The Buffalo Bills have fine tuned their defense throughout the 2026 NFL offseason for good reason.
The unit is going through a change of plans. With former head coach Sean McDermott no longer running the defense and coordinator Jim Leonhard taking over, updates were needed.
At no point is any NFL roster perfect. All 32 teams would like to upgrade if they can, even a defending Super Bowl champion. CBS Sports named one position each team in the league could still stand to address prior to the start of the 2026 season and for Buffalo it was their defensive line.
CBS Sports pointed out the Bills will likely have players taking on larger roles in Leonhard’s scheme now. There is curiosity relating to whether or not that will work out.
CBS Sports’ breakdown can be found below:
Offensive guard David Edwards was a loss in free agency, but Alec Anderson should provide serviceable play between Dion Dawkins and Connor McGovern.
The biggest unknown is probably the defensive line with T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker likely to take on larger roles. If the young guys on the roster, including cornerback Maxwell Hairston, come along then the defense could make great strides under first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. Safety play should be improved in that scheme and linebacker has a capped ceiling.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Could the Bills still need to add to their defense in 2026?
Reporting by Nick Wojton, USA TODAY / Bills Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nick Wojton, USA TODAY | USA TODAY Network
