Bills add pass catcher, defensive depth on day three of the NFL Draft

Pittsburgh, PA (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills used their first two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to add reinforcements to the defense with the selections of Clemson pass rusher T.J. Parker and Ohio State defensive back Davison Igbinosun. More defensive reinforcements would come, however, the Bills used their first two picks of day three to add some additional troops to the offense, beginning with the selection of tackle Jude Bowry out of Boston College.

The Bills added the 22-year-old with the second pick in the fourth round, 102nd overall, after acquiring that pick and a 2027 7th round selection from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for pick 101. Bowry is the first Eagle to be drafted by the Bills since tight end Tommy Sweeney in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. He is also the highest drafted tackle by the Bills since selecting Spencer Brown 93rd overall in 2021.

Bowry appeared in seven games as a true freshman for the Eagles in 2022, including two starts at right tackle. The 6-foot-5 tackle redshirted as a sophomore while appearing in three games. Bowry made the switch to left tackle for the 2024 campaign, starting all twelve games he played in, allowing just two sacks on 321 pass blocking snaps. Bowry was named a team captain ahead of the 2025 season, and again, started all nine games he appeared in at left tackle, not allowing a sack in 320 pass blocking snaps.

The Bills had back-to-back picks later in the fourth round, and with those selections added wide receiver Skyler Bell and linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr with the 125th and 126th overall picks, respectively.

Bell, originally from The Bronx, spent his first three collegiate seasons with the University of Wisconsin, totaling 69 receptions, 755 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns across 26 games. Bell briefly played under Bills first year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard while a member of the Badgers, as Leonhard served as the school's interim head coach during the 2022 season.

Bell then transferred to the University of Connecticut in 2024, where he would play out his college career. Bell posted 151 receptions, 2,138 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns in his 26 games at UConn.

His Husky tenure was highlighted by his 2025 campaign, where he was recognized as a Consensus All-American, becoming the first player in UConn history to receive that distinction. Bell was also a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's top wide receiver. Bell recorded 101 receptions, 1,278 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns his senior year, setting the school record for receptions and receiving touchdowns in a single season, and ranking second in the FBS in receiving yards.

Elarms-Orr began his collegiate career in his home state with the University of California. He did not play any games as a freshman in 2021 while nursing an ACL injury. He appeared in 10 games in 2022 on special teams recording zero tackles. He saw increased playing time in 2023 for the Golden Bears, starting 11 games, and accumulating a team-leading 92 tackles to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and five pass breakups.

The linebacker would then transfer to Texas Christian University following the 2023 season. He appeared in all 13 games in the 2024 season in a reserve capacity, racking up 54 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Elarms-Orr took a leap in 2025, being a First-team All-Big 12 honoree. His 130 tackles ranked ninth in the FBS. He also tacked on a team-leading 11 tackles for loss, in addition to four sacks and two pass breakups across 13 starts.

With the 167th overall pick in the fifth round, which the Bills acquired on night one of the draft from the Houston Texans in the trade that saw the Bills move down from 26th to 28th overall, the Bills added another defensive back, Jalon Kilgore.

Kilgore spent his entire college career at the University of South Carolina, making him the first defensive back from the school drafted by the Bills since Stephon Gilmore was taken 10th overall in 2012.

Kilgore made an immediate impact as a true freshman, playing in 12 games, including starting the final 11 games of the season. Kilgore amassed 76 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups, one interception and a forced fumble, en route to being named a freshman All-American and being selected to the SEC All-Freshman team.

In 2024, the former three-star recruit out of Georgia recorded five interceptions, which tied for the most in the SEC and tied for fourth most in the FBS in 13 games played, including 11 starts. 2025 saw the 21-year-old lead the team with 10 pass breakups and tie for the team lead in interceptions with two. He was named Second-team All-SEC.

Kilgore wrapped up his college career with 178 total tackles, 21 pass breakups and eight interceptions. He once again teams up with Bills 2025 second round pick T.J. Sanders, the two were teammates on the Gamecocks during the 2023 and '24 seasons.

The Bills would trade down from pick 168 with the Detroit Lions, receiving the final pick of the fifth round, 181st overall, and the 213th overall pick in the sixth round. With the 181st overall pick, the Bills would address the interior defensive line, in the form of Penn State's Zane Durant.

Durant, a four-year defensive lineman for the Nittany Lions, played in 54 career games, and piled up 89 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three pass breakups and an interception. Durant, who will turn 22-years-old on May 1st, started all 16 games of the 2024 season, and started 12 in 2025, a season in which he was named a team captain.

The Bills would pick next at 220th overall in the seventh round after trading the 213th pick, acquired in the aforementioned deal with the Lions, to the Chicago Bears for two additional seventh round picks. The Bills would make yet another addition to the secondary with the 220th pick in Toriano Pride Jr.

Pride Jr. is the first Missouri Tiger drafted by the Bills since 1994. The corner brings top end speed to the Bills defensive back room, as his 4.32 40-yard dash time led all cornerbacks at the NFL scouting combine.

A four-star recruit out of high school, Pride Jr. spent his first two seasons in college with the Clemson Tigers before transferring to the University of Missouri. In the 52 career games he suited up for, Pride Jr. registered 82 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, 16 passes defended, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Using the picks acquired from the Chicago Bears for pick 213, the Bills rounded out the 2026 NFL draft by selecting University of Florida punter Tommy Doman Jr. at pick 239, and guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams at pick 241.

Doman Jr. played his first three seasons at the University of Michigan. He served as the punter, holder, and kickoff specialist for the 2023 national champion Wolverines. The Michigan native was named Third-team All-Big Ten in 2024, again serving in the same roles as he did in 2023. Doman Jr. averaged 42.6 yards per punt and placed 15 inside the 20, while kicking off 59 times with 37 touchbacks that season.

After transferring to the University of Florida, Doman Jr. punted 50 times for 2,202 yards, a long of 71, and 17 inside the 20.

Reed-Adams, 6-foot-6, 314 pounds, played the first 31 games of his collegiate career, including 15 starts, with the Kansas Jayhawks. After transferring to Texas A&M, he started all 26 games he appeared in for the Aggies. His college career came to a close with him being named a Second-team AP All-American and a team captain. Most of Reed-Adams' starts in college came at right guard, however, he also made nine starts at left guard and three at right tackle over the course of his career at Kansas.

In total, the Bills added ten new faces through the draft, three on offense, six on defense, and one on special teams.