Bills target defense in choosing LB Parker, CB Igbinosun in NFL draft after trading out of 1st round

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills focused on restocking their defense in the NFL draft on Friday, a day after making three trades to back out of the first round.

Buffalo used the 35th selection to pick Clemson linebacker T.J. Parker. The Bills then traded up four spots — sending the No. 182 pick to Denver — to select Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun at No. 62.

At 6-foot-3 and 263 pounds, Parker was a three-year defensive linemen for the Tigers and will make the switch to outside linebacker on a Bills defense switching to a 3-4 scheme this season.

Igbinosun was a three-year starter at Ohio State, after transferring from Mississippi. He had four interceptions and 22 pass breakups in 56 games with the Buckeyes. He was also a member of Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team.

The additions come with the Bills in transition, with offensive coordinator Joe Brady promoted in January after Sean McDermott was fired following nine seasons. While much of the Josh Allen-led offense returns intact, Buffalo’s defense is transitioning under new coordinator Jim Leonhard.

Though it’s unclear yet how the Bills plan to differentiate their edge rushers and outside linebackers, Parker will have a chance to rotate into the lineup behind Greg Rousseau and free-agent addition Bradley Chubb.

Parker is regarded as a hard-hitting tackler, who still needs to develop his pass-rushing technique. The 21-year-old does have versatility in showing a capability of dropping back into coverage.

He finished his college career with 41 1/2 tackles for a loss, 21 1/2 sacks and six forced fumbles over 39 games. Parker especially excelled in his sophomore season in which he had 19 1/2 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks and set the single-season record with six forced fumbles.

“I’m a guy who’s gonna play with attitude, run to the ball, get there as fast as possible and put the pain on somebody,” Parker said. “We’re playing fast, physical football in this league, and I’m trying to bring the nasty to the defense.”

Brady had previously said wanting what had been a so-called “bend-but-don’t-break” defense under McDermott to adopt a attacking style similar to his offense.

General manager Brandon Beane was strategic by trading down three times on Thursday to add two draft picks and improve the team’s position in the middle rounds.

Buffalo entered the draft with just seven picks, and just three among the top 126 selections after trading its second-rounder to Chicago to acquire receiver DJ Moore. The Bills entered Friday with nine picks, and five among the top 126.

The additional picks benefit a Bills team seeking to retool on the fly to remain competitive. Buffalo has reached the playoffs in seven straight seasons, but fallen short of a Super Bowl berth.

The Bills currently have six picks left and are scheduled to open Saturday with the first pick of the fourth round, 101st overall. Buffalo still has depth needs at defensive tackle, safety and receiver.

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FILE - Clemson defensive lineman T.J. Parker (55) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers made their delayed first pick of the NFL draft, selecting Ole Miss wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the top pick in the second round on Friday.

The 49ers came into the draft with the 27th overall pick in the first round but made two trades down on Thursday night to add more draft capital on the final two days of the draft. They used their first pick Friday to take Stribling 33rd overall and then traded down again with their second pick in the second round before taking Texas Tech defensive end Romello Height 70th overall.

This was the third time in the past 30 drafts that San Francisco didn’t make a first-round pick with it also happening in 2022 and ’23 after the team had traded those first-rounders to move up for quarterback Trey Lance in 2021.

Stribling spent his first two seasons in college at Washington State and the next two at Oklahoma State before joining Ole Miss last season. He had 55 catches for 811 yards and six TDs to help the Rebels reach the semifinals of the College Football Playoff

The 49ers addressed the receiver spot in free agency with deals for veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, but opted to add another young receiver to build around long term along with 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall.

Brandon Aiyuk was expected to fill that role after signing a four-year, $120 million extension before the 2024 season, but an injury followed by his decision to leave the team last season forced the team to go in another direction. Aiyuk is expected to be cut — or possibly traded — in the coming days or weeks.

Stribling gives the Niners another speed option outside after he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. He averaged 7.4 yards after catch and is a skilled blocker which should fit well in coach Kyle Shanahan's system.

“I’m a very versatile guy,” Stribling said. “I can do a lot of things and also block at a high level. So very excited to go out there and contribute in the pass game, but also the run game also.”

The 25-year-old Height provides a needed boost to San Francisco's pass rush that finished last in the NFL with 20 sacks last season. Height had 10 sacks last season after spending his first five years in college at Auburn, USC and Georgia Tech. He had just 6 1/2 sacks in his first five college seasons.

Height is more of a designated pass rusher and could complement last year's first-round pick Mykel Williams, who is stronger against the run and has the ability to move inside on passing downs.

The 49ers have one more pick on Friday with the 90th in the third round. San Francisco also has four fourth-round picks and one fifth-rounder on Saturday.

The Niners traded linebacker Dee Winters to Dallas on Friday for a fifth-round pick. San Francisco packaged that pick with the No. 58 pick and got picks 70 and 107 from Cleveland.

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FILE - Mississippi wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling (35) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, Fiel)