DL Harrison Phillips
Harrison Phillips missed the majority of last season with an ACL injury suffered early last year. Phillips, a third-round pick in 2017, had a solid rookie season with the Bills, registering 35 tackles. He worked fairly well as part of the defensive rotation. The Stanford product also seems to fit the motivation of the Bills defense, playing as a hard-nosed, blue-collar, ready-to-get-dirty in the trenches type of player. Phillips only saw time in two games before being injured last season and he was much better, making his season-ending injury a tough one to swallow.
However, the interior of the defensive line has changed a bit for the Bills over the past year since Phillips stepped on the field. Ed Oliver began his ascent to stardom after a good stretch run. The team signed Vernon Butler and Quinton Jefferson, both of whom will battle for snaps on the interior of the line. Star Lotulelei holds down the one-tech spot. Phillips, on a rookie contract, makes sense for Buffalo from a financial perspective. How he responds from ACL surgery will determine how involved he will be as part of the Bills defense this year.