Bills' Rookie Jersey Number Choices Imply Two Defensive Starters Won't Be Back

Jan 22, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer (21) reacts before an AFC divisional round game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Bills' Rookie Jersey Number Choices Imply Two Defensive Starters Won't Be Back

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Ralph Ventre | Last updated May 6, 2026 5:10 PM ET

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If they eventually come back to the Buffalo Bills, they'll need to choose a new preferred jersey number.

The Bills officially revealed the jersey numbers for their 10 drafted players with second-round cornerback Davison Igbinosun and fifth-round defensive tackle Zane Durant taking numbers that belonged to defensive starters last year.

Igbinosun will wear No. 21, which former All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer donned during his eight seasons with the Bills. Durant will sport No. 92 — a number that defensive tackle DaQuan Jones owned since 2022.

The 35-year-old Poyer and the 34-year-old Jones have yet to find suitors on the free agent market. The former had suggested that 2025 could be his final season when he returned last September after spending 2024 with the Miami Dolphins.

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Poyer, who was a staple in ex-head coach Sean McDermott's secondary, was unavailable for the Bills' overtime playoff loss to the Denver Broncos due to a hamstring injury suffered one week earlier. It was the first time he missed a postseason start in 13 games.

As for Jones, Buffalo no longer appears to have a need for the grizzled veteran in its new defense led by coordinator Jim Leonhard. Jones, whose age appeared to catch up with him last year, made 51 starts for the Bills over the past four seasons.

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More noteworthy number selections

We wrote about second-round edge rusher TJ Parker choosing No. 99 in the aftermath of the draft, highlighting the fact that defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi most recently wore the number.

Likely to go down as a Bills' free agent failure, Ogunjobi showed little when he finally saw the field after a six-game suspension. It would be shocking if Buffalo suddenly had interest in bringing back the soon-to-be 32-year-old.

Fourth-round rookie wide receiver Skyler Bell chose No. 13. Those two digits had belonged to Gabe Davis, who is on the road to recovery from a brutal knee injury suffered in the wild-card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars this past January.

When he posted a workout photo showing progress on Instagram earlier this offseason, we wrote about the potential of a reunion with Davis down the road.

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Fourth-round linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr has claimed No. 52, which was worn by defensive tackle Jordan Phillips in 2025. The 33-year-old Phillips claimed he's content with retiring if the Bills don't call him back for a 12th NFL season.

Somewhat fittingly, fourth-round offensive tackle Jude Bowry took the number of the player he was essentially drafted to replace. Bowry will wear No. 74 after swing tackle Ryan Van Demark left for the Minnesota Vikings.

Bills' draft pick jersey numbers

No. 99 — DE TJ Parker (Round 2)

No. 21 — CB Davison Igbinosun (Round 2)

No. 74 — LT Jude Bowry (Round 4)

No. 13 — WR Skyler Bell. (Round 4)

No. 52 — LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr (Round 4)

No. 29 — S Jalon Kilgore (Round 5)

No. 92 — DT Zane Durant (Round 5)

No. 32 — CB Toriano Pride Jr. (Round 7)

No. 39 — P Tommy Doman (Round 7)

No. 60 — G Ar'maj Reed-Adams (Round 7)