The Buffalo Bills have not drafted a quarterback since the 2020 season, but that could change this year as the team aims to find a long-term backup to Josh Allen.
The Bills have rotated through a set of familiar backups for Allen, with Mitch Trubisky and Kyle Allen both serving two tenures. The Bills have not tried to develop their own backup quarterback since a largely failed experiment with Jake Fromm, who spent a little more than a season with the Bills without ever seeing the field.
SI.com analyst Ralph Ventre predicted that could change this year, with several potential options available to the Bills through next week’s NFL draft, including an intriguing prospect from FCS.
Bills Connected to FCS Star
Ventre pegged Monmouth quarterback Derek Robertson as a good option for the Bills, noting that he led the FCS in passing yards per game over the last two seasons.
“After his 2025 Walter Payton award candidacy was derailed by a mid-season wrist injury that required surgery on his non-throwing hand, the gritty field general fought his way back onto the field in time for the FCS Playoffs, only to see a nine-win Monmouth team snubbed by the selection committee,” Ventre wrote.
Ventre added that Robertson doesn’t have the prototypical tools for an NFL quarterback, but could develop into a useful backup.
“Robertson, who stands a fraction under 6-foot-2, has above-average arm strength, and the cerebral passer made a habit of throwing receivers open during his time at the Jersey Shore,” Ventre wrote. “Whether it’s late in the draft, or as a priority free agent, some team is going to get the perfect developmental backup.”
Bills Urged to Add ‘Gritty Field General’ QB Behind Josh Allen