The Buffalo Bills have a busy offseason ahead of them. Switching to a new defense will do that, and the Bills have a lot of question marks across a defense that has largely been seen as the Achilles heel of the team.
There are big decisions to be made on offense, but the more pressing area of concern is the defense. Switching schemes is always tough, and the Bills don’t quite know yet where so many familiar faces slot in. On the defense line, there are questions abound, even with so many guys under contract.
The Buffalo Bills 2026 offseason playbook for the defensive line position
The known quantities
Just like the receiver group, there are a lot of known quantities that we don’t really know how they’ll fit in the new landscape. For instance, Greg Rousseau is undoubtedly a piece of this defense next season that we can build around; it’s just a matter of where.
Rousseau will likely see time in different spots. He was an end in Sean McDermott’s 4-3 defense an dhas the size needed to be a hand-in-the-ground end in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s 3-4 defense. Then again, he has the speed to be an edge rusher in that scheme, so he could slide around.
Michael Hoecht is an intriguing option as well. Though he is recovering from an ACL tear, he showed promise in a brief stint with the team in 2025. Hoecht has the size, athleticism, and motor to be a defensive end in this scheme.
Ed Oliver is one of the highest-paid players on the team and isn’t going anywhere. The question is whether he stays at defensive tackle – where he is undersized, and his skills don’t really translate – or he slides over to be a 3-4 defensive end. He’s still a little undersized for that, but has the speed and penetration ability to be a force.
As far as true nose tackles in a 3-4 front, Deone Walker looks like the only apparent option. He had a breakout 2025 season and has more than enough size (6-foot-7, 330 pounds) to be an anchor. It’s just a matter of finding depth behind him.
The Bills also have TJ Sanders, DeWayne Carter, and Phidarian Mathis, though their confidence level in the trio probably isn’t all that high. Sanders still has potential, but will really need to show improvement in camp.
Free Agents who could come back
There are a few certainties and one question mark from this group. The certainties: end Joey Bosa, nose Daquan Jones, tackle Jordan Phillips, and end/tackle Larry Ogunjobi are all almost certainly gone. Bosa was fine, but likely not affordable enough to bring back as a 3-4 outside linebacker. The others were all expensive disappointments in their own ways.
The only potential candidate to return is A.J. Epenesa. At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Epenesa has the size to be a 3-4 end and the quickness to move to outside linebacker. It would all come down to his asking price and how strongly the staff feels about his fit with the defense.
Preferred moves
It is tough to come up with a plan without knowing how the coaching staff feels about several guys. But as it stands, the “starters” in a 3-4 defense are likely Oliver, Rousseau, and Walker, with possibly Epenesa and Hoecht as rotational 3-4 ends that can play edge, and Sanders/Carter/Mathis at tackle.
The Bills feel like they are going to address their need for an edge rusher in the draft, which would give them more flexibility with someone like Rousseau. It is also highly likely that they draft another piece or two to add to the competition.
Bills Defensive Line Outlook for 2026
The defensive line has the potential to be one of the more proven areas of the defense if Rousseau and Oliver play end. Re-signing Epenesa would be nice from a familiarity standpoint, but not an essential move.
Getting a healthy Hoecht back would be a nice boon for the Bills, and a 3-4 scheme could better suit the skills of Rousseau and Oliver. Nose tackle remains a big question mark, one that needs to be addressed in the draft and/or free agency.