{"id":860426,"date":"2026-04-08T06:52:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/860426\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T06:52:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:52:22","slug":"bills-boost-defensive-line-with-attack-oriented-edge-in-latest-mock-draft-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/860426\/","title":{"rendered":"Bills Boost Defensive Line With ‘Attack-Oriented’ EDGE in Latest Mock Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AA cubist interpretation of a Bills defensive end disrupting the pocket, reflecting the team’s need to add more pass-rushing firepower.Today in Miami<\/p>\n

The Buffalo Bills are looking to add more firepower to their defensive line in the 2026 NFL Draft, and one analyst has projected them to select Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young with the 26th overall pick. Young is a rising prospect known for his power, consistency, and ability to impact both the run and pass game from the EDGE position.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Bills struggled against the run last season, tying the Dallas Cowboys for the most rushing touchdowns allowed. Adding a versatile and disruptive EDGE defender like Young could help shore up their defensive front and provide a spark for new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s unit.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

Young, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 262 pounds, is coming off a standout 2025 season in which he recorded 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss. He’s known for his strong run defense and pass-rushing ability, which he says comes from his serious preparation and consistent effort. The Bills already have a strong starting duo of Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb, but they need additional depth and options off the edge to take their defense to the next level.<\/p>\n

Young declared for the 2026 NFL Draft after his junior season at Missouri.The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24-26.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Zion Young<\/p>\n

A 22-year-old defensive end who played for the Missouri Tigers and is projected to be selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

Greg Rousseau<\/p>\n

The Bills’ starting defensive end who is locked up to a long-term deal.<\/p>\n

Bradley Chubb<\/p>\n

The veteran pass rusher who was recently acquired by the Bills to bolster their defensive line.<\/p>\n

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\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cLeading pass rusher Greg Rousseau is locked up to a long-term deal, and the addition of Bradley Chubb will help. But depth at the position remains an issue, and the Bills should still consider dipping into this deep class of pass rushers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ryan McCrystal, Analyst, Sharp Football Analysis<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve got better every year, I’ve worked on something every offseason. First off, in order to play the pass, you’ve got to play the run first. You’ve got to make a guy respect the run game. And you have a privilege to rush the passer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Zion Young<\/p>\n

\u201cMy power. Me stopping the run. Like I said, having the privilege to rush the passer is second. But my power and my energy, my consistency, I’m very serious during practice, and it translates to the game. My preparation is very serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Zion Young<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Bills will have the opportunity to select Zion Young with the 26th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which takes place on April 24-26.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

This case highlights the Bills’ need to bolster their defensive line with a versatile and disruptive EDGE defender like Zion Young, who could help shore up their run defense and provide an additional pass-rushing threat alongside Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a A cubist interpretation of a Bills defensive end disrupting the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":860427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2048],"tags":[215,214,53,2086,7,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-860426","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-buffalo-bills","8":"tag-bills","9":"tag-buffalo","10":"tag-buffalo-bills","11":"tag-buffalobills","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116367770900400934","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=860426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/860427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=860426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=860426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=860426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}