Bills' Run Defense: Can New Coordinator Leonhard Fix It?

0:00On May 1st, Buffalo Bill's general manager Brandon Bean went heavy on defense this off-season, grabbing edge rusher TJ Parker and cornerback Davison. Iigbino's son with their first two draft picks. They also added Bradley Chubb of front, plus Vets' Geno Stone and CJ Gardner Johnson in the secondary. Sound solid, right? But the big question is whether they fixed the run defense their weakest spot. Leachy reports Gary Davenport ranked the Bill's 13th overall after the draft. He likes their pass rush and coverage upgrades, but points out they gave up 136.2 rushing yards per game last year, 5th, worst in the league. Without real changes inside, that weakness might linger into 2026. Fans and analysts are buzzing because the bills were brutal in short yardage spots, like third and short. Vets' guru Warren Sharp says they let opponents convert first downs, 79% of the time, second worst in the NFL, those situations, decide close games, and Buffalo still chasing those

1:04playoff breakthroughs. One bright spot is new defensive coordinator Jim Lee and Hard. He comes from the Broncos where their run defense ranked third in yards allowed in 2024 and second in 2025. Even though he coached the secondary there, he's installing a similar scheme in Buffalo, and Taylor just for this group. With these pieces in place and Lee and Hard calling shots, the bills could surprise on the ground game next season. Keep an eye on how he plays out early.