5 position battles on defense to watch during Buffalo Bills training camp

Boogie Basham vs. A.J. Epenesa

The starters at defensive end should be Von Miller and Greg Rousseau to open the season but the Buffalo Bills rotate at the position frequently and that third defensive end is a critical spot in this defense. That battle likely will be between Boogie Basham, who was the team’s second round pick in 2020, and A.J. Epenesa, who was selected in the second round the year prior to Basham.

Epenesa would play more games than Basham, appearing in 14 games, while the former Wake Forest defensive end was inactive for nine games last year. However, in the games that Basham was active, he typically saw a higher percentage of snaps than Epenesa.

Between the two players, this training camp is probably more important for A.J. Epenesa as he has now had two seasons of underwhelming performances while Basham is only entering his second season. I believe both players will make the 53-man roster but if Basham earns that third spot over Epenesa it could be tough for him to get enough playing time to make an impact this season.