{"id":648029,"date":"2026-05-04T01:29:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T01:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/648029\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T01:29:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T01:29:09","slug":"what-the-nfl-draft-confirmed-about-joe-bradys-real-plan-for-the-bills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/648029\/","title":{"rendered":"What the NFL Draft Confirmed About Joe Brady\u2019s Real Plan for the Bills"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there is one thing the 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> confirmed about Joe Brady\u2019s real plan for the Buffalo Bills, it\u2019s that there is set to be a true split between the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for the first time in quite a while.<\/p>\n

Throughout former head coach Sean McDermott\u2019s tenure, there were rumblings about his involvement in the team\u2019s offensive decision-making. However, under Brady, the Bills\u2019 new head coach has made it clear that he will have his side of things and first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will control his side of the ball.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a lot of trust in him,\u201d said Brady of Leonhard after the Bills hired their new DC<\/a>. \u201cThat’s why he’s here.\u201d<\/p>\n

That theory was confirmed with the way the Bills drafted this year, selecting six defensive players<\/a>, all of whom are suited to fit Leonhard\u2019s style of defense. If you look beyond the team\u2019s draft slate and read between the lines a bit, during a clip<\/a> posted to the Bills\u2019 X account, you sense Leonhard\u2019s ownership of that side of the ball during conversations he had a Bills\u2019 draftee after their selection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited, it\u2019s gonna be fun, man,\u201d said Leonhard to second-round pick T.J. Parker after being handed the phone by Brady.<\/p>\n

Leonhard added: \u201cWe\u2019re gonna build something special up here and want you to be a big part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were encouraging words delivered by a man who has already had plenty of say in things this year.<\/p>\n

Other picks\"Jim<\/p>\n

Wisconsin interim head coach Jim Leonhard arrives before a NCAA Big Ten Conference football game against Iowa. | Joseph Cress\/Iowa City Press-Citizen \/ USA TODAY NETWORK<\/p>\n

Along with Parker\u2019s selection, the Bills also drafted cornerback Davison Igbinosun in the first round, a physical cornerback who should fit Leonhard\u2019s attack-style<\/a>, havoc-creating defense. Elsewhere, the Bills targeted several other players with impressive athletic traits as they got further down the draft board.<\/p>\n

Fourth-rounder Kaleb Elarms-Orr recorded an athleticism score of 86<\/a> at the NFL Scouting Combine, which was second among all linebackers tested, according to Next Gen Stats. Safety Jalon Kilgore is another impressive athlete who was considered a steal in the fifth round. His athleticism score [79] ranked third among players tested at his position. Finally, seventh-round cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. posted an impressive 74 athleticism score, which was 11th among cornerbacks.<\/p>\n

So when you look at the Bills\u2019 draft class<\/a> from a birds\u2019-eye view, much of it was assembled to suit Leonhard and how he is expected to deploy his unit in his first season as a coordinator at the professional level. That\u2019s appropriate, considering the roster holes that Buffalo needed to fill entering the offseason and the need to onboard a new multiple-front unit with a 3-4 base defense.<\/p>\n

Still involved\"Joe<\/p>\n

Buffalo Bills coach Joe Brady speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t to say Brady will be a passive head coach, solely focused on the offense. He has also stated how he will spend ample time around the defensive meeting rooms and in discussions with Leonhard to learn \u201chow to talk the defense\u201d and other aspects related to that side of the ball.<\/p>\n

Still, he reiterated it\u2019s Leonhard\u2019s show, as OnSI’s Ralph Ventre wrote previously<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m not calling the plays,\u201d Brady said back in early February.<\/p>\n

Therefore, don\u2019t expect him to interfere with personnel decisions or with play calling, as McDermott was always accused of doing with the offense for years. Along with previous comments, if the draft made one thing clear, it\u2019s that this is Leonhard\u2019s defense to manage.<\/p>\n

Come hell or high water.<\/p>\n

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram<\/a> for the latest news.<\/p>\n

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