The Buffalo Bills have shifted the style of defensive end they deploy throughout head coach Sean McDermott’s tenure. Whereas they used to feature long, edge-setting types who could contain the quarterback, they now have begun to prioritize lighter, bendier players who have the agility and the pass-rush acumen to make plays on their own.
It’s a shift in philosophy that, frankly, is borne out of necessity, as the Bills have remained unable to generate consistent pressure on the best teams in the league with just their defensive front four. Each offseason, the Bills invest heavily in their defensive front in hopes that this is the group to stop the NFL’s high-powered passing offenses and elite quarterbacks.