesn’t make much sense, especially when positions like linebacker and wide receiver could still use help.
Why Not Take a Linebacker?
The Bills saw linebackers Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson both enter free agency. As of now, while neither has signed with another team, there’s still a hole at that position.
There are potential options who can step up, like Terell Bernard and Dorian Williams. Other than that, the Bills remain thin there. Buffalo could’ve addressed this in the draft, yet chose not to.
This is also a concerning decision, especially considering some top linebacker prospects were still available.
For example, Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez — who had 140 solo tackles, six sacks and five interceptions across his last two years there — was still on the board. Rodriguez would have been a fantastic replacement for Milano and would have had an immediate impact.
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The Bills also had other options outside of Rodriguez. Among them were C.J. Allen of Georgia and Josiah Trotter of Missouri.
Drafting a linebacker, a position where more depth is needed, would have made much more sense than adding another pass rusher.
Better Options Than T.J Parker
Even though Buffalo shouldn’t have taken a pass rusher, if that was the route they were going, there were better players available at that position.
Cashius Howell and Gabe Jacas were still on the board. Howell finished with 11.5 sacks at Texas A&M, while Jacas had 11. Both totals are more than double what Parker had in 2025. Howell was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-American in his 2025 campaign with Texas A&M. Jacas ended his college career with 183 tackles and 27 sacks with the University of Illinois.
On paper, both were better prospects than Parker.
If Buffalo wanted a pass rusher, it would’ve made more sense to go with one of these guys, who were elite throughout their entire collegiate careers. While Parker had a great sophomore season, he was unable to match that in his final season with the Tigers.
Parker could turn out to be a great player for the team, but passing on guys like Rodriguez and Howell was a major mistake.
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