Number 3: A.J. Epenesa
With the attention given to Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham, it seems like last year’s second round pick A.J. Epenesa is a bit forgotten. It is certainly understandable because last season wasn’t exactly memorable as Epenesa only played 27% of the defensive snaps and had only one sack and four QB hits.
However, there were a number of factors that seemed to work against Epenesa his rookie season. Due to the pandemic, he didn’t have many offseason workouts and the entire preseason was canceled. There was also the issue with his weight where he actually lost more than the Buffalo Bills wanted to see.
That issue seems to be behind him as Leslie Frazier said he is ‘basically a different player’ and looks to be stronger with a full offseason.
Leslie Frazier says weight wise and approach, A.J. Epenesa is basically a different player. Been able to manage new weight better now and has gained strength after working offseason with #Bills strength and conditioning.
— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) June 2, 2021
Ideal weight is 255-258 in Frazier's opinion.
The challenge for Epenesa is whether he or not he can make an impact with what is likely to be limited snaps. The Buffalo Bills are very deep at defensive end and could have four, or even five, defensive ends rotating during the course of a game.
It may limit A.J. Epenesa from having a breakout season but if he is efficient with those snaps, the former Iowa Hawkeye could be the best defensive end on the roster by season’s end.