3. AJ Epenesa selected in second round of the NFL Draft
The Bills defensive line underwent an overhaul this offseason. Buffalo was searching for a versatile player who could help their aging line get a bit younger moving forward. When AJ Epenesa fell to the 54th pick in this April’s draft, it was an easy selection for Beane. The Bills took a strength via their overall force on defense, and added to it.
During his final two years in Iowa, Epenesa recorded 30.5 tackles for loss and 22 sacks. He is an edge rusher who can get after the quarterback, and he also defends well against the run. He also played a bit on the interior of the line with the Hawkeyes. Prior to the 2020 Draft, many analysts projected Epenesa as a first-round pick. At minimum, maybe an early second rounder. Instead, likely because of average Scouting Combine numbers, Epenesa was there for the taking.
With Hughes getting long in the tooth and Trent Murphy entering the final year of his contract with the Bills, Epenesa will take on a larger role (at least the Bills hope so) in the long-term for Buffalo. Depending on how things shake out in training camp, Epenesa could be tossed right into the fire in 2020, too. The depth at this position ahead of Epenesa takes early pressure off of the rookie, an ideal scenario for him.
First two seasons of college
Nick Bosa (7 starts): 13.5 sacks, 23 TFL, one forced fumble
AJ Epenesa (0 starts): 15 sacks, 22 TFL, five forced fumblespic.twitter.com/QdFQWjzeh6
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) May 28, 2019