Bills GM says 2026 NFL Draft 'clear as mud' with fewer top prospects
Bills general manager Brandon Beane said the 2026 NFL Draft has fewer consensus top prospects, creating uncertainty for Buffalo at No. 26.
The Buffalo Bills may not be chasing a home run in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. They may be looking to stack hits while navigating a board that, in general manager Brandon Beane's words, is "clear as mud. " Beane suggested this year’s draft lacks the clear separation at the top that teams typically rely on, a reality that could shape how Buffalo approaches pick No.
26 . “You kind of write down these are the known names off the board,” Beane said Monday. “What is the consensus of those?
Is that eight names, is that six names, is that 12 names? “Probably don’t get as many consensus names anywhere near getting to 26. ” That lack of clarity has created a wider range of outcomes for prospects expected to go late in the first round.
“There’s players that feel like they’re going in one, but their agent or someone close to them realizes they can go anywhere from 20 to 40,” Beane said. “There’s always players like that, but I would say there are probably more this year. ” A flatter top of the NFL draft Beane stopped short of calling the class weak.