ORCHARD PARK – Across the nine NFL drafts that Brandon Beane has conducted, he has had an unusually strong track record picking in the fifth round, and in defensive back Jalon Kilgore, it looks like he might have found another gem.
It’s weird, but look back at some of Beane’s fifth-round picks: Siran Neal in 2018 became a core special teamer who played 97 games for Buffalo. That year he also picked offensive guard Wyatt Teller, though Beane still regrets trading him to Cleveland in 2019.
Khalil Shakir was the fifth-rounder in 2022 and he’s been the Bills’ top receiver each of the last two years. Javon Solomon has been a core special teamer since 2024, and last year, tight end Jackson Hawes emerged as a stud blocker, and defensive back Jordan Hancock’s versatility makes him a useful player moving forward in Jim Leonhard’s defense.
Now we wait to see what becomes of Kilgore and fellow 2026 fifth-round Zane Durant, a defensive lineman who has a great chance to make the team.
Why Jalon Kilgore could be another fifth-round steal
Kilgore has made several noticeable plays in the first week-plus of training camp, and he also had a nice pass breakup Saturday night in the practice at Highmark Stadium. While he’s doing it mostly from the safety position, the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder can also move into the slot if needed to cover a bigger slot receiver or tight end, and is also proving to be adept as a blitzer in some of the looks we’ve seen so far.
“I feel like it’s a blessing just to be able to have that ability to do a lot of different things,” Kilgore said. “God giving me the energy and the capacity to be able to do that and the mindset today was just go out and provide for the team wherever they need me at.”
Kilgore was a three-year starter at South Carolina where he played a total of 36 games and made 178 tackles, eight interceptions, two forced fumbles, a recovery and 21 pass breakups. The Bills loved the combination of his size and his ball skills, and as you watch him in practice, you wonder why he slipped all the way to the fifth round.
He wonders the same thing and he admits that it will motivate him this year and probably for as long as he’s in the NFL.
“Yeah man, I feel like I always play with a chip on my shoulder because I can always be greater than what I am today,” he said. “No matter if I was fifth round, first round, I would always have that chip because I never feel like I’m the best. I’m not gonna stop until I feel like I’m the best.”
Leonhard and safeties coach Joe Danna have been impressed with his attitude, his intelligence, and his physicality, and they also love that as a fifth-round pick, he feels like he has something to prove.
“As long as it motivates him the right way, and I think it does,” Leonhard said when asked if he pushes that button sometimes. “He’s wired the right way. He’s going to be a really good player. I think he has a ton of talent, but he’s quiet, he listens, he takes things in, he takes coaching very well. I see him growing every day.”
Versatility gives Jalon Kilgore multiple paths to playing time
Kilgore has been working primarily as the backup to strong safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, sharing reps with fifth-year Bills veteran Damar Hamlin. He has also slid over to the free safety spot, and then down in the slot or box.
The other day he blitzed a couple times and while practices aren’t full tilt, he made his presence around the quarterback felt.
“I’m a big, fast, long guy so I feel like my blitzing ability can definitely help me get to the quarterback and definitely help some good schemes for the defense,” he said.
Unless there are a spate of injuries, Kilgore won’t be starting Week 1 against the Texans. In fact, unless he proves he can be a contributor on special teams, he may not even get a game day jersey at the start of the season. Then again, if free agent signee Geno Stone, who had a tough 2025 with the Bengals, doesn’t make the team, it will probably be because of Kilgore.
“He’s a young guy who’s prepared,” Gardner-Johnson said. “The season is a marathon so you must remain prepared constantly. It’s crucial to understand how things unfold over the course of the year, especially since players sustain injuries. There’s a chance your number gets called sooner than anticipated, with a young player trying to step in early simply to get on the field. Nevertheless, he is a phenomenal talent. He has been developing in an excellent environment alongside many veteran players, and the focus remains on continuing to nurture his growth.”
When Kilgore was asked about playing special teams, he credited former South Carolina special teams coach and current University at Buffalo head coach Pete Lembo with teaching him the intricacies that he can now put to use for the Bills.
“Lembo was great, man,” Kilgore said. “He set the foundation for me about special teams, where my hands need to be, where my feet need to be, just the little basic things and he taught me the schemes and stuff when I was there when he was there at South Carolina. So Lembo, that’s forever my guy man, he always made sure he had the best foot forward for me.”
Kilgore has been a pleasant surprise thus far, but the real tests are yet to come.
“The more tough situations that you see him in, we’re just going to continue to learn,” Leonhard said. “Fatigue being one of them. You get to a certain point in camp and you’re tired. Sometimes guys start to blow some things, so I’m excited for the next week, just to see how his progress goes and I think he’ll handle it well.”
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 37 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills may have uncovered another fifth-round draft gem
Reporting by Sal Maiorana, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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By Sal Maiorana, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
