Clemson edge rusher TJ Parker has versatility, but lacks elite burst

During a conference call with reporters prior to the NFL scouting combine, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said this about the 2026 edge rusher class. “There is not a Myles Garrett in my opinion, there is not a Nick Bosa, those guys. We’ve had other years where we’ve had guys carry bigger individual grades, but we have three legit top 10 players in this draft, and we’ve got depth.

I think you can get depth all the way into the fourth round, where you’ll see guys making an impact next year. So yeah, it’s a really good group. ” As that relates to the Buffalo Bills , the players Jeremiah has inside the top 10 in his latest big board are Texas Tech’s David Bailey, Miami’s Reuben Bain and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, and Reese is more of a hybrid player rather than a true edge.

Barring a major trade up into the top half of the first round, none of those players will be wearing a charging Buffalo helmet this year, but the depth that Jeremiah references could lead the Bills to taking a swing at someone like Clemson’s TJ Parker at No. 26 in the first round. And indeed, it would be a swing.

While there is depth at the position, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Bills should be using their first-round pick in what could be a reach scenario on someone like Parker, Miami’s Akheem Mesidor, Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas, or Missouri’s Zion Young. Waiting until Day 2 could provide better value for Brandon Beane, especially if he can work a trade out of the first round to grab position in the front or middle of the second round. For instance, the opinions on Parker in the draft analyst community are a little cloudy.