ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — At last, the Buffalo Bills have made a selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. After trading back three times on Thursday, the Bills used the 35th overall pick to select edge rusher T.J. Parker from Clemson.
The 21-year-old spent three years at Clemson and started with a bang. As a freshman, he was an All-American and followed it up with a strong sophomore season. During his junior year, he saw a dip in his production, but still made plays. He finished his final year at Clemson with five sacks, 39 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and three fumble recoveries.
“I think it's great,” Parker said on Friday night. “You know, I'm very versatile, you know, on my team, you see, I can drop in coverage, I can rush the pass, and I can stop the run.”
Newest Bills edge rusher, T.J. Parker ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/5n4BUR1eyc
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) April 24, 2026
"T.J. Parker is unique. He's long, he's strong. He can really, really run at his size, and he's got the ability and the power to bull rush people, but he's also got the speed and the tools to be a really, really good pass rusher,” Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney said. “He had a bunch of sacks in his three-year career, and he's still a developing player. He's a graduate in three years, which I think demonstrates his commitment and how he's managed his time and things like that to be an elite football player while also graduating from college in three years. It's not easy to do. He's a high-level talent that will be ready to play the day he gets there.”
The Bills also traded back into the second round to select cornerback Davison Igbinosun with the 62nd pick. It’s an interesting pick because of the boundary cornerbacks the Bills already have on their roster. Maxwell Hairston was their 2025 first-round pick. And Christian Benford got an extension from the team last offseason. Understanding how Igbinosun fits into the Bills' plans will be a storyline to follow this summer.
This is the answer that really stood out from Beane on drafting a cornerback in the second round. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't agree with it, but of the things he said tonight, this was the answer I'll remember. pic.twitter.com/sy8hNaWXIj
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) April 25, 2026
“He kind of passed all the tests for us, and you know, corner is a is a premium position,” Beane said. “You can't have enough of those guys. And, so right now, with you know, Tre’Davious (White) being a free agent, with Dorian (Strong’s) uncertainty at this point, we’re hopeful, but, you know, we have to prepare right now, and with what we're working with, this adds another guy.”
“You're getting a player that's built for Buffalo, built for the Bills Mafia,” Igbinosun said. “You're getting a nasty, edgy player who sets the tone in the secondary. Who's ultra aggressive and just a, a competitor who lives for the matchup outside.”
