Bills training camp preview: Defensive line
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Bills are headed back to St. John Fisher for training camp, which marks the 24th time that camp will be held at the site.
WIVB News 4 will preview each position group on the Bills to get you ready for the return of football later this month.
DEFENSIVE LINE
X-factor: Joey Bosa
The Bills have been searching for a “closer” on the D-line for quite some time. Bosa has been that guy in the past.
The problem is he hasn’t been that guy in four years. Bosa missed 20 games from 2022 to 2023. He played 14 games last season, but only recorded five sacks.
To complicate matters further, the former Pro Bowler missed much of the offseason with a calf injury. A lot of attention will be focused on his workload, not just in training camp, but the entire season. If healthy -- and it’s a big if -- Bosa is the type of pass rusher who can shut off the lights and close a game.
Position battle to watch: Who becomes the Bills' third defensive end?
If and probably when Bosa misses time, who will take a majority of the reps opposite of Greg Rousseau? A.J. Epenesa has played that role in the past, but he has a lot of competition this time around.
The Bills added Michael Hoecht from Los Angeles, who has played almost every position in football. However, Hoecht will miss the first six games of the season due to a PED suspension, which leaves the door wide open for third-round pick Landon Jackson. How fast will the rookie hit the ground running at St. John Fisher? The Bills love his size at 6-foot-6, 264 pounds.
Don’t forget about second-year player Javon Solomon. The former fifth-round pick recorded two sacks as a rookie.
Bold Prediction: The D-Line won’t have a Pro Bowler, but it will still be top 3 in the league in sacks
I don’t see a top-tier pass rusher on the Bills -- especially not a player that gets league-wide honors. But I think it will be a group that is greater than the sum of its parts.
On paper, the Bills have competent depth at defensive end and tackle. That will allow Rousseau, Bosa, and Ed Oliver to be fresh on third down and late in games.
The pass rush will be improved in 2025. But enough to raise the Lombardi Trophy? We’ll start getting some answers Wednesday at St. John Fisher.