Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bills fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Buffalo Bills are one of several teams where analysts aren’t quite certain how their front office should approach the 2026 NFL Draft. There are obvious arguments to make regarding filling out the roster with the type of talent that best fits first-time head coach Joe Brady and
first-time defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
With regard to Brady, the belief is that most of the offensive pieces are in place other than continued questions at wide receiver. Things become far less clear when the conversation switches to Leonhard and Buffalo’s expected switch to a base 3-4 defense filled with personnel nuance.
In considering both halves of the above equation, it’s worth wondering what makes the most sense in the upcoming draft. Is it best to simply sit still, leveraging the picks laid out (or perhaps even landing more picks via a trade back or two)? That may allow the Bills to tackle several positions in a draft believed to be deep in early mid-round talent.
No matter what One Bills Drive decides to do, this year’s draft carries massive weight for Brandon Beane — who’s now been named president of football operations in addition to his continued role as the team’s general manager. The pressure to get things right, and to introduce a group of rookies who can impart meaningful impact on a roster in need, has never been more urgent for Beane.
If it feels as though Buffalo re-makes its defensive line each offseason under Beane, that’s because it’s essentially true. That expected scheme switch under Leonhard may actually usher in the biggest change to the defensive line in the last decade. Even void of such change, there have been plenty of critics calling for moves to be made in an effort to help repair a shoddy run defense. Is scheme enough the route to lasting change? That’s unlikely without adjusting personnel.
Enter defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who last season played nose tackle for the New York Giants. Lawrence is unhappy in New Jersey, and he’s requested a trade. After unsuccessfully securing a new deal the last two offseasons, Lawrence is ready to move on to a new team, and a more lucrative deal.
Though he has played much of his career in a 4-3 system, Lawrence does have experience in a 3-4, as noted above. But worrying about how Lawrence would fit with a team in need such as the Bills is not the hill to die on. He’d fit, and play well alongside defensive tackles Ed Oliver and Deone Walker. The concern is more about what Buffalo has to do to land him, and if they can do so while being cap-responsible.
This is where you enter the equation, fellow Rumblers. For the purposes of this poll, let’s imagine that the Bills could make things work with Lawrence’s current deal — they’d find a restructure that makes sense (say, Dion Dawkins) in order to fit his current deal under this year’s salary cap.
Should the Bills trade for Dexter Lawrence? Are you team “yes’ regardless of Buffalo’s first-round pick, or only if it doesn’t involve pick 26? Instead, are you more invested in the idea of the Bills retaining draft assets to add rookie talent — because, draft picks are too valuable (even for someone like Lawrence)? Or, even though they find a way to fit Lawrence under the cap in this imaginary scenario, is the cost to sign Lawrence to a new extension too great for Buffalo to consider?
Vote now!
