Could the Buffalo Bills be losing key pieces from last year's defensive line? These releases make sense as the Bills will be transitioning from the 4-3 defense to the 3-4 defense.
The players in question are: AJ Epenesa, Josa Bosa, DaQuan Jones, and Larry Ogunjobi. They are all good players, but they do not fit the new 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, as they were better suited to the 4-3 under Sean McDermott. All of those players did their job here this year, but it might be time for them to find a new place to play.
What can the Bills' defensive line achieve in 2026?
Bills' defensive line stats
The Bills' defensive line ranked 1st in the league against the pass and 7th in total yards allowed. They still managed to record 40 sacks despite playing nickel and dime in key pass-rushing situations.
They only allowed 293.1 yards/game and will look to improve those numbers in 2026. With their new scheme featuring more blitz packages and fewer nickel-and-dime looks, the Bills hope to get to the quarterback better, especially if they make the playoffs again this year.
How the defensive line can improve moving forward
Throughout McDermott's tenure as the Bills' head coach, the defense performed admirably in the regular season, but in the postseason, it sank to the bottom of the sea. That was the case again: in 2025, it was a rollercoaster ride, and once again, the team was horrible in the playoffs.
It also didn't help that the Bills were hit by the injury bug, which caused key players such as Ed Oliver, Michael Hoecht, DeWayne Carter, and Landon Jackson to lose significant playing time.
The defensive line, as a unit, was very vanilla and was supposed to be more aggressive given all the investment on that side of the ball heading into the season. Brady made it transparent that he wants his defense to be more aggressive because, as an offensive playcaller himself, he knows those are always the most difficult defenses to plan for.
What will the defensive line look like moving forward?
The Bills would have Deone Walker at nose tackle, followed by Carter and Sanders at the two defensive end positions, with Oliver serving as a substitute for either Carter or Sanders.
The linebackers would be Greg Rousseau, Hoecht, Jackson, and Javon Solomon. The goal of this defense is to apply pressure from the outside linebackers, sack the quarterback, while allowing Walker, as the nose tackle, to eat up space and stop the run.
Of course, this could change depending on whether they decide to keep some of these players or remove them to create cap space. That would allow the Bills to find pieces for this defense in free agency and in the draft. The Bills have a very high chance of selecting a defensive lineman in the second round, and this selection would fill their nose tackle spot.
Who could join the defensive line?
With size and athleticism, big defensive tackle Kayden McDonald from Ohio State would fit perfectly in Leonhard's scheme. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia coached in the NFL and ran the 4-2-5, mixed in with the 3-3-5, at Ohio State.
At 6 feet 3 inches, 326 pounds, McDonald can play all three positions in the 3-4, whether it's left defensive end, nose tackle, or right defensive end.
His NFL Pro comparison would be to former Buffalo Bills' defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. The skilled tackle played in a 3-4 scheme at the University of Alabama and excelled at all three defensive line positions. The Bills drafted him in 2011, and he was dominant as a 3-4 nose tackle and then as a 4-3 defensive tackle.