The Buffalo Bills have invested high draft capital in their defensive line over the years and since 2019 have used two first round picks (Ed Oliver and Greg Rousseau), and two second round picks (Boogie Basham and A.J. Epenesa) with varying levels of success.
Even with those players, along with Von Miller and DaQuan Jones, the defensive line could be an area of the roster the team will look to add to in the 2023 NFL Draft. The reason being the production has been inconsistent from the players they have drafted and Oliver and Epenesa are entering the final years of their contracts.
Desjuan Johnson reportedly met with Buffalo Bills at East-West Shrine Bowl
While the Buffalo Bills do have a potential need, it seems unlikely they would use a high draft pick once again on their defensive line. It means the scouting department is going to have to look further down their draft board for some potential diamonds in the rough.
One of those players could be Desjuan Johnson out of the University of Toledo, who according to Justin Melo with The Draft Network, reportedly met with the Buffalo Bills in Las Vegas at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
In five seasons at Toledon, Desjuan Johnson had 14.5 sacks and 45.5 tackles for a loss. In a recent interview with The Draft Network, Johnson described himself as a player that could play defensive end on first and second down but move inside to defensive tackle on obvious passing downs.
This could certainly fit what the Buffalo Bills are looking for as they have always valued versatility and players that can move around on their defensive line. If the Bills were to draft Johnson he likely would see limited time as a rookie with the players already on the roster but be viewed as a potential replacement for someone like A.J. Epenesa after the 2023 season.