Getty
Bills QB Josh Allen Projected to Land Assurance in NFL Draft
Josh Allen is the heart and soul of the Buffalo Bills, and he’s helped shape the franchise since the Bills drafted him in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft as the seventh overall pick.
Since then, Allen has won MVP, but he hasn’t taken the Bills to a Super Bowl. Hopefully that will change for the 2026-27 season, but either way, Allen is going to need more depth in the quarterback position in case he gets injured.
Quarterback depth is often underrated, but it can make or break a team, especially if their franchise quarterback is out for an extended period of time. Now, the Buffalo Bills are being projected to take a rising quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft to provide insurance behind Allen.
Buffalo Bills News: Team Could Land Josh Allen Assurance in the 2026 NFL Draft
In a Saturday, February 28, feature for USA Today, Jacob Camenker names his top 2026 NFL draft picks for specifically the quarterback position. As for the Buffalo Bills, he points to Luke Altmyer out of Illinois, projecting that the team will snag him as the No. 220 overall pick in the seventh round of the draft.
“Josh Allen’s backup, Mitch Trubisky, is set to be a free agent in 2026,” he notes in the feature. “If he doesn’t return, the Bills could add another quarterback to their depth chart to jockey with Shane Buechele for position behind Allen.”
Camenker adds, “Altmyer was a three-year starter at Illinois who lacks elite traits but was steady in Bret Bielema’s pro-style offense. The 6-1, 210-pound quarterback completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,007 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions in his final college season.”
In the NFL’s profile of the player states that he has leadership skills, since he was a three-year starter and the team captain.
“Three-year starter with solid passing production relative to the lack of protection he saw in 2025,” the NFL states in their official profile of him. “Altmyer has experience in pro passing concepts and shows decent eye discipline/patience to give the play a chance. He throws with adequate anticipation into zone windows but a slower operation time and lack of arm talent hurt his chances of beating tight man coverage.”
They add, however, that “edge pressure sneaks up on him” and that “he hasn’t learned to avoid sacks often enough.” Plus, “Altmyer could have a tough time beating out pro backups for a roster spot.” So, it’s a mixed bag with him, but Camenker sees this as a good fit.
Rising Quarterback is a ‘Great Touch Passer,’ According to NFL Expert
Trevor Sikkema of the PFF says of him that he’s “a great touch passer, especially versus press-man coverage on vertical routes to the outside. Though he had a higher sack rate due to a lack of twitch and athleticism, he is not afraid to stand in the pocket and scan the field if the situation presents itself and won’t bail after a few seconds out of panic.”
Sikkema adds that he’s “comfortable throwing inside and outside the numbers and is a good rhythm and timing passer on in-breaking routes.” On a negative note, “he lacks the arm to consistently push the ball into tight coverage toward the sideline versus zone.”
Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson
More Heavy on Bills
Loading more stories