It’s no secret that there’s a lot of pressure on Brandon Beane entering the Buffalo Bills’ upcoming campaign.
And that starts with the 2026 NFL Draft.
Beane needs to knock this one out of the park, and if he doesn’t, the Bills could be in trouble as soon as this season. There are what seem like countless roster holes to fill as Buffalo looks ahead to the start of the selection process, and Beane is equipped with seven selections, which is the fewest the Bills have had entering a draft over the last three years.
So much to do, so little room to work, beginning No. 26 overall in the first round.
Will they trade down to acquire more picks? Will the Bills trade up?
It all seems to be on the table as they look ahead to Apr. 23.
Past history
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker (96) looks on after a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Let’s examine Beane’s recent efforts to improve the roster through the draft.
In 2025, the Bills made nine selections, of which only three had any sort of impact. Maxwell Hairston showed flashes at cornerback, Deone Walker was a revelation at defensive tackle and tight end Jackson Hawes had a phenomenal rookie campaign.
Walker finished with pass rush grade of 71.5, which was 25th best among NFL interior defensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus. Hawes finished the season with three receiving touchdowns while performing as one of the top blocking tight ends in the league.
Dorian Strong was on a solid trajectory before his first season as a pro was derailed by injury. Still, second-rounder T.J. Sanders didn’t make a substantial difference, and third-round pick Landon Jackson couldn’t even get a jersey before his season ended due to injury.
Bills defensive tackle T.J. Sanders works to get past A.J. Epenesa during position drills during day seven of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Thursday, July 31, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In the late rounds, wide receiver Kaden Prather isn’t even on an NFL roster as it stands today.
The year before, in 2024, Buffalo began its draft slate with a disastrous pick, wide receiver Keon Coleman, before hitting on safety Cole Bishop later in the second round. However, after Bishop, only running back Ray Davis, a special teams contributor, can be considered a good pick.
Defensive tackle DeWayne Carter may have been cut before the start of the 2025 season, before sustaining a season-ending Achilles tear. Offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran-Granger is rumored to be on the trade block entering his second professional campaign, linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio is no longer on the team, nor is sixth-round cornerback Daequan Hardy.
Edge rusher Javon Solomon has yet to make his presence felt and is entering a make-or-break season in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s new multiple defensive front in Year 3. Tylan Grable has been plagued by injuries, making it difficult to evaluate his selection, while fellow offensive lineman Travis Clayton, a seventh-round pick, is what he is as an international pathway player.
The 2023 and 2022 drafts were a bit better for Beane, but it’s been a rough road in recent years.
Pressure’s on
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane before an an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Typically, when a team enters a season under a first-year head coach, the spotlight is placed firmly on its new leader. However, for the Bills this year, Beane is in the bullseye on the dart board of Buffalo football fans after he somehow outlasted former head coach Sean McDermott amid a regime change.
With Josh Allen at quarterback, many feel Beane has not done enough to get this team over the hump. With that said, he has been gifted another opportunity to do so, and must nail the draft to get his quest toward improving the roster, and saving his job for that matter, off to a good start.
Will it be an edge rusher? Will it be a linebacker? God forbid, will it be an offensive lineman?
Pete Guelli, president of business operations, Brandon Beane, president of football operations and general manager, shake hands with owner and president Terry Pegula after a group photo with new Bills head coach Joe Brady on Jan. 29, 2026 at the Bills field house. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Beane and his team are finalizing their preparations, including a number of top-30 visits having taken place in recent days. The next step will be pulling the trigger on the right players and letting Joe Brady and the Bills’ new coaching staff help initiate their development.
As the days go on, this is appearing more and more like a sink-or-swim season for Beane. There’s a chance Brady could survive a flop in Buffalo’s first year inside their new palace on Abbott Road. But when it comes to Beane, he needs to surround Allen with an adequate group of weapons capable of supplementing the Bills’ offense to a Super Bowl-caliber level.
Otherwise, it could be sayonara for the team president.
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