2026 NFL Draft, Day 3: live updates
Live updates from Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh!
The Buffalo Bills are focusing on wide receiver and linebacker positions as they enter the final rounds of the NFL draft. They have six picks remaining, including a top spot in the fourth round.
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The Buffalo Bills enter the final rounds of the NFL draft with two needs still unaddressed: wide receiver and linebacker. Barring a trade, Brandon Beane still has six picks to make Saturday including the top spot in the fourth round to begin the day . Here are some notable players still available at those two positions.
Born in Berkeley, California, he didnāt start playing football until high school and wasnāt a full-time linebacker until 2023, his third season playing in his backyard at Cal. He led the team with 92 tackles and then transferred to TCU where he was a reserve in 2024 and then a starter in 2025 when he took a huge leap with 130 tackles, 11 for lost yardage including four sacks.
Heās still growing into the position, but his athleticism at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds is going to entice teams in the draft because he will be a force on special teams with the chance to compete for defensive snaps as a rookie. His 4.47 in the 40 at the combine was second-best behind only Styles among linebackers, and his 10-yard split of 1.59 seconds was fifth-best.
āElarms-Orr is a well-built linebacker with above-average athleticism but problematic instincts,ā said Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. āHe has the speed and athleticism to get to the football from sideline to sideline. However, he frequently struggles with recognizing blocking schemes and too often loses track of play development. He will need improved processing but should dial in as a backup with a full-time role on special teams.ā
Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) is tackled by Oregon Ducks linebacker Bryce Boettcher (28) during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Buffalo Bills are targeting wide receiver and linebacker positions in the NFL draft.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr is a linebacker from TCU who recorded 130 tackles and four sacks in his starting season.
The Buffalo Bills have six picks remaining in the NFL draft, including the top pick in the fourth round.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr is 6-foot-2 and weighs 234 pounds, with a 40-yard dash time of 4.47 seconds at the combine.
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He began his college career playing baseball for the Ducks and walked on to the football team in 2022 and immediately saw action in 12 games as a special teamer. He stuck with both sports through 2024 and became a 13th-round draft pick of the Houston Astros in 2024, but he decided to return to Oregon to play football in 2025 and football will be his full-time sport now.
In his last two seasons he started 28 of 29 games and was a second-team All-Big 10 selection who totaled 230 tackles, 13.5 for lost yardage. Heās another player who is a force against the run, even though he doesnāt have great size at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds.
In a fun note from Brugler, Boettcher played quarterback and safety for his Pop Warner team which was named the Buffalo Bills.
āBoettcher is a classic āsee-ball, get-ballā defender, with the speed and play personality that will make him a natural fit in an NFL linebacker room,ā Brugler said. āAlthough he will need the right situation to become a starter, he will be an immediate and impactful special teamer.ā
According to several analysts, one of Elliottās premier traits is his professional work ethic and leadership ability. On that latter point, in both seasons he played at Arizona following a transfer from New Mexico State, he was voted to the teamās Pat Tillman Leadership Council, a prestigious honor.
At 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds heās not quite the athlete that Elarms-Orr and Boettcher are, but he overcomes some of that with a motor that never quits. Heās probably not going to push for a starting job as a rookie, but heāll be a solid special teamer.
In his Audibles & Analytics newsletter, Jon Ledyard wrote, āElliottās physicality into contact is a plus that should sustain in the NFL given his size and length. Itās unbelievable how he bounces off blockers and finds his gap. He has elite balance through contact and ability to find the ball while delivering blows to blockers. He does need to work on disengaging when an opponent does lock him up (finding leverage points, clubbing hands, etc). But that so rarely happens because Elliott is a constant moving target, and even when you hit him, he uses the block like bumper lanes in bowling to launch into the space he needs to occupy.ā
Indiana's Elijah Sarratt (13) stiff arms Miami's Ethan O'Connor (24) during the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
He helped the Hoosiers win the national championship by catching an FBS-high 15 touchdown passes from Heisman Trophy winner and presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder lined up on the outside for more than 86% of his snaps and thatās what the Bills need because Khalil Shakir, tight end Dalton Kincaid, and maybe even Keon Coleman will get the bulk of Buffaloās slot snaps. Surrattās not going to be a big deep threat, though his 4.53 time in the 40 at his pro day proved heās not a plodder. Heās more of a possession receiver and his calling card was his sure hands with a low career 3.6% drop rate.
āA tall, rugged pass catcher who separates from defenders and catches everything in his zip code,ā said Danny Kelly of The Ringer. āSarratt lacks elite speed and burst. He wonāt easily run away from pro corners. He struggles at times to shake tight coverage and ends up in a lot of contested-catch situations. He has good height but short arms. He works hard at run blocking but doesnāt always sustain his blocks.
Bryceās brother, Trey Lance, had a standout career as the quarterback for North Dakota State and the 49ers made him the No. 3 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 draft. That turned out to be one of the worst picks in recent draft annals and now heās hanging on as a backup QB for the Chargers.
Bryce followed his brother to North Dakota State and while he didnāt have the same outstanding career there, it was nonetheless impressive as he finished with 127 catches for 2,157 yards and 25 TDs, helping the Bison win the 2024 FCS national championship.
The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder then tested off the charts at the combine while competing against FBS players which confirmed what scouts saw on his tape. He ran the 40 in 4.34 seconds which was 10th-best among all positions; his 10-yard split of 1.49 seconds was tied for second-best; his short shuttle of 4.15 seconds was second-best; and his vertical jump of 41 ½ inches was 13th-best.
Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports said, āLance could have made a lot more money by transferring to a Power 4 school last offseason, but he stuck it out for the Bison and dominated his competition. There will be questions about whether that dominance can translate in the NFL, but his testing numbers prove heās one of the best athletes at the position this year. Lanceās combination of size, speed and athleticism should be enough to get him picked on Day 2, regardless of his level of competition in college. In the right scheme, with the right coaching staff, Lance could eventually develop into a dynamic target who can stretch the field deep and after the catch.ā
Sal Maiorana has covered theĀ Buffalo BillsĀ for more than four decades including 37 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills best available players for Day 3 of the NFL Draft