Georgia’s CJ Allen wrapped up his junior season as a consensus All-American and first-team All-SEC performer. He is cementing himself as one of the premier linebacker prospects available in the 2026 NFL Draft. And now, he could be headed to a $5.9 billion franchise that’s desperately trying to avoid a looming personnel crisis at the second level. 

ESPN’s Jordan Reid certainly thinks the fit makes sense in his latest mock draft. He slots Allen to the Buffalo Bills at pick No. 24 despite their glaring need at wide receiver. “The Bills have a huge need at receiver, but there isn’t an available player at that position who makes sense here,” Reid wrote. “So we’ll pivot to linebacker, where Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson are older (both will turn 32 this offseason) and set to become free agents.”

Milano and Thompson, two veterans who’ve anchored the Bills’ defense, are both hitting free agency at ages where linebacker production typically falls off a cliff. Thompson joined Buffalo on a one-year deal last June after back-to-back season-ending injuries with Carolina. He appeared in limited action while Milano has battled his own injury issues throughout 2025.​

Reid’s assessment of Allen paints the picture of a linebacker who checks most of the boxes Buffalo needs. He wrote, “Allen is a sudden second-level defender who steps downhill with a lot of closing speed. He’s a consistent run defender who thrives on contact. He needs to improve his eyes and awareness in coverage, but Allen has gotten better in those areas this season.”

The Bills don’t have anyone on their linebacker roster who can match Allen’s combination of youth, athleticism, and proven production at the highest level of college. With both Thompson and Milano potentially walking in free agency, Buffalo’s linebacker room could look completely barren come training camp. 

Allen’s 2025 campaign showed exactly why NFL scouts are salivating over his potential as a three-down linebacker. He posted brilliant tackle performances against Tennessee (11), Auburn (10), and Florida (13). He also added game-wrecking plays, such as his forced fumble and fumble recovery against Kentucky. His six tackles, two tackles for loss, and sack against Kentucky were the impact plays that separate good linebackers from great ones. 

The coverage concerns that Reid mentioned are real. But they’re coachable issues for a 21-year-old who’s already shown significant improvement in that area. Allen’s hand-eye coordination and vertical jump give him the ability to make plays on the ball that most linebackers can’t. And his speed allows him to carry tight ends and running backs in man coverage. At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, Allen fits the NFL mold perfectly. Moreover, his experience in Georgia’s pro-style defense means the transition to Buffalo’s scheme should be relatively seamless. If the Bills pull the trigger at pick 24, they will have definitely found their linebacker of the future.

Georgia’s roster is hemorrhaging 

CJ Allen’s departure to the NFL Draft is a natural attrition of elite talent moving on to bigger paychecks. However, Georgia’s simultaneous implosion in the transfer portal is creating a talent crisis that Kirby Smart hasn’t faced since he arrived in Athens. 

Safety Joenel Aguero just became the tenth Bulldog to enter the portal. And he’s by far the most painful loss yet. Aguero is a former five-star recruit who played the fourth-most defensive snaps of any Georgia defender in 2025. That stings even more because Georgia had just landed Clemson safety Khalil Barnes, an Athens native who totaled 139 tackles and seven interceptions over three years with the Tigers. 

Essentially, Smart traded one experienced safety for another. This is a lateral move at best when you’re supposed to be reloading for another championship run. Aguero started 12 of 14 games and recorded 39 tackles before battling injuries late in the season. He missed significant time against Alabama and sat out the Sugar Bowl loss to Ole Miss entirely.​

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These portal misses are piling up just as fast as the departures. Georgia also tried to recruit Kansas State wide receiver Jayce Brown. He would’ve been the perfect replacement for Zachariah Branch after he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. But Brown chose Lane Kiffin’s LSU instead. Kirby Smart also lost out on USC defensive lineman Devan Thompkins to Alabama. 

Smart has always been a slow adapter to NIL and the portal era. He prefers to develop high school talent rather than chase expensive free agents. But that philosophy is starting to cost Georgia in a big way. With CJ Allen heading to the NFL and defensive backs like Aguero bolting for greener pastures, the Bulldogs’ championship window might be closing faster than anyone in Athens wants to admit.​