Is it night one of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, yet?
No?
Shucks, OK.
I guess that means I’ll have to serve all of you Buffalo FAMbase readers another round of “Five at Five” tonight, then.
Oh, darn.
Don’t worry about the charge, Bills Mafia, this one’s on the house.
Bottoms up!
Jacob Rodriguez, Inside Linebacker, Texas Tech University (6-foot-1, 231 lbs/Age: 23)
Come for the play on the field, stay for the ‘stache on the face.
That almost sums up just about everything you need to know regarding Texas Tech University inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
I’m joking, of course, but seriously . . . just look at that legendary mustache.
General managers might be enticed to select the 23-year-old simply for his fantastic face follicles alone . . . the talent between the lines on the gridiron is just an added bonus.
But, it’s quite the added bonus, at that.
And, given where Rodriguez started his playing career, you would have never imagined he’d wind up where he is right now.
Properly deemed as simply a “football player” coming out of S.H. Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas, the 6-foot-1, 231-pound three-star recruit originally left the borders of the Lone Star State to join the football program at the University of Virginia in 2021.
He played all over the field in his freshman season . . . but it was on offense.
Lining up at quarterback, tight end, running back, and even wide receiver, the Texas native finished his first collegiate season by appearing in 12 games for the Cavaliers that year while recording eight receptions for 65 yards in the passing game and racking up 56 rushing yards on 10 attempts in the ground game.
They weren’t stellar numbers, but it was quite impressive that the then 19-year-old was able to line up at all of those positions in his first season on a college campus, and it proved just how cerebral he is as a player.
Rodriguez wanted more in terms of playing time, however, so he hit the transfer portal following that season and would eventually land three hours away from his hometown at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
He would be a quarterback once again, but this time he was about to quarterback the Red Raiders’ defense in the Big 12.
It ended up being the right decision.
From 2022 to 2025, Rodriguez was able to register 316 total tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 13 forced fumbles, 12 pass breakups, six sacks, six interceptions, and five fumble recoveries. He also scored two defensive touchdowns . . . and two offensive touchdowns on the ground, as well.
Instead of practically playing every position known to man like he did at Virginia, he was now practically filling up every category known to man on the stat sheet.
Captaining a defense last season that had fellow draft hopefuls like EDGE rushers David Bailey and Romello Height, defensive tackle Lee Hunter, and safety Cole Wisniewski on it, Rodriguez proved to be the alpha leader of the Red Raiders, and his performance backed that sentiment up.
For 2025, the sensational linebacker was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors, was awarded First-Team AP All-American honors, and he was also the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation’s top defender), the Lombardi Award (top defender or lineman who embodies character), the Bednarik Award (top defender), and the Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker).
That’s a lot of hardware for one player to take home in one season . . . but it was seemingly the culmination of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears from the former offensive jack-of-all-trades.
He finished the season with career-bests across the board outside of sacks, tallying 128 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles (best in the FBS in ‘25), six pass breakups, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and one sack.
The former Cavalier was once again all over the field . . . this time it just came from one position on the defensive side of the ball.
At the conclusion of his impressive senior campaign, Rodriguez went on to display his athletic prowess at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he ran a 40-yard dash time of 4.57 seconds, a 10-yard split of 1.6 seconds, a three-cone drill of 6.19 seconds, and a 20-yard shuttle of 4.19 seconds, all while adding a 38.5” vertical jump and a 10’-1” broad jump.
He’s physically gifted — there’s no denying that.
But, whatever he provides tangibly, he seems to match or even exceed it with the intangibles.
For whatever reason, he reminds me a little bit of former New England linebacker and College Football Hall-of-Famer Tedy Bruschi . . . but we don’t need to touch on that too much, Bills Mafia.
Regardless, there’s something special about Rodriguez. He seems to have that “it” factor, and he has “it” in spades.
So, with that said, despite not necessarily being the biggest linebacker out there, Rodriguez is certainly one of the best.
It won’t be long before he hears his name called on either late Day 1 or early Day 2.
He’d be a fun addition to the defense in Buffalo.
Caleb Banks, Defensive Tackle, University of Florida (6-foot-6, 327 lbs/Age: 23)
Much like current Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker, University of Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks is a rather large human . . . and that’s an understatement.
He just so happens to be from Detroit, Michigan, just like Walker, having attended Southfield High School down the road in nearby Southfield, Michigan, and he also hails from a major SEC program like Walker.
So, might he complete the trifecta and land in Buffalo like Walker did last year after coming out in the 2025 NFL Draft out of the University of Kentucky?
It could happen.
Regardless of where he finds his future NFL home in the coming weeks, though, there’s no denying that his next team will be getting an incredible talent that is packaged nicely inside one of the biggest bodies in the entire 2026 draft class.
It’ll be up to whatever team drafts him to break through the exterior of his colossal packaging, however, and finally untap the immense amount of potential that Banks possesses at his size and athletic ability, which was evidenced by his 5.04-second time in the 40-yard dash, his 1.76-second 10-yard split, his 32” vertical jump, and his 9’-6” broad jump at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine all while standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 327 pounds — he’s a freight train that can move in a hurry.
And, quarterbacks better be aware of his presence at all times when he gets into the league . . . of course, that won’t be hard to do — you can’t miss him.
Aside from his massive frame and overall stature, Banks also possesses 35” arms and 10-⅞” hands — he’s truly a giant.
But, unlike some players who are just massive but not productive . . . Banks was both a big presence physically and statistically while playing on the Florida Gators’ defense, at least when he was on the field, that is.
Unfortunately for the behemoth defensive lineman — that wasn’t all too often — especially last season when he appeared in just three games in 2025 due to a foot injury that ultimately required surgery to be fixed.
However, in 2024, Banks had begun displaying the type of talent that he has on a down in, down out basis while biding his time in Gainesville, Florida, and it had scouts scouring through that film all offseason long to see just what type of player they’d be getting should they choose to select the big man from Michigan at the end of April.
In that season, he finished with 21 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, four-and-a-half sacks, a team-high two forced fumbles, one pass deflections, and one fumble recovery.
His size, although impressive, can be a detriment to his game at times, as well, though.
Another similarity to Deone Walker, Banks can sometimes play a bit too upright while taking on opposing blocks, and it can cause him to be too easily controlled and knocked back despite being larger than his opposition at all times.
But, if he can work on his leverage, there’s no telling where the defensive tackle can take his game.
He may be perfectly suited for an odd-front defense like the one being currently installed in Buffalo under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, and it’s fascinating to think what a defensive line could look like with Banks, Walker, Ed Oliver, T.J. Sanders, and Phidarian Mathis rotating along it — my oh my.
We’ll have to see if that happens on draft weekend, however, but it’s definitely a possibility.
If Banks manages to fall down to the middle rounds, which there’s a least a chance of that happening given his injury history, then don’t be surprised to see Brandon Beane “run to the podium” for the former Southfield standout.
For his collegiate career, which started at the University of Louisville in 2021, the freshly turned 23-year-old finished with 48 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six-and-a-half sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one pass deflection.
Don’t be surprised to hear a player like Banks’ name called sooner rather than later.
He has all of the tangible tools in his belt to be a perennial All-Pro in the NFL.
The question is — can he build his game up enough to get to that point?
We’re going to find out in a few years.
Davison Igbinosun, Cornerback, Ohio State University (6-foot-2, 189 lbs/Age: 22)
Look! Our first cornerback of the “Five at Five” series.
You might be thinking . . . why? Well, outside of second-year cornerback Maxwell Hairston and veteran Christian Benford, the team is rather thin at the position . . . in fact, they’re very thin.
Free-agent defensive back Dee Alford was brought in this offseason, but he’s a nickel cornerback despite having some experience on the outside.
There’s also MJ Devonshire, Daryl Porter Jr., and Te’Cory Couch on the roster, but only Porter Jr. is really suited for duties on the outside out of that trio, and even then — can you imagine him being the primary backup to Hairston and Benford?
Probably not.
Therefore, there’s going to be some movement at the position going forward. It’s just a matter of if the addition will come in the draft or via a veteran “off the streets” following the draft.
Longtime team favorite, Tre’Davious White, could maybe come back on a cheap deal, but it is a new defense in Buffalo now compared to what he’s primarily played during the majority of his career under Sean McDermott. So, would it be a fit?
Of course, there are other veterans, but you would’ve thought that the team would have already added a veteran at this point if they were going to go that route.
With that said, a mid-round pick at outside cornerback could be in the cards for the Bills on draft weekend.
So, I guess we should at least touch on some names to keep an eye on during Day 2 and Day 3 of the big extravaganza.
First up: Davison Igbinosun out of Ohio State University.
When looking for depth, teams often decide to bet on traits versus production once they get to the middle rounds, and Igbinosun has plenty of tools in his bag for future NFL coaches to work with.
He just so happens to also have the production — a good combination of things to have on your side heading into the end of April.
At 6-foot-2, 189 pounds, the former Buckeye has tremendous size and length for the position, and he also has played at a big time program over the last four seasons, which included 30 starts over the last two years and 53 starts in totality during his collegiate career.
He also helped the program win an FBS national championship in 2024, which was a season where he had a career-best nine pass deflections and two interceptions to go with 45 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery as a junior that year.
Igbinosun followed that up with a senior campaign in 2025 where he had 53 tackles, eight pass breakups, and two interceptions.
He proved he could play with the best of the best, and that he could do it consistently.
And, although he’s a little thin at the moment and could stand to add some weight heading into the pros, there’s plenty of things to like about the Union, New Jersey, native’s game, especially considering he could probably be taken on Day 2.
After finishing his career with 194 total tackles, 27 pass deflections, four interceptions, four tackles for loss, and three fumble recoveries, Igbinosun ran a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash, had a 1.58-second time in the 10-yard split, posted a 10-foot broad jump, and a 34” vertical.
He’s a physical cornerback, but according to Pro Football Focus he was tagged with 30 penalties during his time in the Big Ten, so that physicality can get the best of him sometimes.
Still, you’d rather try to tame a player’s competitiveness instead of trying to instill it in them, at least in my opinion.
The Bills had a group of “head honchos” at the Ohio State Pro Day recently, which reportedly included Brandon Beane, Joe Brady, and assistant general manager Brian Gaine.
It was originally thought that they were taking a look at one of the Buckeyes’ many possible first-round picks, which includes defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, but maybe they had their eyes on Igbinosun as a player they could conceivably bring in as quality depth to help push Hairston some more?
That could be the case.
Keep an eye on Igbinosun. He has the upside to be a starter down the line, particularly in zone schemes according to most scouting analysts.
Darrell Jackson Jr., Defensive Tackle, Florida State University (6-foot-5, 315 lbs/Age: 22)
If you like the big boys in the trenches, then you came to the right place today.
Just like the previously mentioned Caleb Banks, Florida State’s Darrell Jackson Jr. is another massive human being in this year’s impending class of future NFL rookies.
He’s a little shorter and lighter than Banks, but not by much.
Jackson Jr. weighs 315 pounds and stands at 6-foot-5, so there’s certainly no shortage of beef to go around in the middle when the former Seminole is on the field.
The Havana, Florida, native has massive 11” hands and a 34’-¾” wingspan, so he’s capable of containing two gaps if he uses proper technique when attacking his blockers, but scouting analysts like Lance Zierlein seem to be leery of his ability to reach his true potential due to his inconsistent tape.
However, there’s no questioning that — at the very least — he’s a tremendous physical presence along the defensive front.
And, if NFL coaches can “school up” the former University of Maryland Terrapin, which is where he began his collegiate career before transferring to Florida State, then there’s no telling where Jackson Jr.’s ceiling could be once he’s in the league.
He also made a one-year stop with the University of Miami before finally finding his home in Tallahassee, Florida, and he finished his five seasons between the three schools by registering 129 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven-and-a-half sacks, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble in 50 games.
In 2025, he had 45 tackles, three sacks, and one sack.
He started all 24 games for the Seminoles over the past two years, and was an Honorable Mention All-ACC honoree each season.
Jackson Jr. is projected by many to be a third or fourth-round pick.
We’ll see where the big man from down in the South ultimately lands . . . could it be up north in Buffalo?
Denzel Boston, Wide Receiver, University of Washington (6-foot-4, 212 lbs/Age: 22)
Just as we finally had a cornerback on the list earlier on in this edition of our newest draft series here at the blog, we now have a little fuel for the passengers on board the “Wide Receiver Train” in the FAMbase.
And, University of Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston certainly has plenty of gas to his game.
Not necessarily in terms of speed, although that’s not a definitive statement considering he didn’t run the 40-yard dash at all this offseason, but he does have some spring to his step.
He posted a 37.5” vertical jump at his pro day, and he had 6.80-second time in the three-cone drill.
At the combine, he also recorded a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.28 seconds.
So, while he may not be the fleetest of foot, he’s definitely athletic . . . and that was evident every time he stepped between the lines on Saturdays while in college, particularly over the last two seasons.
In 2024 and 2025 combined, Boston collected 20 touchdowns and 1,715 receiving yards on 125 catches.
It was a solid career for the South Hill, Washington, native, and now he’s hoping to parlay his past efforts into a future as a professional wideout.
That will undoubtedly happen, but will he hear his name called on opening night of the draft?
There’s a pretty good chance that he will, but, even if he doesn’t, he’ll be selected somewhere on Day 2 at the latest.
Might the Bills be intrigued by pairing the 6-foot-4, 212-pound wideout’s game with what’s already in their receiving room?
Maybe.
But, then again, his skillset might be a little redundant to Keon Coleman’s.
However, if the Bills plan to move on from their former second-round pick, then Boston would make plenty of sense.
We’ll just have to find out in about two weeks!
It won’t be long, Bills Mafia. Hang in there.
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