Ever since the 2020 season, the Buffalo Bills’ defense hasn’t always lived up to expectations. That was the season where we became so Josh Allen-dependent because of the dynamic playmaker that he was becoming. Before that year, Buffalo was winning football games because of their defense (and it also didn’t help that they didn’t have a franchise quarterback either).
Last season was a rough one for Buffalo’s run-defense. There were plenty of games where they couldn’t stop the run and they paid the price for it. Rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter was showing a little bit of promise of being a solid run-stopper, but a wrist injury took him out in the middle of the season and Carter never got back into the rhythm he was in.
Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones weren’t doing their jobs at stopping the run up the middle. It got to the point where the Bills brought back Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson in the middle of the year just to provide depth.
With the Bills having the No. 30 overall pick, there is an argument to be made that Buffalo should be drafting defensive line help in the first round. You could also say that they desperately need a cornerback. However, Buffalo has shown that they are able to draft defensive backs in the later rounds and still get high quality production out of them. With defensive tackle, not so much.
Bills set to host National Champion DT prospect
The Bills are doing their due diligence as they are reportedly set to host Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, according to Ryan Talbot. This will be a pre-draft visit.
Williams is an excellent prospect who was very productive with the Buckeyes. He recorded 100 total tackles the last two years and had 10 batted-down passes in his career. Williams can take on double teams and open up a gap to allow a linebacker to fly in and make a play behind the line of scrimmage.
Williams should be available late in the first round for the Bills to acquire, should they feel confident that he will be a difference-maker for both the short and long-term future. The draft is just over two weeks away and the Bills will need to figure out a plan of how they will attack the draft. Will Williams be part of their plan? We will find out soon enough.