Updated Buffalo Bills Depth Chart: Where does Gregory Rousseau fit?

The Buffalo Bills for the second year in a row used their first pick in the NFL Draft on a pass rusher. Last year, they didn’t have a first round pick due to the Stefon Diggs trade but with their second round pick selected A.J. Epenesa.

On Thursday night, the Bills went back to that position with the selection of defensive end Gregory Rousseau out of the University of Miami. He is a raw prospect that has an incredibly high ceiling. The question now is where does he fit into the rotation this season as a rookie. This is my prediction on what the Buffalo Bills depth chart looks like at defensive end after the selection of Rousseau.

Starters: Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison

Second: A.J. Epenesa, Efe Obada

Third: Darryl Johnson, Gregory Rousseau

Fourth: Mike Love, Bryan Cox Jr.

The training camp battle at defensive end is shaping to be one of the top position battles for the Buffalo Bills. However, the top four at the position should see plenty of snaps as the coaching staff does rotate players pretty frequently at defensive end.

Of the players at the position, Jerry Hughes is probably the only one that should feel confident about his spot on this depth chart.

The coaching staff would like to see Epenesa, who had an up and down rookie year, take that next step and earn the starting job from Mario Addison. This would move the veteran to be the primary backup to Hughes.

After Epenesa is Efe Obada, who was an under-the-radar free agent signing that could end up being one of the best bargains for the Bills. He improved every year with the Carolina Panthers and this past season finished with 5.5 sacks on just 38% of their defensive snaps.

This then raises the question where Gregory Rousseau fits into this position as a rookie. He is considered a player that is going to need time to develop and learn the position. This will likely limit his playing time as a rookie but with his size, the coaching staff could try to move him around the line. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him on the field at defensive tackle on clear passing downs to provide a pass rush from the interior.

There is no question that the Buffalo Bills have the depth at the position now with Rousseau but will enter training camp with plenty of questions.