The Buffalo Bills needed some help in the edge rush leading up to the NFL draft, but their decision to take Clemson’s T.J. Parker is drawing some criticism.
The Bills traded back three times during the first round, ending up with the No. 35 overall pick and a slew of other draft picks to use. General manager Brandon Beane used the team’s first selection on Parker, who has a spotty history of production.
T.J. Parker’s College Production Questioned
SI.com’s Alex Brasky noted that Parker saw decreasing production in his final season with the Tigers, giving the team “plenty to be concerned about.”
“Parkerâs sack total dropped from 11 in 2024 to just five in 2025, when three of his sacks came in his teamâs final game of the season,” Brasky wrote. “Before that explosive performance, he suffered through a seven-game sackless streak. The Clemson product earned a Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade of 74.5, which was ranked 180th out of 852 players graded at the position.”
Brasky added that the pick felt a bit redundant to what the Bills already had at the position.
“As I mentioned in a previous article, Parkerâs skill set is eerily similar to that of former Bills draft picks Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa and last yearâs third-round pick Landon Jackson,” Brasky noted. “All four players were projected as solid edge-setting defenders entering the draft, but their ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks and get them to the ground has proven to be middling at best.”
Bills Ignored Other Needs on Day 2
The Bills went heavy on defense with their Day 2 draft picks, taking cornerback Davison Igbinosun after Parker’s selection in the second round. The team had at least one other glaring need heading into the draft, needing a wide receiver to round out the offense.
The Bills may have tried to land a player considered their top target at the position. ESPNâs Cleveland radio host Emmett Golden shared on X that the Bills had their sights on wide receiver KC Concepcion and considered trading up, but lost out when the Browns took him at No. 24 pick.
But Beane said he was confident with the team’s selections, including Igbinosun, who was at a position where the Bills were already strong. The Bills have two solid starting cornerbacks in Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston, with Igbinosun likely serving as a reserve.
Beane justified the pick, saying the team has seen how injuries can ravage a secondary.
“You want to make sure, as the season goes along, if injury strikes, that you’ve got enough guys, even if they’re not starters,” Beane said, via the team’s official website. “How many guys we went through last season that played in the playoffs for us, or helped us get to the playoffs. So you’re going to need those guys.”
Beane added that it’s always worth adding more talent in the secondary.
“Corners are premium positions,” Beane said. “Those guys are all going to play, they’re going to play. It’s a long season. And when you have corners that are not capable, they get bull’s eyes on them real fast, and especially when you’re playing the prime time quarterbacks, the prime time offenses in this league.”
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