The AFC East has some big draft decisions leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft. Whether the teams get it right or not could not only reshape the 2026 NFL season but could also impact the future of the decision for years to come.
Some of these big decisions involve two teams with two first-round picks. Both the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are both teams that finished lower in the standings and have question marks all over their roster. Who should the Jets select at No. 2? Should the Dolphins select a cornerback or wide receiver with their top pick?
On the flip side, the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots are expected to fight for the top spot in the division which decisions in the draft that could influence who finished on top. Could the Bills value another receiver and should the Patriots add another tackle to the mix? Obviously, each team have other needs to address which will lead to interesting decisions as to which prospects fit those needs.
Here’s the one draft decision facing each AFC East team ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Do the Buffalo Bills land another weapon for Josh Allen
With Joe Brady taking over at head coach, the Bills surrounding Josh Allen with more weapons will be one of the focal points of the draft. Yes, Buffalo did make a deal for D.J. Moore this offseason, but the unreliability of Keon Coleman will have Bills general manager Brandon Beane looking for another target for Allen.
- Omar Cooper vs David Boston vs KC Concepcion
If the Bills target a wide receiver with the No. 26 overall pick, there will be options like Indiana’s Omar Coooper Jr., Washington’s Denzel Boston and/or Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion. While each prospect would bring a different dynamic to the offense, the Bills must decide which of those options (if they go wide receiver in the first round) would make the offense tougher to defend.
While selecting Boston would be duplicating what they have in Coleman, Cooper Jr is a player who gives them that middle-of-the-field slot receiver reliability they have been missing over the last couple of seasons. Along with his physicality as a receiver and breakaway ability, he is the one prospect who could make the Bills more dangerous given what the Bills have in D.J. Moore, Khalil Shakir, Coleman and the two-headed tight end duo of Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox.
The secondary option here would be Concepcion who has the high-level separation speed the Bills are also looking for. Given that Cooper Jr could go higher in this draft, the Bills may have a decision to make as far as trading up for a player who would be a fantastic fit for their offense.
What will the Dolphins do at No. 11 and No. 30?
The Dolphins shocking trade of Jaylen Waddle gained them an additional first-round pick in this draft and made wide receiver one of the biggest needs the draft. Consequently, the trade of Jalen Ramsey prior to the 2025 NFL season has led to cornerback as the other major need in the 2026 NFL Draft.
What will the tandem of new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley do to set the foundation of their roster rebuild?
- Wide receiver or cornerback at No. 11?
While pass rusher is also an area of need for the Dolphins, there is plenty of depth there to target one later in the draft. As a foundational piece potentially at No. 11, the decision here must be the best of who is available at both cornerback and wide receiver at No. 11. They could target the other position at No. 30. The Dolphins also have the possibility of using both picks to trade up.
Two prospects the Dolphis should be watching closely are LSU’s Mansoor Delane at cornerback and USC’s Makai Lemon at wide receiver. Whichever one of those players are available at No. 11 is who the Dolphins go with. Unless Ruebin Bain Jr falls out of the top 10, Delane is the logical choice as a CB1 caliber prosect who could secure one of the cornerstone positions for the franchise going forward.
If they go corner at No. 11, they can target a Denzel Boston at wide receiver with No. 30 or have a choice between the remaining top pass rushers who could have first round value like Clemson’s T.J. Parker or Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas.
Will the Patriots draft a tackle at No. 31?
Beyond all the A.J. Brown rumors, including recent buzz that that Patriots are frontrunners in finally pulling off a deal post-June 1, there has been a lot of chatter as to what the Patriots should do with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. With big needs at edge rusher and more reinforcements along the offensive line, the focus has been on prospects in those key areas.
But don’t be surprised if Eliot Wolf, Mike Vrabel and the front offense go in another direction with their top pick in the draft if they feel they can get a player they like at Edge or tackle later in the draft. Could they go tight end, linebacker, defensive tackle or still target a wide receiver? Or is the team more set on selecting an offensive tackle?
- Who is worth the value at No. 31?
With Morgan Moses on the tail end of his career, the need at tackle is more on the right side. Although the team has made it clear Will Campbell will remain at LT, bringing in another talented tackle should be high on the team’s radar. However, unless highly touted tackles like Clemson’s Blake Miller, Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor is still sitting there at No. 31, the Patriots should go edge rusher or even take a leap and take tight end Eli Stowers. Otherwise, prospects like Miami’s Markel Bell and Boston College tackle Jude Bowry are Day 2 or Day 3 options if the Patriots are strictly looking for a Moses successor.
New York Jets: David Bailey or Arvell Reese at No. 2?
The Jets have a very good problem in this draft. They get to choose between two of the best defensive players in the draft in Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey. The Jets really can’t go wrong with either player. But of course, this decision will spark some debate for years to come. Could the Jets trade back and add even more draft picks in the first 100 picks?
They already have 5 in the first 103, including 4 in the top 50. It would be intriguing for Jets GM Darren Mougey to pull off yet another blockbuster deal, especially if they could trade back and still nab a player like Bailey which is possible given the needs and expectations the three teams (Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and New York Giants) drafting behind them.
- So, is it Reese or Bailey?
If the Jets stay at No. 2, it must be Reese given his impact all over the field. Bailey is a disruptor along the line, but Reese has that Micah Parsons ability to be an impact player both rushing the passer and impacting the game in other areas. Again, if the Jets entertain trading back, it would be because a team values Reese enough to move up to No. 2 or could there be a team love struck enough to move up ahead of the Titans and Cardinals to take Jeremiyah Love?
Perhaps a team like the Giants (No. 5 overall) or the Washington Commanders (No. 7 overall). Either of those options would allow the Jets to trade back and take Bailey, which would be a major chess move by Mr. Mougey.
Add us as a preferred source on Google