The Buffalo Bills need help at wide receiver; let’s get that out of the way first.

However, there are still some pressing needs with the roster outside of the wide receiver room. From edge rusher to linebacker and safety, there are a lot of holes on the roster.

New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has his hands full with the offseason officially in full swing, now that football has ended. With that, the A to Z Sports crew released their latest mock draft with Buffalo giving Leonhard a much-needed boost at a position of need.

A to Z Sports has Buffalo selecting a safety in their latest 2026 NFL mock draft

With the No. 26 selection, the crew had the Buffalo Bills selecting Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Destin Adams broke down why the selection makes sense for Buffalo, despite the fan base clamoring for a wide receiver to pair with quarterback Josh Allen.

“Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a do-it-all safety who can fill multiple different roles for a defense. The Bills chose to hire Jim Leonhard as their new defensive coordinator, and McNeil-Warren would be a nice chess piece to begin his time in Buffalo.” – Adams

NFL.com had plenty to say about McNeil-Warren and his abilities on the football field. He’s a tall, long-bodied, and rangy safety with eye balance and anticipation from off coverages. He slips blocks and sneaks through traffic deep into run lines and has the size and strength to help bolster a run defense that ranked dead last in the NFL.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren fills an important need for Buffalo

There’s a very real chance that Buffalo moves on from safety Taylor Rapp, meaning that Buffalo will need some safety help, seeing as though fellow safety and starter Jordan Poyer might retire and no longer be with the team. They need some help alongside safety Cole Bishop.

It’s not going to be another season where safety Damar Hamlin is forced to start, with former rookie Jordan Hancock still getting his feet under him and needing more time to develop after some limited reps with the organization in 2025.

Adams broke down the discrepancy between what the fan base wants in the draft and what Buffalo might need to pivot to with their selection.

“I’m sure Bills Mafia would rather target an offensive weapon for Josh Allen with this pick. Five WRs were already off the board ahead of the Bills’ pick, so the value didn’t seem to be there at WR

“So I decided to have the Bills target the other side of the ball to help new defensive coordinator Jim Leonard get off to a hot start in Buffalo. Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a dynamic player who wore a lot of different hats for their defense.

“He would be a Swiss Army Knife type chess piece at Leonard’s disposal with the ability to line up at either safety spot, the nickel, and even LB. I think McNeil-Warren is being undervalued ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, and whichever team drafts him is going to get a good ball player.” – Destin Adams

Whether Bills Mafia loves or hates it, this kind of pick would signal something important about how Buffalo views 2026.

Instead of chasing flash for Allen and the offense, the front office would be doubling down on fixing a defense that struggled against the run and, in general, struggled in big moments. It wouldn’t be the sexy move. It wouldn’t light up social media. But it could be the move that wins in January.

If this mock becomes reality, Bills fans better get used to a new reality, too. This regime might prioritize balance over fireworks.

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