The defensive line for the Buffalo Bills is deep and the coaching staff is going to have plenty of different combinations at their disposal to try and confuse opposing offenses. The Bills have been a team that likes to rotate defensive linemen regularly over the course of the game. This past season Ed Oliver had the most defensive snaps among defensive tackles and Jerry Hughes had the most at defensive end with both only playing 58% of the snaps.
This season should be no different after the Bills used their first two picks on defensive ends that should allow them to keep players fresh. They also have some players that bring versatility and the team can use this to their advantage to create potential mismatches.
These are four different defensive line combinations that the Buffalo Bills could use this year.
Starting Line
Defensive Ends: Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison
Defensive Tackles: Star Lotulelei, Ed Oliver
This is probably the easiest of the combinations to predict and shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. While the Buffalo Bills did draft Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr. with their first two picks, the coaching staff will likely lean on the veterans to set the tone early in the season.
On the ends will be Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, who were the team’s primary defensive ends a season ago. However, while they will be starting their snap count, particularly Addison, will likely go down this year as Brandon Beane indicated after the NFL Draft.
In the interior will be Star Lotulelei, who is returning after opting out of this past season, who will play the one-tech. He will be responsible for being the anchor of this line, clogging running lanes and engaging with blockers. This will then free up Ed Oliver to return to be a three-tech, which is better suited for his skill set as he can use his athleticism to get into the backfield and get after the quarterback.
Second Line
Defensive Ends: A.J. Epenesa, Gregory Rousseau
Defensive Tackles: Harrison Phillips, Vernon Butler
This may be considered the backup line but with how much they rotate their defensive linemen I am going to call it their second line. While the Buffalo Bills will be unlikely to make complete line changes, similar to hockey, they have the depth that they realistically could.
The pairing at defensive end is a glimpse into what is hopefully the future of the position. On one side will be A.J. Epenesa, who was the Bills’ second round pick in 2019, and Gregory Rousseau, who was the Bills’ first round pick this year. These two, along with Carlos Basham Jr., are expected to be the primary pass rushers in the coming years and replace Hughes and Addison.
On the interior is defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who replaces Star Lotulelei as the one-tech, and Vernon Butler, who is more of a three-tech. Both of these players were inconsistent at times but did enough to warrant being the team’s primary backups at defensive tackle.
Goal Line
Defensive Ends: Mario Addison, Vernon Butler
Defensive Tackles: Star Lotulelei, Harrison Phillips
When the Buffalo Bills need to get big, either in short-yardage or goal line situations, they can run out a defensive line combination like this. One of the biggest changes is that Vernon Butler, who is typically a tackle, can slide out and set the edge as defensive end.
This is a position he actually played in his final season with the Carolina Panthers when they ran a 3-4 defense. This was his best season as a pro, finishing with six sacks and eight QB hits. However, in this combination he will be expected to set the edge and get to the ball carrier.
The other change is lining up Harrison Phillips alongside Star Lotulelei and while Phillips is more of a one-tech defensive tackle, he does have some explosiveness that allows him to get into the backfield. The combination of these two would give offensive lines a challenge in moving them to create running lanes to pick up those few yards.
Speed Rush/ Passing Downs
Defensive Ends: Gregory Rousseau, Darryl Johnson
Defensive Tackles: Ed Oliver, Carlos Basham Jr.
This final combination is probably the most fun to think about as this should be the grouping that will generate the most pressure on quarterbacks and result in the most sacks. This group should be on the field in clear passing situations, like 3rd and long, that can get pressure quick on a quarterback and not allow him time in the pocket to make the throw.
At defensive end, I have Gregory Rousseau and Darryl Johnson, who primarily will play on special teams but does have quickness that can help him put pressure on the quarterback. As for Rousseau, he is a player that may not get to the quarterback right away but he can finish the sack when the pocket starts to break down.
On the interior is Ed Oliver, who can use his power and quickness to create push up the middle that will stop the quarterback from stepping up into the pocket. Alongside him, I have Carlos Basham Jr., who will primarily play defensive end but at 6’3″ and 285 pounds he has enough size to compete with interior offensive linemen. He would be similar to Oliver in a disruptive force by creating pressure up the middle.