If not for Greg Rousseau’s blocked field goal, the conversation about the Bills’ Week 5 win looks very different.
Buffalo rolls out an offense that’s tied for the league lead with 32.8 points per game. On the other hand, the defense has been terrible, allowing 28.2 points per game, which ranks fifth-worst in the NFL. Besides the defensive line holding their own, there aren’t many positives to take away so far.
While things have been tough for Buffalo on defense, there is good news. They have a few options in-house that could make big differences the rest of the season. With a mix of both veterans and rookies, it leaves an interesting discussion to be had.
Jalon Kilgore Has the Size and Versatility the Secondary Needs
Jalon Kilgore, a fifth-round pick this past draft, was immediately met with a lot of intrigue from Bills fans. He was drafted to fill a position where Buffalo lacked depth. Outside of Cole Bishop and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the options at safety still don’t look great.
The Bills’ secondary as a whole has struggled so far this season, which is where Kilgore can help. The South Carolina product brings versatility the defense is missing after Taron Johnson was traded to the Raiders.
While Kilgore’s main position is safety, he excels at playing all over the field. Whether he’s at safety or filling in at nickel corner for an injured Dee Alford, he should play. What capacity he plays in isn’t the issue; it’s the fact that he needs to be on the field.
With injuries piling up in the secondary, now is the best time for the Bills to see what they have with Kilgore. If they can find a way to have him play a “big nickel” role (or a third safety in a 4-2-5 scheme), there’s no doubt that he can make a difference.
At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, he has the size to play anywhere effectively. Coverage skills will come with time, but in the big nickel role, he can use his size in the box. He’s not afraid to step up in run support and make a play, something he showed regularly at South Carolina.
At this point, Buffalo’s defense has been so bad that they have nothing to lose by playing Kilgore. The team can only run practice squad players out there over him for so long.
There’s no reason Kilgore shouldn’t at least get a look. He’s a talented football player, so his chance should come sooner rather than later.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr Deserves Snaps Over Dorian Williams in Coverage
Kaleb Elarms-Orr is another rookie from the Bills’ 2026 draft class. The former Cal and TCU linebacker was selected in the fourth round. During the preseason, he gained a lot of attention and even made a push to start opposite Terrel Bernard.
Ultimately, the other starting linebacker ended up being Dorian Williams, but Elarms-Orr has still seen some playing time.
After three-plus years, Williams is who he is. He has always played well in run defense, but struggles in coverage. It’s at the point where it can’t get any worse.
The argument to play Elarms-Orr over Williams is similar to the argument for Jalon Kilgore. The only way from here is up. Even if Elarms-Orr finds the field on pass coverage snaps, it could make a significant difference for the defense.
While it’s easy to blame players for the defensive mishaps, some blame needs to fall on the coaching staff too. After five weeks, Joe Brady and Jim Leonhard should have a better idea of their players’ strengths and weaknesses.
Just because a player starts for the defense doesn’t mean they have to play every snap. A situation like the Bills are in now could call for a rotation of players at the linebacker position.
This could put Elarms-Orr and Williams in better positions to succeed. Clearly, something needs to change, and this would be the easiest in-house solution.
Shaq Thompson Was Starting Playoff Games Last Year and Can’t Get a Call-Up
Another interesting option the Bills have in-house to solve their defensive woes is Shaq Thompson.
The former Carolina Panther played 12 games and started in six for Buffalo last season. His play might not have been at the level it used to be, but he stabilized a struggling defense.
After going the entire offseason without signing elsewhere, the team decided to bring him back on the practice squad. Thompson has been sitting there all season, waiting for another opportunity to crack the roster.
Brandon Beane and Joe Brady know what they’re getting with Thompson, which makes his absence more confusing. If the team doesn’t want to play rookies like Kilgore or Elarms-Orr, that’s understandable.
The problem is, at this point, what do Bernard and Williams offer the defense that Thompson can’t? Thompson was starting playoff games for the team last year, and now he can’t even get a game-day call-up.
This is the perfect in-house solution for the Bills if they want to add a veteran presence to the defense. It also gives the rookie options an opportunity to sit a little bit longer and develop.
Many have tried to give the defense the benefit of the doubt, but time is running out. Changes need to be made. The reality for the team is that they don’t have the cap space to make a big move. They’re going to have to find something from within, and Shaq Thompson could be that.
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The Bills Don’t Have the Cap Space to Buy a Fix
Buffalo has $4.7 million in cap space. That’s not nearly enough for a significant trade deadline acquisition. If they’re going to make a move, it has to be for someone on a cheap deal.
At that point, their best bet is to look for the solutions internally first. Between Jalon Kilgore, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, and Shaq Thompson, they have options. These players allow them to make changes to the struggling secondary and linebacker corps.
The one thing the team has on their side right now is time. With the trade deadline approaching after Week 9, they can make some internal changes. If they don’t work out, then they can pivot to someone on the trade market.
The team can’t sit on their hands and continue to watch a bad defense. Even with a quarterback like Josh Allen, it’s not every year that they lead the league in points per game.
The sense of urgency should start right now for the Bills. Changes need to be made before it’s too late.
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