The Buffalo Bills had a few hits in the 2025 NFL Draft. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston showed why the team took him in the first round, and even though he was injured for much of his rookie season, he clearly has top-level NFL talent. Defensive tackle Deone Walker was another hit, and defensive back Jordan Hancock had flashes throughout the season, as did defensive tackle T.J. Sanders. Tight end Jackson Hawes was elite, and cornerback Dorian Strong looked like a sixth-round steal before a neck injury
ended his season.
Sure, it looks on the surface like Buffalo’s 2025 draft class was strong, but there appeared to be one glaring miss in there. When a team is tight to the salary cap and has championship aspirations, a third-round pick can’t be a total whiff. And yet, last year’s third-round draft choice was just that as a rookie.
Will that player survive a new defensive coordinator in 2026? If the early returns are to be believed, the answer is a resounding yes. In today’s installment of our “91 players in 91 days” series, we discuss a defensive lineman looking for success in his second NFL season.
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Name: Landon Jackson
Number: 94
Position: DE
Height/Weight: 6’6″ 264 lbs.
Age: 23 (24 on 1/2/2027)
Experience/Draft: 2; selected by Buffalo in the third round (No. 72 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft
College: Arkansas
Acquired: Third-round draft choice
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Jackson enters the second year of his four-year rookie deal, a pact worth $6,618,982 overall. For the 2026 season, Jackson’s cap hit is $1,504,314 if he makes the 53-man roster. If he’s released, he’ll count $1,090,393 against the Cap in the form of a dead cap charge.
2025 Recap: Jackson struggled mightily in his first go-round in the NFL. He was a non-factor in the team’s three preseason games, totaling just one tackle in those contests. After making the team, he was a healthy scratch in Buffalo’s first four games. He made his debut in Week Five against the New England Patriots, playing 16 defensive snaps and five special teams snaps. He played 12 snaps on defense and eight snaps on special teams against the Atlanta Falcons the following week, and just two snaps the week after against the Miami Dolphins. In that game against Miami, he suffered a knee injury, which led the team to place him on injured reserve. His season ended without a tackle in 30 defensive snaps and 13 special teams snaps.
Positional outlook: Jackson and undrafted rookie Kody Huisman are the only players listed at defensive end on the roster. They’ll really serve as down linemen in Buffalo’s new 3-4 base defense, which means they’re grouped with players like Ed Oliver, T.J. Sanders, Phiadarian Mathis, Zion Logue, DeWayne Carter, Deone Walker, Zane Durant, and Tommy Akingbesote, who are all listed at defensive tackle.
2026 Offseason: Jackson has bulked up significantly, and while the team still lists him at 264 lbs., he says he’s closer to 280 lbs. and looking to play between 285 and 290 lbs. this season.
2026 Season outlook: A snap analysis of Buffalo’s 2025 NFL Draft class would easily classify Jackson as a bust, as he was a total non-factor on the 2025 roster. First, he couldn’t even earn a jersey on game day, and when he did, he was invisible as a rotational piece during two losses. Whether Jackson was a poor fit for head coach Sean McDermott’s defense or a two-year project, there were plenty of voices who were angry that the team used a premium draft choice on a player who had zero impact on a team squarely in the midst of a championship window.
With that line of thinking, I assumed that a new head coach, new defensive coordinator, and new system would lead to a new team for Jackson in 2026. However, given the switch to a 3-4 base with new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard combined with the fact that Jackson appears to have lived in the weight room over the last calendar year, I think there’s a real chance that Jackson not only makes the team, but plays a significant number of snaps this season.
Buffalo’s defensive line is in a state of flux, and if Jackson can combine his natural length (his 83 5/8″ wingspan is simply condor-esque) with his newfound strength, he has a real chance at success this season. When I mapped out the series, I thought I’d be writing about Jackson fighting for his NFL life this off-season; however, based on the early returns, I think he’s more likely to become a legitimate contributor this season than he is to be released.
Perhaps this is why so many experts hesitate to evaluate draft classes until years have passed. If Jackson lives up to the off-season hype, the second-year man could be in for a strong 2026 season.
