The Buffalo Bills have a wide-open opportunity on defense — meaning anyone who wants to step up and ball out will probably get a shot. There really aren’t any stars.
That’s why edge rusher and 2026 2nd-round pick T.J. Parker has been so disappointing during the Bills’ 3-0 start, and why Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo put him at the top of his list of hyped rookies who are “falling short” early in the season.
The opportunity is there for Parker. He just can’t seem to take it.
“The Buffalo Bills traded out of the first round altogether and made defensive end T.J. Parker their first draft pick at No. 35 overall,” Melo wrote. “They passed on opportunities to select top-32 prospects. That added a complicated layer to Parker’s evaluation, and his early-season production has been quiet. The Bills’ offense is carrying the squad right now. Parker has played just 40 snaps, including a season-low nine in Week 3. The former Clemson standout has one pressure and zero sacks.”
Parker, 6-foot-4 and 263 pounds, signed a 4-year, $13.1 million rookie contract.
T.J. Parker Earned Big Praise in Preseason
Pro Football Focus singled out Parker as 1 of the NFL’s highest-graded rookies in the preseason as the Bills went a perfect 3-0.
Parker finished with an 83.8 overall grade from PFF and was at his best in the preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“The 35th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft had his best game of the preseason this past week, notching a 91.7 PFF grade in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers,” PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote on August 31. ” He ends the preseason with four total pressures from 37 pass-rushing snaps and a pair of tackles resulting in a defensive stop.”
T.J. Parker Called ‘Difference Maker’ for Bills
With breakout star Greg Rousseau and high-priced free agent Bradley Chubb penciled in as starters, Parker has a unique opportunity to help the Bills win without the tremendous pressure some 1st-round picks have
McGuinness previously singled out Parker as 1 of a pair of rookies, along with wide receiver Skyler Bell, who might be able to step in from Day 1 and move the needle for the Bills as they try to win the franchise’s 1st Super Bowl.
“T.J. Parker earned PFF grades above 80.0 in each of his final two seasons at Clemson and has the length to become a difference-maker at the next level with the right coaching,” McGuiness wrote on July 31. “He generated 41 pressures on 325 pass-rushing snaps in 2025, with 17 resulting in either a sack or quarterback hit.”
Bills’ Top Draft Pick Called Out for ‘Falling Short’