Buffalo Bills: Breaking down the initial 53-man roster

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 28: Cole Beasley #11, Josh Allen #17, and Gabriel Davis #13, all of the Buffalo Bills, celebrate after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Highmark Stadium on August 28, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) /

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Micah Hyde steps in front of Packers receiver Malik Taylor for an interception, killing a scoring chance.Jg 082821 Bills 2b /

Buffalo Bills Defense

Defensive End (6): Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, A.J. Epenesa, Greg Rousseau, Boogie Basham, Efe Obada

Defensive Tackle (5): Star Lotulelei, Ed Oliver, Vernon Butler, Harrison Phillips, Justin Zimmer

Linebacker (6): Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, A.J. Klein, Tyler Matakevich, Andre Smith, Tyrel Dodson

Cornerback (5): Tre’Davious White, Levi Wallace, Dane Jackson, Taron Johnson, Siran Neal

Safety (4): Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Damar Hamlin, Jaquan Johnson

It was clear the Buffalo Bills have great depth at defensive end and they couldn’t afford to cut anymore at the position, outside of Mike Love. By the team trading Darryl Johnson, they were able to keep the players they did.

The Buffalo Bills also surprisingly kept five defensive tackles which was a surprise for this team. This could be an indication that Harrison Phillips may be a candidate to go on injured reserve in the next few days and the team wanted the depth.

At linebacker, Andre Smith was a player on the bubble who ended up making the 53-man roster. The former Carolina Panthers’ linebacker was a key part of special teams last year but this preseason showed growth at linebacker and could find himself on the field if there is an injury to a starter.

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