Five at Five: 2026 NFL Draft prospects to keep in mind for Buffalo (13.0)

We have just four more editions of “Five at Five” after tonight, folks. 

Draft week officially starts on Monday, and the long-anticipated event will soon be a thing of the past.

So, in the interest of time, let’s keep the ball rolling and rattle off some more collegiate prospects to keep an eye out for Buffalo when the 2026 NFL Draft takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the end of next week, shall we?

Dontay Corleone, Defensive Tackle, University of Cincinnati (6-foot, 340 lbs/Age: 23)

Corleone is a small town of roughly 11,000 to 12,000 people that is about 35 miles south of Palermo in Sicily, Italy.

It is also the last name of the fictional family that is portrayed in The Godfather trilogy.

And, it just so happens to also be what’s slapped across the jersey nameplate of the University of Cincinnati’s 6-foot, 340-pound nose tackle, Dontay Corleone, a soon-to-be 24-year-old prospect in this year’s draft who is projected to go anywhere from the fifth round to late in the seventh round.

So, I ask you — could there BE A BETTER FIT in this entire draft between player and team than a player nicknamed “The Godfather” and a franchise with a FAMbase affectionately known as the Bills Mafia!?

I think not.

With that said, mentioning Corleone on “Five at Five” was a must despite him coming with his “warts.”

A four-year player for the Bearcats, Corleone is an incredibly difficult evaluation in this year’s draft class.

He’s a heck of a player, and the defensive lineman has solid short-area quickness for his size and plays with incredible leverage and power while going up against opposing offensive linemen from the zero- and one-technique positions, but he’s also had some issues pop up throughout his career.

The Bearcats’ big man had a knee issue that cost him two games at the end of the 2022 season, he dealt with blood clots in his lungs in 2024, and he also just recently had tightrope surgery in the last few weeks to repair a high-ankle sprain issue that he had been dealing with throughout the season in 2025.

He’s also a limited athlete with shorter arms (31-⅞”) and smaller hands (9-½”) who doesn’t offer much in terms of pass-rushing ability, but he is able to bull rush effectively at times due his pure brute strength.

So, as you can see, the 2024 First-Team All-Big 12 selection’s not going to be for everyone.

But, he was a consistent player throughout college despite his issues, starting 33 of 44 games en route to collecting 123 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and nine-and-a-half sacks, which all came during his first three seasons on the field. He also had three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one pass deflection.

He was productive — there’s no denying that.

And, in my opinion, he has all the makings of a late-round pick that winds up having a good professional career despite being knocked for certain things throughout the draft process.

Corleone is a wide load in the middle of a defense with a low center of gravity, and, although he might never become a starter at the next level, he should be a quality rotational depth piece at the very least.

The Bills have been sniffing around defensive linemen so far this offseason, but it’s unclear whether or not they’ve been in contact with Corleone. 

Still, if the team decides to double-dip at the interior defensive line position this week, then I wouldn’t be shocked to see Buffalo take a late-round flyer on a player like the Bearcats’ defensive tackle. 

Honestly, this NEEDS to happen just for the merchandising possibilities alone. 

“The Godfather” and the Bills Mafia are a match made in football heaven.

Lorenzo Styles Jr., Cornerback/Safety, Ohio State University (6-foot, 194 lbs/Age: 23)

Well would you look at that.

We have another older prospect with an interesting background to cover. Are you guys noticing a theme?

This draft class might not be tops in terms of overall talent, but it’s certainly not lacking in quality stories.

Next up: Ohio State University defensive back Lorenzo Styles Jr., who is the older brother of a potential top-10 pick in this year’s class — linebacker Sonny Styles.

Styles Jr., a native of Pickerington, Ohio, which is also the hometown of current Bills defensive lineman DeWayne Carter, was originally a wide receiver coming out of high school in 2021 when he signed on to join the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

And, although he managed to register eight starts in his sophomore year with Notre Dame while racking up 453 all-purpose yards (receiving, rushing, kick returns), the soon-to-be 24-year-old made the difficult decision to transfer to Ohio State in 2023 and switch from receiver to defensive back — a difficult proposition, to say the least — in order to join the Buckeyes with his younger brother.

But, Styles Jr. managed to pull it off.

After redshirting in his first year back in his home state of Ohio, the offensive playmaker turned defensive back helped the team win a national title in 2024 while mostly playing as a reserve on defense and on special teams.

He was effective in doing so, however, and his prowess during the third-phase of the game is a reason he’s even being considered to be drafted.

In 2025, Styles Jr. successfully completed the transition to defense as he recorded 11 starts in 12 games from the nickel/safety position while registering 30 tackles, three pass breakups, and one-and-a-half sacks.

It wasn’t an earth-shattering performance by any means, but it was a step in the right direction as he prepares to take on the same challenge at the NFL level.

It won’t be easy, but there’s potential for the former wideout on defense and special teams, especially considering he ran the fastest time of any defensive back at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in February with a time of 4.27 seconds. That speed was on full display when he took one of his two kickoff returns last season back for a 100-yard touchdown against UCLA.

He’s not projected to come in and contribute to a team right away, and he might not even crack the opening day roster when all is said and done in the fall, but if a team winds up taking Styles Jr. somewhere late on Day 3 then there’s at least a chance that they’re getting a starting player somewhere down the road . . . and a tremendous special teams player almost immediately.

With that said, he’ll get a chance to stick around in the league due to his athletic ability, but it’ll be up to him to fill in the rest of the gaps in order to become the best player that he can be.

It’ll be interesting to watch.

Jordan van den Berg, Defensive Tackle, Georgia Tech (6-foot-3, 310 lbs/Age: 24)

Meet Georgia Tech’s Jordan van den Berg — the most athletic defensive tackle that you’ve probably never heard of.

And, he just so happens to be a rather big draft crush of yours truly. 

In my opinion, van den Berg’s going to be a major steal for some team on Day 3 . . . perhaps in Buffalo? Let’s hope.

A native of South Africa, the now 6-foot-3, 310-pound athletic freak moved to the United States when he was around 10 years old, and he and his family settled within the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area where he would attend Providence Christian Academy in Lilburn, Georgia, growing up as an adolescent. 

Having played rugby as a kid in his home country prior to moving to Georgia, van den Berg seemingly took to playing American football rather easily, and he wound up being named First-Team All-State as a senior linebacker in 2019 after finishing with single-season school records in total tackles (157) and tackles for loss (14) that year while also adding four sacks.

He also finished his time as the school’s all-time leader in career tackles.

For whatever reason, though, the big time college programs weren’t calling for the three-sport athlete, who also played basketball and baseball in high school, and he wound up having to take his talents to the JUCO level at Iowa Western Community College for one season in 2020.

Bulking up by 40 pounds to aid in his transition from linebacker to defensive line, van den Berg played in the spring of 2021 due to the season being pushed back for COVID, and he wound up being named a First-Team JUCO All-American selection for his efforts.

From there, van den Berg landed at Penn State University from 2021 to 2023 where he recorded 26 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two-and-a-half sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in 28 games played across his three seasons.

He wasn’t stellar, but it was apparently just the start for van den Berg, who seemingly was only getting his feet wet at the Division-I FBS level before really taking off in his final two years in 2024 and 2025.

After transferring to Georgia Tech following his time at Penn State, van den Berg had two more years of eligibility — and he made the most of them.

Following his 2024 campaign where he amassed 23 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and one sack, the South African sensation exploded during his senior season as a Yellow Jacket in 2025, registering career-highs across the board in total tackles (44), tackles for loss (11), and sacks (3). The 2025 First-Team All-ACC selection also blocked a field goal.

It was eye-opening, but not as eye-opening as his performance during athletic testing at his pro day last month.

While doing the event, van den Berg ran the 40-yard dash in 4.94 seconds, had a 10-yard split of 1.61 seconds, a 20-yard shuttle of 4.19 seconds, and he had a vertical jump of 36” to go along with a broad jump of 9’-11”.

He also measured in with 32.1” arms and 9.4” hands.

And, with those numbers, van den Berg now stands as the second most athletic defensive tackle in the history of the NFL according to Kent Lee Platte’s (@MathBomb) Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which has become popular amongst draftniks around the NFL community in recent years.

It’s not the end all be all in terms of evaluating a player. But, it certainly is another useful tool when making such important decisions.

WIth that said, van den Berg is projected by some scouting analysts to not be selected until the seventh round, but I have a hard time believing that.

He’s a bit of an older prospect, but he has the athletic profile that you dream of, and he also had solid production to back up his tremendous traits last season.

In my opinion, he’s going to be a quality rotational piece in the NFL. And, given his physical prowess, I believe he has the potential to be able to fit within any scheme at the next level.

Keep an eye out for van den Berg, folks. 

He’s one of my favorites in this draft. I’ll certainly be rooting for him wherever he lands. 

Lander Barton, Linebacker/Tight End, University of Utah (6-foot-5, 233 lbs/Age: 22)

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter’s two-way positional flexibility was all of the rage during last year’s draft cycle.

Being able to grab a player who could conceivably contribute on both sides of the ball at the next level has been almost unheard of in the NFL over the years, but not completely non-existent.

So, may I interest you in another such player who’s seemingly flying completely under the radar this spring?

OK, I’ll do my best.

The Bills could use a few linebackers in this year’s draft, right? 

And, they might even look at adding a fourth tight end/h-back to replace longtime veteran Reggie Gilliam, who was the team’s fullback in recent seasons.

So, let’s talk about University of Utah’s Lander Barton, who was an inside linebacker AND a tight end during his time with the Utes, which began once he joined the team in 2022 as a true freshman out of Brighton High School in Cottonwood Heights, Utah.

The brother of current NFL linebacker Cody Barton, who is with the Tennessee Titans after originally entering the league as a third-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2019, the younger Barton is coming off a career in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he finished his time as a team captain after collecting 207 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, nine pass breakups, eight sacks, five interceptions, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns.

Oh, and did I mention that he also had six receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown while moonlighting as blocking tight end for the Utes on offense.

Does he have a future at the position in the NFL? Probably not, but it’s still impressive, nonetheless. 

With that said, I do think Barton has a future at linebacker, however.

Bursting onto the scene as the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year (46 tackles, 8 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 1 FF), Barton was an impact player for Utah during all four of his seasons, and — despite dealing with some lingering injury issues in college — he has plenty of toolsy traits to work with at the next level.

At 6-foot-5, 233 pounds, the former Brighton High School standout has incredible size and length for the linebacker position, and he also displayed some decent athleticism at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.

According to Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb), Barton scored a 7.05 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) after he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds, had a 10-yard split of 1.64 seconds, had a vertical jump of 33”, and a broad jump of 9’-11”.

In addition to his sufficient athletic abilities, Barton also displayed solid instincts while at Utah in both the running game and the passing game.

He had 64 total pressures when asked to blitz the quarterback, and he showed good closing speed and lateral movement skills while mirroring tight ends down the field and chasing down ballcarriers from sideline to sideline despite possessing a missed-tackle rate of 18.5% during his time as a Ute, which can be cleaned up with better technique.

In my opinion, he possesses enough athleticism to stick in the NFL, and his incredible size and length are intriguing to think about when pondering Barton’s fit within a defense at the next level.

If Buffalo decides to double-dip at linebacker in the draft this upcoming week, then I think Barton would be a great second addition in the later rounds who could develop into a fringe starter down the line.

Like van den Berg listed above, Barton is also one of my favorites in this class.

Michael Heldman, EDGE, Central Michigan University (6-foot-4, 268 lbs/Age: 23)

As we begin to dwindle down our list of prospects here at the draft series segment we call, “Five at Five,” some of the names of the players mentioned toward the end of the list might not be all too familiar.

But, don’t let that fool you.

These players can still “ball out.” You just haven’t been properly introduced, yet.

With that said, one such player is Central Michigan University EDGE Michael Heldman, who is a 6-foot-4, 268-pound prospect in this year’s draft class.

Currently 23 years old, Heldman wasn’t invited to the scouting combine in February despite an illustrious career with the Chippewas, which included a redshirt senior campaign in 2025 where the Central Michigan captain earned First-Team All-MAC honors following a 13-game outing where he posted career-highs in total tackles (48), tackles for loss (16.5), sacks (10.5), pass deflections (4), and forced fumbles (2).

For his career, the EDGE rusher registered 120 total tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, five pass deflections, and four forced fumbles in 52 games across five seasons.

Heldman followed that incredible performance by blowing up at his pro day last month by posting a 40” vertical and running the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds, which is quite a good time considering his size.

Capable of playing with his hand in the dirt as a defensive end in a 4-3 or as a stand-up outside linebacker in a 3-4, Heldman is a tantalizing prospect who doesn’t figure to hear his name called until late on Day 3 given his late breakout at a smaller school.

Still, he has plenty of potential. 

And, he just hopes that he lands in the right situation to make the most impact that he can at the next level.

“I would love to get drafted, but, you know what? Regardless, whatever team wants me, they’re getting a dog. And, they’re getting a man who can help change many things (on their team),” Heldman said earlier this offseason.

“I feel like I’ve shown (that) I can stop the run. I think I’ve shown (that) I can play with leverage, (and) set an edge very well. I’m very technically sound when it comes to pass rush — just using my hands accurately, setting up moves, and (having) a progression of moves.”

It’ll be interesting to see what team takes a chance on the small-school standout because he has enough talent to be a late-round steal, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to double-down on EDGE in this draft with a player like Heldman.

Watch out for his name.

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.