Five at Five: 2026 NFL Draft prospects to keep in mind for Buffalo (11.0)

Harold Perkins Jr., Linebacker, Louisiana State University (6-foot-1, 223 lbs/Age: 21)

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. is a very polarizing prospect in this year’s draft class.

The former No. 4 nationally-ranked recruit coming out of Cypress Park High School in Cypress, Texas, in 2022, which is where he grew up after his family was displaced following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Perkins Jr. might not even hear his named called until late on Day 3 in a little over a week when the 2026 NFL Draft takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but two years ago it looked as if he was on his way toward superstardom following his freshman and sophomore seasons down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

In those two years, Perkins Jr. earned First-Team All-SEC honors as a true freshman in 2022 and Second-Team All-SEC honors in 2023 after he finished both campaigns with a combined total of 147 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, seven forced fumbles, seven pass deflections, and two interceptions across 27 games.

He was dynamic while being deployed as a blitzer from all over the place in LSU’s defense, and he appeared to be the next big thing in college football.

However, the now 21-year-old tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of a 34-17 victory over UCLA on September 21, 2024, which caused him to miss the remainder of LSU’s season before he ultimately returned for his senior year in 2025.

Perkins Jr. wasn’t as impactful as he had been when bursting onto the scene in his first two seasons, but he was able to battle through his previous adversity and finished his collegiate career with a solid performance last season.

He appeared in 12 games and recorded 56 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, a career-high three interceptions, three pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. 

It wasn’t as dynamic of a display as he had shown in year’s past, but players are usually never back to full strength in their first season returning from an ACL injury, anyway.

The Louisiana native turned Texan made the long journey back from his previous misfortunes and managed to stay on the field last season while still having some impactful moments — that’s no small feat for a player who’d never had any sort of injury like that before in his career.

And, now it appears he’s heading back toward the type of explosive athlete he was coming out of high school more than one year removed from the injury.

Despite not testing at the combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, the playmaking linebacker did perform everything at his pro day on the LSU campus at the end of March, and his numbers were stellar.

Perkins Jr. ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds, he had a 35” vertical jump, a 10’-4” broad jump, and he put up 20 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press.

Yeah, I’d say he’s trending in the right direction in terms of returning to his previous form.

The only question now appears to be . . . where do you play him?

He was tremendous around the line of scrimmage to start his collegiate career, but he’s too small to take on a full-time EDGE role, and his instincts in coverage are still lacking a bit, although he did seem to improve in that area last season given his increased interception production.

With that said, the young defender appears to be yet another “chess piece” type player in this year’s draft class.

If coaches can find a way to effectively deploy him in their schemes at the next level, then whichever team selects Perkins Jr. in the upcoming draft could land a massive steal.

It’s a bit of a strange comparison, but considering he played the “STAR” role for LSU last season, I tend to view Perkins Jr. in a similar light to that of Los Angeles Chargers defender Derwin James, who does a little bit of everything in L.A. for his team.

It’s not a perfect comparison, of course, because . . . well, James is a defensive back playing a do-it-all role, and Perkins Jr. is a linebacker.

However, if his testing numbers at his pro day are any indication, then I think the impending LSU draft pick is more than capable of playing some sort of hybrid role in the NFL, and it might be his only shot of carving out a long career outside of being a menace on special teams, which he is more than capable of doing as did so during his freshman season at a high level.

Despite that, there’s seemingly more to unlock from Perkins Jr.’s game than just relegating him to being an athletic depth piece who can bash heads during the third phase of the game, at least in my opinion.

Perkins Jr. was a top recruit nationally coming out of high school for a reason.

He has the talent. 

He’s only just about to turn 22 in September, and there’s a chance we’re all left scratching our heads five years down the line on how the league let this guy fall.

It happens every year, doesn’t it?

He’s a solid defender no matter if he’s kind of like a square peg in a round hole at times. 

So, here’s to hoping that the young “STAR” defender lands with a creative defensive mind as he enters the league.

There’s too much star potential to let it all fall by the wayside just because somebody isn’t quite sure how to utilize him in a traditional manner.

Quit being so stubborn, coaches, and figure it out. Perkins Jr. needs to be on the field for your team.

Justin Joly, Tight End, North Carolina State University (6-foot-3, 241 lbs/Age: 21)

In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have originally thought to put too many tight ends on this list considering the Bills already have Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes, and Keleki Latu on the roster, but here we are.

Although they’ll undoubtedly bring in another body or two at the position for the spring and summer months, it would appear — at least from the outside looking in — that the Bills are pretty much set at the position.

So, why then, did Buffalo bring in North Carolina State University tight end Justin Joly in for a top-30 visit recently?

Well, one never knows exactly why teams bring in players for visits from positions that would seemingly seem to not be a fit, but they do . . . a lot.

Whether it be for simply doing medical re-evaluations or that they already had the visit set up prior to their free-agency plans coming to fruition, teams bring in prospects all of the time that may be puzzling to an outside observer.

Would Buffalo’s front office actually pull the trigger on selecting Joly, who is a 6-foot-3, 241-pound tight end projected to be selected anywhere from the third to the fifth round?

Probably not.

But, if the Bills were to trade back and obtain a plethora of picks that they don’t currently already have . . . then the possibility would certainly grow larger.

With that being said, we better at least touch on Joly as a possibility just in case.

For better or worse, Brandon Beane — admittedly — can get a little crazy on draft weekend.

If he does so this time around, then fans might be having another tight end on the roster to cheer for next season.
But, that wouldn’t be all that bad, Joly has plenty of talent. 

And, I can’t help but wonder if Beane is considering finding a tight end in the draft to replace Reggie Gilliam’s vacant spot instead of a traditional fullback?

OK, OK. It’s starting to make a little more sense.

Maybe we should be paying more attention to the position.

So, enter Joly.

A native of Brewster, New York, the former Iona Prep playmaker actually began his collegiate career at the University of Connecticut up in New England before transferring down to the sunshine of the South.

While there, Joly appeared in 24 games for the Huskies en route to putting up 74 receptions for 828 yards and four touchdowns before taking his talents to the transfer portal, and he only continued to increase his production once at N.C. State.

In 25 games with the Wolfpack, the 21-year-old hauled in 92 catches for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns, proving to be a playmaker for his quarterback in the redzone.

He started 24 of those 25 contests, and he earned First-Team All-ACC honors in his senior campaign last season after tallying 49 receptions for 489 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns.

It was an impressive showing.

However, Joly is a bit undersized for the position in the minds of some, so maybe he could conceivably move to more of an H-Back role?

He isn’t seen as a very polished blocker at this point, though, so who knows?

But, he’s an intriguing prospect, nonetheless.

Possessing 32-¼” arms and massive 10-½” hands, Joly is good at surviving the catch through contact, and he shows quality route-running capabilities at all levels of the field while also being able to uncover surprisingly well for his quarterback during the scramble drill — a good skill to have if you’re going to be playing with Josh Allen. 

In the end, however, I’m not so sure that Joly will ultimately wind up in Western New York.

He possesses the skill to become a starter down the road if he improves his blocking, and some team in the league will likely make the leap to select Joly earlier than people might expect.

Regardless, he’s a quality player and he would undoubtedly help Buffalo if he were to somehow land with the Bills when all is said and done on draft weekend.

Don’t hold your breath, folks, but keep this name in the back of your mind early on Day 3 if he is still on the board in the fourth round. 

Anez Cooper, Offensive Guard, University of Miami (6-foot-6, 334 lbs/Age: 23)

University of Miami guard Anez Cooper is a massive human being, and he was nearly an immovable object along the Hurricanes’ offensive line over the past four seasons.

We’ve covered plenty of beef in the middle of the defense so far on “Five at Five” here at the Buffalo FAMbase blog in the month of April, and now we’re going to highlight a mammoth of a man up front on the offensive line.

A 46-game starter for Miami, Cooper earned Second-Team All-ACC honors for his efforts last season after being the recipient of Honorable Mention All-ACC honors in 2023 and 2024. 

He has large 10” hands and long 34” arms, which allow him to be effective in quickly making first contact on opposing defensive linemen in order to neutralize their rush plans before they even get started.

Despite those positive attributes, he does struggle with quicker defensive tackles when they’re able to beat him with a fast first step, and there are questions regarding his ability to see stunts developing in front of him.

Regardless of that, however, Cooper is still a quality player, and his size is more of an overall benefit to him than it is any sort of detriment like it can be for some players at his size.

No, Cooper seems to be fairly comfortable in his own skin.

His massive frame makes it hard for players to get around him in a timely manner, and it’s nearly impossible for the opposition to go through him — quite the conundrum for the defense.

And while it’s not all perfect with his game, there’s certainly plenty of traits to work with from the Pleasant Grove, Alabama, native, who attended Pleasant Grove High School before coming out as a three-star recruit in 2022.

His size and style of play won’t mesh with every blocking scheme, but Cooper figures to be a quality starter in the league in the not so distant future if he lands with the right fit.

At the very least — the big man will be quality depth for years to come for some lucky team.

He would be a solid addition for Buffalo in the middle rounds if they think he can work with new offensive line coach Pat Meyer, whom the team hired following the retirement of longtime veteran coach Aaron Kromer earlier this offseason.

Let’s watch out for Cooper.

Jimmy Rolder, Linebacker, University of Michigan (6-foot-2, 238 lbs/Age: 22) 

The Buffalo Bills are going to add a linebacker or two in this year’s draft.

It’s inevitable.

The only question now — will it be in the early rounds or in the middle-to-late rounds? Or both?

My vote is both.

And, one player that could presumably be had on Day 3 of the three-day extravaganza in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is University of Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder, who started 11 of 12 games for the Wolverines last season after being a depth player for the first three seasons of his career on the Ann Arbor campus.

Once in the starting lineup, however, Rolder shined for the Big Ten program.

In 2025, the Chicago, Illinois, native registered career-highs across the board in every statistical category, posting 73 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and one interception.

The redshirt junior’s performance, albeit a small sample size, was impressive, to say the least, and it was an effort that was seemingly the culmination of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears from the former Marist High School standout, who had just 45 tackles and two tackles for loss in his previous 31 games as mostly a special-teamer.

Rolder’s tape as a run defender was on par with any linebacker in this year’s draft class according to Lance Zierlein’s scouting report, and he showed at the combine and at his pro day in March that his athletic ability should also allow him to develop further in coverage once he gets into an NFL system.

Before running a 4.68-second time in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, Rolder erupted at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, by recording a 36” vertical jump, a 9’-11” broad jump, a flat time of seven seconds in the three-cone drill, and a 20-yard shuttle of 4.26 seconds.

With that said, it’s readily apparent that Rolder has all the tools in his toolbelt to be a starting linebacker at the next level, and it’s quite surprising that it took him until his senior year to become a starter for the Wolverines.

But, sometimes players are stuck in a logjam at their position in college before they get their turn, and sometimes players are just late bloomers.

Rolder might be a case of both, who knows?

One thing is for certain, however, and that’s that the playmaking linebacker will most likely hear his name called on Day 3 of the draft in just over a week, and Buffalo might be one of those teams to take a chance on Rolder.

The team reportedly held a private workout with the defender during the pre-draft process, so it’s clear that there’s at least some interest in the Michigan linebacker.

Rolder is a name that fans should get accustomed to hearing . . . he might be making plays in Jim Leonhard’s system for years to come.

Malik Muhammad, Cornerback, University of Texas (6-foot, 182 lbs/Age: 21)

You’re not new here, are you?

Well, if you are, it’s not a hard concept to grasp — another edition of “Five at Five” means another mid-round defensive back mentioned.

And, for good reason.

Although it’s not as sure of a thing as linebacker seems to be, there’s still a high probability that the Bills will select at least one cornerback for depth purposes during the upcoming draft, and there are plenty of quality options for the team to choose from.

One of those options happens to hail from the University of Texas.

Meet Malik Muhammad.

A native of the DeSoto, Texas, area, the 6-foot, 182-pound defensive back attended South Oak Cliff High School before joining the Texas Longhorns for the past three seasons, and once on the Austin, Texas, campus, Muhammad immediately made his presence felt.

Appearing in all 13 games as a freshman in 2023, which included two starts, the soon-to-be 22-year-old (his birthday is Sept. 14) recorded 31 total tackles, four pass deflections and one interception in his debut collegiate campaign with the Longhorns before going on to start all 27 games that he played in over the next two seasons.

He finished his junior year last season by registering a career-best two interceptions to go along with 30 tackles, four pass breakups, two-and-a-half tackles for loss, and one sack.

For his career, the SEC defender had 97 tackles, 16 pass deflections, three-and-a-half tackles for loss, three interceptions, and the previously mentioned sack.

Projected to go anywhere from the end of Round 2 to the beginning of Round 4, Muhammad is seen by many scouting analysts to be an incredibly cerebral cornerback who also displayed the athleticism to match it while participating at the combine in February.

The 2025 Second-Team All-SEC selection ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds, had a 10-yard split of 1.51 seconds, a vertical jump of 39”, and a broad jump of 10’-10”.

That athleticism was also on display throughout his time with pads on down in Texas as he showed a good propensity to easily read and react to match route concepts from opposing receivers according to Lance Zierlein’s scouting report of the defensive back, and — despite his incredibly light and slender frame — Muhammad was competitive when having to muscle away the ball to break up a pass, which was evidenced by his 16 career pass deflections.

With all of that said, Muhammad might not even be available for Buffalo in the third or fourth round, but the Bills should strongly consider adding his services if he is.

Cornerback is a sneaky need for the team, and he has the potential to play both inside and outside at the next level while also possessing the abilities to develop into a starter down the road.

Writer’s note: Bills Mafia, I truly hope you’re enjoying my work so far this offseason, especially the recent NFL Draft articles. If you do, please consider giving me a follow over on X (formerly Twitter). My handle on that platform is @JGreen_PRsports. I’m really trying to get my work out there, so to anyone who reads and shares — THANK YOU. It is greatly appreciated.