English
Español
Fresh off a week scouting 2026 NFL Draft prospects in person at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Buffalo Bills have now begun hosting college prospects of team interest at One Bills Drive. Linebacker Josiah Trotter becomes the first name tied to a formal top-30 pre-draft visit with Buffalo, with a report by Chris Cooper stating Trotter arrived in Western New York on Monday.
With a shift in defensive philosophy expected under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, it’s possible the Bills use these top-30 visits to fully explore how defensive draft hopefuls might fit in with Buffalo’s plans to utilize 3-4 personnel. At just 20 years old, Josiah Trotter might just fit the bill, especially following “a strong combine performance where he led all linebackers with 27 reps on the bench press,” per Cooper.
Trotter measured in at 6’2” and 237 pounds, with 32 1/4” arms, and 10 1/4” hands. Those measurements, alone, aren’t likely enough to sway the Bills’ opinion one way or the other on Trotter. He only participated in the bench press (position-leading 27 reps), foregoing speed and agility drills. However, his on-field work at inside linebacker with one season each at the University of West Virginia and the University of Missouri could do some heavy lifting.
Trotter has just two seasons of college tape for teams to evaluate, but he comes with the benefit of NFL bloodlines. His father, Jeremiah Trotter, played linebacker in the NFL for 11 seasons between 1998 and 2009, most notably in two stints with the Philadelphia Eagles. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein describes the younger Trotter as an “ascending” player with “alpha energy,” which doesn’t surprise anyone who’s seen his play. Trotter plays with equal parts power and football finesse. However, he remains a bit inconsistent in his production, and he struggles in pass coverage.
Zierlein tabs Trotter’s professional comparison to Nick Bolton, which implies he could become a blue-chip run stuffer or better for any team that selects him. In his assessment of Trotter, Zierlein sees a “(t)alented blitzer with a bag full of rush tricks,” but also someone who plays with “spotty zone awareness/spacing and the risk of being mismatched in man” against tight ends and running backs.
As of publishing, Trotter is predicted to hear his name called on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Should that hold true, it leaves the potential wide open for the Bills to select him during Rounds 2 or 3 on that Friday of draft weekend.
With a bit of uncertainty in Buffalo’s linebacker room, namely what happens with Matt Milano, Shaq Thompson, and Matthew Judon, adding a young player like Trotter to compete with the likes of Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen, and Baylon Spector makes sense. Linebacker Terrel Bernard is entering the first year of his four-year, $42 million contract extension, but he’s proven injury prone in extended play — a theme common to the linebackers room, in general, last season.
Last season as part of Mizzou’s defense, Trotter racked up 13 tackles for loss among a total of 84 take downs. While he may currently present as a bit of a liability in coverage, Trotter’s best attributes could help the Bills improve on the defense’s run woes, and less-than-ideal blitz production of the 2025 season.