Bills Central

Bills invite intriguing DL draft prospect and combine star for '30' visit

General manager Brandon Beane addressed the Bills’ defensive line numerous times this offseason. An intriguing prospect will be meeting with the team next week.
Russell Baxter|
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Nebraska defensive lineman Ty Robinson (DL30) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Nebraska defensive lineman Ty Robinson (DL30) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Sean McDermott saw his team improve from 11-6 in 2023 to 13-4 this past season. The Buffalo Bills won a fifth straight AFC East title, and advanced to the conference title game for the first time since 2020. For the fourth time in five years, the team’s season ended with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Once again, McDermott’s defense struggled in the postseason. Andy Reid’s team scored a season-high 32 points in their three-point victory in the AFC Championship Game. The Bills have reached the postseason six straight years, tying a franchise record, but they keep falling short of returning to the Super Bowl.

This offseason, general manager Brandon Beane addressed the defensive line with the free-agent additions of Joey Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi, and Michael Hoecht. Bosa hasn’t played a full season since 2019, while Ogunjobi and Hoecht will both miss the first six games of 2025 due to suspensions.

Beane has a total of 10 draft picks this year, including the 30th overall selection and a pair of second-rounders. Next week, the team has a visit with an up-and-coming defensive prospect who is coming off a solid 2024 campaign — Nebraska's Ty Robinson.

This past season, the Bills were a mediocre 17th in the league in fewest total yards allowed, finished 12th vs. the run, and produced a so-so 39 sacks. They allowed 41 offensive touchdowns during the regular season, and eight more during their three-game postseason run. All this despite finishing with the third-most takeaways (32) in the NFL. That rushing defense was pushed around by the Ravens and Chiefs in the playoffs. Robinson could add a little grit to the interior of that defensive front.

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“Bully with a roughshod playing style that forces blockers to match his physicality,” said NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein in his evaluation of the Cornhusker prospect. “Robinson is built for the trenches with the versatility to play in odd or even fronts. He’s first into contact with his hands and mitigates average knee-bend with brute force in his upper half. He’s powerful to set edges but lacks length to control and quickly shed NFL blockers.

"He’s an effort rusher with active hands who can exploit a weak edge and thrive in gaming fronts but possesses average creativity. Robinson might not be a star, but his effort, strength and demeanor could make him a productive pro for years to come.”

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.

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