As the Buffalo Bills prepare for the 2026 NFL season, Bills Wire will take a look at the most important contributors on their roster. The team has some cornerstone players who will be returning for another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo, and they’ll have help from some new additions as well.
Leading up to the season, we will be counting down the top-30 most important players on the roster. We’ll recap their 2025 season, look ahead to what they’ll offer in 2026, and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding them this coming year.
Next on the countdown is Kaleb Elarms-Orr.
Background
Position: Linebacker
Age at start of season: 23
Experience: Rookie
2026 cap hit: $1,155,745
2025 recap
Elarms-Orr had a well-rounded senior season for TCU in 2025. He led the Big 12 with 130 combined tackles, while adding 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, and two passes defended. In his first season as a full-time starter with TCU, he earned First Team All-Big 12 honors.
2026 outlook
After being a fourth-round pick in April, Elarms-Orr slots in right behind Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams at linebacker on the depth chart and has a real chance to make a case for playing time. Even if the oft-injured Bernard remains healthy, the physicality and athleticism from Elarms-Orr may be hard for the new coaching staff to overlook.
Biggest question: Where does he fit in?
On paper, the Bills have Bernard and Williams as their two starting off-ball linebackers in Jim Leonhard’s new 3-4 defense. Who will play at the Mike and Will positions is still being worked out, but Elarms-Orr has the potential to fit in at either. It could be argued that Elarms-Orr is more suited to play a full-time middle linebacker role than both Williams and Bernard, so it will be interesting to keep tabs on the middle of the defense this year.
30 most important Bills of 2026
Check back as we continue the countdown on our list of the 30 most important Bills ahead of the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 30 most important Bills players of 2026: No. 28 Kaleb Elarms-Orr
Reporting by Kam Towle, Bills Wire / Bills Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kam Towle, Bills Wire | USA TODAY Network
