The Bills may have their eyes on a Super Bowl run, but the early days of training camp are already giving Buffalo a look at one of its newest defenders.
Rookie linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr has stepped into a bigger role while Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams are both sidelined. Buffalo is managing the workload for the two veterans as they work back from offseason injuries and surgeries, and that has opened the door for Elarms-Orr to handle the starting off-ball linebacker spot to begin camp.
Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard praised Elarms-Orr on Thursday, according to Jon Scott of WGRZ. The rookie has been working alongside Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and other reserve players, getting the kind of reps that can matter for a young linebacker trying to carve out a place on a defense.
Buffalo selected Elarms-Orr in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and the profile makes sense for a player who can take advantage of extra snaps right away. He brings quickness, range and sideline-to-sideline speed. Like plenty of mid-round rookies, though, he still has work to do with his football instincts and processing.
For now, the expectation is that Elarms-Orr opens the season behind Bernard and Williams. Special teams should also be part of his rookie workload. Still, if he keeps flashing in camp, there’s a path for him to push for an early role on Buffalo’s new-look defense.
“This rookie is one of most intriguing players I have an eye on in camp/preseason,” Scott added.
That makes Elarms-Orr a name Bills fans should keep tracking closely as the preseason unfolds.
In Other News...
Bills Secondary Suddenly Has A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Concern
The Bills secondary had already been a point of interest this offseason with C.J. Gardner-Johnson joining the team on a one-year deal, bringing the kind of versatility and edge Buffalo hoped would sharpen the back end of its defense. But his recent exit from a game quickly shifted the conversation from fit and role to simple availability, as trainers and teammates surrounded him after he went down.
Gardner-Johnson was unable to continue and was carted off after an apparent issue with his right foot, leaving Buffalo with an uneasy wait on a player it had just added to help stabilize the secondary. For a defense that is still sorting out new pieces, the sight of a veteran defensive back going down like that is the sort of development the Bills can ill afford this early. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Suddenly Face A C.J. Gardner-Johnson Camp Concern
The Bills got a scare at training camp when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during a practice drill and had to be helped off the field. It was the kind of moment that can stop a camp session in its tracks, especially when a veteran defensive back is involved, and Buffalo immediately shifted into the cautious mode teams usually reserve for injuries that could alter the shape of a roster conversation.
For now, the early signs are at least somewhat encouraging, with teammates and staff indicating Gardner-Johnson was able to walk afterward and is going through the usual medical steps. Still, the club is waiting for more clarity before saying much more, and the next update will matter for a defense that has been counting on him to settle in quickly during camp. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Secondary Just Got A Scare It Could Not Afford
Training camp already has a way of sorting out the hopeful from the fragile, and Buffalo got a reminder of that when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down during 11-on-11 drills. He suffered a lower-body injury, was helped off the field, and the Bills quickly shifted from practice mode to waiting mode as he was taken in for further evaluation.
The immediate concern was hard to miss: Gardner-Johnson was favoring his right foot and not putting much weight on it before heading to the locker room. Buffalo is now waiting on medical testing to learn how serious the injury is, a situation the secondary can hardly welcome with the season work already underway. [Read more 🡒]