We asked and you answered the call in our latest round of Reacts polls here at Buffalo Rumblings. So, who do Rumblings readers believe will lead the Buffalo Bills in sacks for the 2026 NFL season? The original poll generated a lot of good commentary on the subject, which perhaps illustrates just how uncertain things feel on defense right now.
That of course is natural with the Bills switching to a base 3-4 defensive system that prioritizes attacking the opponent — this after almost a decade of former
head coach Sean McDermott’s nickel-heavy base 4-3 system. The truth is that no one outside of One Bills Drive really well-understands how new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s system will operate. He’s never been an NFL defensive coordinator and we can’t say for sure that his college coaching experience or time working with the Denver Broncos’ defense are for certain indicative of what he intends to run with Buffalo.
But for the purposes of this poll we’re only concerned with sacks, a time-honored football ritual that’s undergone a heavy dose of change in recent years. So who did you crown as the Bills’ (eventual) leader in sacks for 2026?
It wasn’t a landslide win by any means, but edge rusher Bradley Chubb won with 37% of the vote. Chubb is the latest big-name defender president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane has brought in to address the team’s pass rush. Will he buck the trend established in recent seasons by Von Miller and Joey Bosa? A majority of Rumblings readers seem convinced of it.
Not far behind Chubb and in second place is edge rusher Greg Rousseau, who earned 24% of the vote. Before this coming season, Rousseau had operated exclusively as a 4-3 defensive end. Is he in line for a major uptick in production behind the line now as an outside linebacker/edge rusher? Time will tell, but his size and measurables could pay dividends for the defensive in his refreshed role.
In third is Michael Hoecht, who many tend to describe as positionless on defense. That’s not to say he’s an ill fit in general, but rather someone who can play almost every down and from most defensive spots. Hoecht received 21% of the vote, which may be reflective of the uncertainty around his return to action following last season’s Achilles tear injury. When healthy and available for two games last season, Hoecht played like his life depended on it. There’s a chance we could see Hoecht reprise a role Leonhard watched first-hand as a Bills player: That of Lorenzo Alexander.
Perhaps surprising is defensive tackle Ed Oliver finishing fourth in this poll, with just 9% of voters believing he will lead the team in sacks this coming season. I feel Oliver has as good a shot as anyone to lead Buffalo in sacks, and that’s because he’s at his best when he’s attacking an offense.
Rookie outside linebacker/edge rusher T.J. Parker received just 5% of the vote, which is to be expected for a defender just getting his NFL legs under him. In last with only 2% of the vote is defensive tackle Deone Walker, who might just surprise folks in 2026, despite already doing so as a rookie in 2025.
Are you a prescient group of fans? We’ll find out if that’s true in early January 2027.
Think you have what it takes to make a play for the Buffalo Bills in 2026? Get in the game within the game now at FanDuel Sportsbook, where the odds are always stacked with plenty of intrigue.
