The Buffalo Bills have finally made their first selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at pick 35 overall. They’ve chosen edge rusher T.J. Parker out of Clemson.
Parker was anticipated as a potential top-10 selection last preseason, but a slower college season stunted that possibility and caused him to fall down to the second round.
Parker wins as a speed-to-power player and thrives best as an edge defender who affects the pocket with pure force and want-to. He plays with a constant energy and routinely overwhelmed
tackles in the ACC and otherwise. His long arm was a deadly weapon and his signature move throughout his college career.
The next step for Parker is to improve his ability to counter and find ways to win against the outside shoulders and win on the arc. He’ll need to add more additions to his arsenal and perhaps that can come with further coaching. That may/may not be a possibility for him at the next level, but he did test as an excellent athlete for the position and passed all of the requisite needs of a size/athleticism threshold.
Overall, Parker doesn’t have extraordinary upside, but you can believe you’re going to get a hard worker on the field who is still 21 years old and working through his game. The power element is there and you see glimpses of him turning the corner with speed, but he will have to improve he can unlock playing through the outside shoulders more often in the NFL.
