The Buffalo Bills selected Jude Bowry in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He was expected to be a massive part of the team.
Bowry was predicted to be the swing tackle for the Bills this season. However, Bowry was in a walking boot to begin the practice week. How that impacts his season is to be determined.
Yet, ahead of the preseason finale on Thursday, Bills insider Joe Buscgalia of The Athletic predicted that Bowry will be placed on the IR ahead of cutdown day on Sunday.
“Bowry is a lock if healthy for the 53-man roster, but he suffered an injury in Cleveland and was in a walking boot to begin the practice week,” Buscgalia wrote. “The Bills have 12 players they could consider to make the team along the offensive line. But keeping that many doesn’t match the needs of the rest of the roster.
“For what it’s worth, head coach Joe Brady said that he didn’t think any of the current injuries change the roster math for them. However, considering stashing someone they want to keep on injured reserve has been a staple of Beane’s tenure, it would be unwise to rule it out. Especially with the reserve OL roster crunch.”
Bowry being placed on the IR would be disappointing for his rookie season. Yet, it would help Buffalo’s roster outlook and allow them to keep another offensive lineman on the bubble, like Chase Lundt.
Bills Scouts Loved Bowry
Entering Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, Bowry was someone that scouts loved.
During the Bills embedded YouTube series, on Day 3 of the draft, Beane asked scouts to give one name they want the team to draft. And, the majority of scouts wrote Bowry, which made Buffalo pull the trigger on selecting him.
“We had our scouts write us an email of the player right now that you’re most convicted about in this fourth round,” Beane shared in the latest episode of Embedded. “I would say one of the guys that got a lot of love from our scouts was Jude Bowry.”
The Bills selected Bowry 102nd overall in the fourth round and expected him to be the team’s swing tackle.
Buffalo Preparing for Final Preseason Game
The Bills will conclude their preseason on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Buffalo won’t play Josh Allen, but head coach Joe Brady said some starters will still play in the game. But the focus will be on the players battling for roster spots and a spot on the practice squad.
“There will be some guys that are starters who are gonna be playing in the game,” Brady said. “Who that is, that is going to be something we are going to talk about after today’s practice.”
Buffalo will open its season on Sept. 13 against the Houston Texans.
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