B-
Buffalo Bills
More right than wrong for the Bills, and a B- to prove it.
by aechean ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
The Bills treated their own grade as gospel and everyone else's as noise, spending the 165th overall pick on Patrick Payton a full 79 spots early. No fireworks, but a solid B-.
They will regret leaving safety for another day if the season turns on it. They went 5 of 9 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
A straight-up fair deal on Denzel Boston at pick No. 26, value and slot in agreement. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jude Bowry. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Parker Brailsford. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They reached a country mile for Patrick Payton at pick 165, and the board is aghast. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
By-the-book stuff, Bryce Boettcher at No. 168 squarely in line with his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A tidy bit of business in Round 6, Pick 1, where Domani Jackson graded well above the range. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Nick Barrett in the Round 7 slot is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.