The Buffalo Bills didn't draft any defensive linemen during the 2023 NFL Draft but did sign free agent Poona Ford shortly after. On Friday, the Bills kicked off their rookie minicamp and announced they had signed undrafted free agent DJ Dale, in addition to six other players.
Dale is an experienced defensive linemen who played in 39 games over four seasons for the Alabama Crimson Tide. In his career at Alabama, Dale had 73 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles.
The scouting report on The Draft Network listed Dale as the potential to be a starting defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme. The consensus grade for him was a fifth round pick and if that ends up being true the Bills could have found themselves some much-needed talent at the position.
How does he fit in the Buffalo Bills defense?
As a rookie, DJ Dale would likely have a very tough time to make an impact and even earning himself a spot on the 53-man roster. The Bills have their Top 4 defensive tackles back from last season in Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle, and Jordan Phillips along with the addition of Poona Ford.
After these five, the Bills have some players on the roster who saw occasional snaps last season when one of those four missed time with Brandin Bryant and Eli Ankou. Both players showed they are more than capable of being part of the rotation.
The depth may be there presently but after this season it is anyone's guess and the addition of DJ Dale could become a bigger factor in 2024. The reason is that every defensive tackle on the roster is set to be a free agent after this season
The most likely path for Dale early in his career will be a part of the Bills' practice squad and get a call-up during the season if the team is dealing with injuries at the position. However, as the scouting report on The Draft Network noted, he has the potential to be a starting defensive tackle and could end up being part of the rotation in 2024 and beyond.