Orchard Park, NY (WGR550) - My 2026 State of the Bills series switches over the defensive side of the ball with an in-depth look at the edge rushers, who are considered outside linebackers in defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s scheme.
Under contract:
- Greg Rousseau
- Bradley Chubb
- Michael Hoecht
- TJ Parker
- Javon Solomon
- Mike Danna
- Andre Jones, Jr.
The Bills biggest free agent acquisition this offseason was signing defensive end Bradley Chubb, who had spent the previous three-plus years with the Miami Dolphins. Chubb was actually the player the Denver Broncos chose in the 2018 draft instead of drafting Josh Allen when he was still available and many thought they would. Now, they're teammates.
After tearing his Achilles in 2024, Chubb bounced back with a strong 2025, playing in all 17 games and recording 8.5 sacks.
The 29-year-old will be an immediate fit in Leonhard‘s new defense as a standup outside linebacker.
The Bills have their own player coming off a torn Achilles. Michael Hoecht played just six quarters for the club last season after returning from suspension until getting injured in his second game. In those six quarters he was not only impactful, but even dominant, registering two sacks, five tackles, including one for loss, and two quarterback hits, all in just 64 total snaps.
Hoecht, who brings an infectious energy, is a great chess piece for Leonhard to move around the defense. He can play on the outside or inside as a pass rusher. The main questions are not only how will he come back from the injury, but when?
Whenever that is, he’ll join Chubb and Greg Rousseau, who enters his sixth season with the team. The switch in defensive scheme will be interesting for Rousseau, who also has the ability to kick inside in certain situations. Rousseau registered seven sacks last season after having eight the year before that.
The Bills selected TJ Parker with their first selection in the 2026 draft after trading down three times. Parker will immediately add to the edge rush mix upfront, and general manager Brandon Beane compared his game to Chubb.
In 2024 at Clemson, Parker forced six fumbles, second most in the nation. He also finished fifth in the country with 20 tackles for loss that season. The Bills will be counting on him to step right into their edge rotation on all three downs.
Beane has really talked up Javon Solomon this offseason, saying he’s one of the players the new defense will benefit the most based on his skillset. He said when they drafted Solomon, they were surprised a base 3-4 team had not taken him yet because he would fit so well into that scheme. Now that’s what the Bills are going to run.
After being selected in the fifth round in the 2024 draft out of Troy, through two pro seasons, Solomon has been primarily a special teams player for the Bills. On defense, he registered two sacks his rookie year, then one last season. Based on Beane’s comments, the Bills may be expecting those numbers to jump in 2026, but Solomon will first have to earn the opportunity to even be on the field over a crowded group at the position.
That group also now includes veteran Michael Danna, who the Bills signed as a free agent earlier this month.
A fifth round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, Danna has played 87 NFL games, starting 49 of them, and is a two-time Super Bowl champion. His best season came in 2023 when he recorded 6.5 sacks and 50 total tackles while starting all 16 games he played that season.
Danna brings experience to the group and adds to the competition at training camp.
Andre Jones. Jr. spent last season on the team’s practice squad, but was elevated for three games towards the end of the regular season, and also saw action in the Bills Wild Card playoff win at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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