I recently tweeted that the Bills are likely to draft a LB with the speed of Dorian Williams and the tackling chops of Matt Milano / Joe Andreessen. In fact, a whopping 39 LBs have a ScoutScore [explained here] of 6 or higher, and their average weight is 228 lbs, exactly that of Dorian Williams, and their listed forty times average 4.62.
D Williams=6-1, 228, 4.49 (fastest)
Ulofoshio=6-1, 236, 4.56
T Bernard=6-1, 225, 4.59 (lightest)
Spector=6-0, 231, 4.60
Andreessen=6-1, 240, 4.65 (heaviest)
M Milano=6-0, 223, 4.67 (slowest)
The fastest three linebackers in the draft class are the position-versatile Sonny Styles (Ohio State), starting ILB Arvell Reese (Ohio State), and OLB-EDGE Harold Perkins (LSU), and all have been seen already by the Bills scouts (first 3 weeks of the season). That’s reassuring, isn’t it? The highest solo tackles per game (career) belongs to Anthony Hill Jr., who’s likely to require a trade-up in RD1, but Harold Perkins and Whit Weeks, numbers two and three on that list, should be around, possibly into RD2.
Let’s see the list of LBs in the BuffaloFAMBase Top 256 who have a ScoutScore of 6 or higher:
Who can we eliminate?
Suntarine Perkins, at 210 pounds, might not hold up in the NFL and is DraftBuzz‘s lowest-ranked run defender on this list –something the Bills backers are frequently asked to do. Raylen Wilson had the least Bills-y interview. I think the Bills wouldn’t wait until their final pick in RD7 for help at LB, so Bryce Boettcher and Austin Romaine would not likely see the practice squad. Deontae Lawson and Trey Moore weren’t as impressive in their scouted games. We’ll remove these players.
One would be tempted to remove Jaishawn Barham, DraftBuzz’s lowest-ranked pass defender, but Barham compensates with elite tackling ability. He put up 3 solo tackles and 3 assists in 2025 scouted game vs OK, just playing a half, and in 2024, Barham put up 5 solo tackles and 4 assists against USC in a Bills-scouted game, 6 solo tackles in a Bills-scouted Oregon game, then 5 solos against Indiana –also scouted. He’s tied with Styles and Reese for the most scout visits. I’ll leave him on for now.
The best argument for a long look at Lander Barton isn’t that he played with Cole Bishop. It may not be that he has Tremaine-like size at 6-4, 242 with Milano’s speed, 4.64. It’s Lander’s trajectory. In 2023, Barton led Utah’s LB room for the first 7 games at before sustaining a season-ending injury, and had 34 tackles (0.5 TFL) at the time, ranking third on the team. Beane wants LBs who can handle pass catchers up the seam like Barton. Lander had 3 tackles and 6 tackles in the scouted games vs OK State and Arizona, respectively. We’ll have to see if scouts attend Utah games this season more than they have in the past.
Let’s arrange the remaining players by Scout Score:
The top five linebackers on this list (Styles, Reese, Barham, Clemson’s Wade Woodaz, and Pitt’s Kyle Louis, a SS-OLB with a great interview ) have already been scouted in Week 1, 2, or 3, as have Anthony Hill Jr., Perkins, Weeks, and Drayk Bowen. As of this writing, Bills scouts haven’t been credentialed for Taurean York, C.J. Allen, and the Tremaine-sized Lander Barton, a teammate of Cole Bishop’s. But it’s early yet.
We expected the Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles to make the transition to linebacker, and he did so this season. The move was a great one (after all, Matt Milano did it). Styles is now the NFL Draft’s fastest LB and a top cover OLB. I imagine the Bills could use a versatile player with impressive physical traits. Sonny’s dad is former NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles, and his brother is Ohio State cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr.
Likelihood of being drafted by Bills: A+
Arvell Reese put up 4 solos, 5 asst, and 1 sack in Ohio State’s 2025 scouted game vs Texas. Ian Moore said Reese has made him a better offensive lineman this spring. He called Reese “one of the most athletic guys I’ve ever seen in my entire life”, explaining that Reese runs somewhere between a 4.3 to 4.4-second 40-yard dash and has a fast shuttle time. Arvell says he has “more confidence” and is “playing faster” as he enters his third year at Ohio State. The Bills are less likely to need an inside linebacker, a spot where they’re pretty stacked with Terrel Bernard, Joe Andreessen, Jimmy Ciarlo, and Keonta Jenkins. Likelihood of being drafted by Bills: B+
Whit Weeks made 6 tackles, 1.5 of them for losses in a 2024 scouted game vs. USC. In the other scouted game vs Florida, Weeks made 3 assisted tackles. He’s leader of the LSU defense and was named 2024 First-Team All-SEC (AP, SEC Coaches), having been named SEC Defensive Player of the Week vs. Ole Miss and vs. Oklahoma. Weeks entered his third season with the Tigers with 174 career tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He’s Joined on the LSU roster by older brother West and incoming freshman Zach. Whit flies to the football with great radar for the ball, shedding blockers like rag dolls. He’s been nicknamed “Sunshine” by his teammates because of his long blonde hair. Likelihood of being drafted by Bills: A.
The most likely Day 3 option for Brandon Beane might be Wade Woodaz. Wade made 6 solos and 2 assists in 2025’s scouted loss to Georgia Tech, and 5 solos and an assist in the scouted 2025 Game 1 vs LSU. Woodaz’s versatility has allowed his usage at both linebacker and safety. He enters 2025 credited with 140 tackles (21.5 for loss), 8.5 sacks, nine pass breakups, three interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown), four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a blocked punt. Head Coach Dabo Swinney gushes, “He’s a baller. He’s a fun guy to coach and a fun guy to watch play because he plays the way you want everybody to play.” Clemson is among the most-scouted colleges during Woodaz’s tenure.
Likelihood of being drafted by Bills: A.
Harold Perkins Jr. is the draft’s third-fastest linebacker, though he’s among the 10 smallest (tie). He notched 3 solos, an assist, and a sack vs Clemson in LSU’s 2025 scouted win. Initially an EDGE, Perkins transitioned to the linebacker role. Known for his exceptional coverage skills, Harold has averaged 3.31 solo tackles per game over his career, marking him as one of the most prolific tackling LBs in the draft. He has to add some meat on that skeleton, although Perkins already matches Terrel Bernard at 225.
Likelihood of being drafted by Bills: A-.
Editor’s babble: I’ll be watching the young men on this list very closely. Many thanks to Dean Kindig for his contributions to our blog. You can also find Dean on Xwitter @TCBILLS_Astro.
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