Bills Defensive Linemen on the Roster Bubble vs. Roster Locks

The countdown to Buffalo Bills training camp has begun, and with that, projections regarding the team’s 53-man roster will begin to surface in the coming weeks.

Before assembling my own roster prediction, I’ve taken time to examine each of the team’s position groups to determine which of the Bills’ 91 players will prove to be on the roster bubble and which are roster locks entering camp.

My analysis starts with the team’s group of defensive linemen, beginning with Landon Jackson, who is shifting inside from his role as a pass rusher, which he occupied a season ago. Jackson has added about 25 pounds this offseason to prepare for the position change, which will feature him at a 4i technique along the defensive interior.

Jackson is a unique case, but doesn’t appear to be on the roster bubble at this point. A third-round pick from a season ago, Jackson should be provided at least one more year to prove his worth at the professional level before the Bills decide to cut bait.

The former 72nd overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft finished his rookie year on Injured Reserve due to a knee injury but was healthy for Buffalo’s offseason workout program. He appears ready to prove his worth at training camp, which begins on July 9 at St. John Fisher University.

Other roster locks include T.J. Sanders, unless he’s traded

I wrote previously how I believed former second-round pick T.J. Sanders could be traded before the start of the 2026 season. However, if he is not dealt, all signs point toward him factoring into the team’s rotation up front this year.

Sanders’ rookie year was disappointing, as he finished with just one sack and a paltry quarterback pressure rate of 5.2%, according to Next Gen Stats. Still, the Bills did not do much to improve their defensive line through either free agency or the draft, which points to the 22-year-old sticking around despite a rough start to his career. At least for now, barring a future acquisition down the road during training camp.

Other roster locks along the Bills defensive line include Ed Oliver, 2025 fourth-round pick Deone Walker and fifth-round pick Zane Durant. Oliver and Walker are the team’s cornerstones up front, while Durant is highly unlikely to be cut before his rookie year officially begins Week 1.

Aside from those five names, there is a lot up in the air entering training camp.

DeWayne Carter is squarely on the Bills’ roster bubble, among others

The most obvious name on the roster bubble when it comes to Bills defensive linemen is DeWayne Carter, who’s had an extremely slow start to his career. Through his first two seasons in the league, Carter has played just 11 games after his 2025 was completely wasted due to an Achilles tear. Now, the 2024 third-round pick will be fighting for a jersey.

While Carter will likely search for a new team if he is cut before the start of the regular season, there are a few other defensive tackles who are far from roster locks that could end up on the Bills’ 16-man practice squad. That group includes Phidarian Mathis, Zion Logue and Tommy Akingbesote.

Aside from Jackson, the only other Bills player listed as a defensive end is undrafted free agent Kody Huisman, who will need a miracle to make the team.

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