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Buffalo Bills’ roster needs aligned with 2026 NFL combine top performers

Story byINDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 26: Malachi Lawrence #DL48 of Central Florida participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/) | Getty ImagesBruce NolanTue, March 3, 2026 at 2:53 PM UTC·6 min readThe 2026 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone and Relative Athletic Scores (RAS) will be popping up all over your social media feeds alongside video clips of exceptional gauntlet drills and gravity-defying jumps. For Bills Mafia and other NFL fandoms, many are fixating most closely on the players at the positions of perceived need for their favorite team. Not knowing what free agency will bring and not knowing how those needs will look different when the Bills have their first pick read off a card during draft weekend, during the combine I was focusing on players from my previously established needs list. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHow did players at those positions fare?

Buffalo Bills’ roster needs aligned with 2026 NFL combine top performers

Credit: Yahoo

Key Highlights

  • Let’s evaluate some performances. Edge RusherMalachi Lawrence, EDGE (Central Florida) (RAS 9.90)Lawrence showed at the combine what he shows on film: impressive movement.
  • He had a 96th percentile or better mark in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard split, 10-yard split, broad jump, and vertical jump.
  • With requisite arm length (33.63”) over a generally established threshold of 33”, Lawrence can provide a team with an athletic rusher to mold likely on Day 2 of the upcoming draft. NFL. com’s Lance Zierlien compared Lawrence to former Philadelphia Eagles and current Arizona Cardinals defender Josh Sweat, who was on the wish list for many Bills fans as a free agent last offseason — and who totaled 12 sacks in 2025 (a number any Bills fan would be thrilled to get out of a singular pass rusher in recent years). AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMason Reiger, EDGE (Wisconsin) (9.53 RAS)Reiger is a tall, linear, explosive athlete who happens to hail from new Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s last play-calling location in Camp Randall.
  • Leonhard and Reiger’s time didn’t overlap there, but the former Badger projects as an edge defender in more of an odd front (which the Bills may utilize notably under Leonhard). Reiger’s arm length (32.63”) is a smidge shorter than you’d expect from a guy who’s every bit of 6’5”, but he tallied an 89th-percentile or better mark in the 10-yard split, broad jump, and vertical jump. Wide ReceiverBryce Lance, WR (North Dakota State) (9.95 RAS)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe younger brother of former top three pick Trey Lance, Bryce followed in the footsteps of former NDSU freak athlete wide receiver Christian Watson by putting up 95th-percentile or better marks in the 40-yard dash, 20- and 10-yard splits, vertical jump, and broad jump. Unlike a lot of recent combine attendees, Lance also partook in the shuttle and three-cone drills, showing impressive agility (84th-percentile shuttle, 64th-percentile three-cone) for a player of his 6’3” height.
  • Lance’s proven athleticism, with two years of strong production (1,000 receiving yards in both 2024 and 2025) and excellent ball-tracking skills, could have him selected in the top 100 in April. Germie Bernard, WR (Alabama) (9.04 RAS)Bernard’s athleticism may have taken a few draft aficionados off guard when he came out and posted and 80th percentile or better mark in the 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, broad jump, and three-cone.
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Sources

  1. Buffalo Bills’ roster needs aligned with 2026 NFL combine top performers

This quick summary is automatically generated using AI based on reports from multiple news sources. The content has not been reviewed or verified by humans. For complete details, accuracy, and context, please refer to the original published articles.

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