Five linebacker options the Bills could target in Day 2 of the draft

Just about anyone the Bills would want - outside of Ohio State’s Sonny Styles who will be long gone - should be available when they pick 26th in the first round, though they may not believe the value in an off ball linebacker is worth it that high.

Unfortunately, they don’t have a second-round pick where several viable candidates will surely come off the board. Barring a trade, and assuming they stay put in the third round with pick No. 91, here are five players who could be available who could help the defense.

Jake Golday, Cincinnati

It’s probably a stretch to think Golday will still be sitting there late on Friday night, but if he is, and linebacker is the target at this spot, Brandon Beane should not hesitate. Golday brings the type of versatility Leonhard would crave as someone who did a little bit of everything at both Central Arkansas for two years and Cincinnati for two more.

At various points he operated as an outside linebacker, a middle linebacker, an edge rusher, and even a slot defender. He’s the type of chess piece that Leonhard could have fun with because he’s got the size at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, plus the speed that saw him run the 40-yard dash in a decent for that size 4.62 seconds at the combine.

“Golday is still unrefined in several areas, but his size, speed and ascending skill set are reasons to be encouraged,” said The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. “He projects as an immediate special teamer who can compete for defensive snaps during his rookie year.”

Josiah Trotter, Missouri

Trotter is another player like Golday who could certainly find his way into the second round and be out of reach for the Bills. You can’t ignore the bloodlines as his father, Jeremiah, was an All-Pro linebacker for the Eagles, and his brother, Jeremiah Jr., currently plays primarily as a special teamer for the Eagles.

The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder is the quintessential thumper in the run game but he needs to make notable progress in pass coverage, meaning he’s pretty much a carbon copy of Williams, only younger. Until he cleans that up he’s probably going to be an early-down player who comes off the field in passing situations.

“Trotter needs to be protected in coverage and he may not start as a rookie, but he’s an effective run defender with enough natural ability to develop into a starter,” said Todd McShay of The Ringer. “His game has shades of another Missouri linebacker, Nick Bolton (Chiefs). Trotter isn’t as instinctive as Bolton in coverage, but they are aggressive run defenders who show flashes rushing the passer.”

Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU

Born in Berkeley, California, he didn’t start playing football until high school and wasn’t 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.

He’s 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.

“Elarms-Orr is a well-built linebacker with above-average athleticism but problematic instincts,” said Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. “He 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.”

Bryce Boettcher, Oregon

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. He’s another player who is a force against the run, even though he doesn’t 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.

“Boettcher is a classic ‘see-ball, get-ball’ defender, with the speed and play personality that will make him a natural fit in an NFL linebacker room,” Brugler said. “Although he will need the right situation to become a starter, he will be an immediate and impactful special teamer.”

Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona State

According to several analysts, one of Elliott’s 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 team’s Pat Tillman Leadership Council, a prestigious honor.

At 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds he’s not quite the athlete that Elarms-Orr and Boettcher are, but he overcomes some of that with a motor that never quits. He’s probably not going to push for a starting job as a rookie, but he’ll be a solid special teamer.

In his Audibles & Analytics newsletter, Jon Ledyard wrote, “Elliott’s physicality into contact is a plus that should sustain in the NFL given his size and length. It’s 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.”

Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills 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 may target these 5 linebackers in Day 2 of NFL draft