2022 Top 25 Buffalo Bills 25 and Under: No. 17 Tyrel Dodson
Tyrel Dodson joined the Buffalo Bills in 2019 as an undrafted free agent and after spending his rookie season on the practice squad, he would earn a backup linebacker spot in 2020. Dodson would get his first career start early that season after Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano both suffered injuries in the opening week of the season.
Dodson would get the start in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins alongside A.J. Klein finishing that game with eight total tackles and two passes defended. He would get another start in Week 5 and have seven tackles in that game.
He would return to being a backup after that game and stayed in that role all of last season. He has appeared in 26 games over the past two seasons with 37 total tackles, one sack, and two passes defended. Dodson has also been a key contributor on special teams with over 400 snaps during that stretch.
Could Tyrel Dodson have a bigger role in 2022 with the Buffalo Bills?
The Buffalo Bills saw enough from Tyrel Dodson the past two years to re-sign him to a one-year deal. The question now is what role he might have this coming season.
The Bills likely will still want him heavily involved in special teams but he could start to see more playing time when the Buffalo Bills utilize the 4-3 formation on defense.
The past two seasons, this was a role that A.J. Klein played for this defense. While the Bills don’t play in this formation often, Klein did end up playing about 30% of the defensive snaps last season and Dodson will now compete with Terrel Bernard, who the Bills drafted in the third round, for this spot.
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Tyrel Dodson should have the edge as he has more experience in this defense and could have his best season in the NFL this upcoming year.