Is 2020 a redshirt season for Epensa or no?
As is often the case with first picks of the draft for a team, everyone is eagerly watching them in their first season.
Note: That sentence did not say first-round pick.
Just the first pick by the team, which means the Bills’ second-round selection in Epenesa qualifies for just that. After not trading up from the No. 54 overall pick at the 2020 draft, the Bills added Epenesa to an already deep group, as mentioned.
Many forecast this selection to be a pick for the future. For reference, here’s a rundown of the ages of Buffalo’s veteran defensive ends:
- Mario Addison (32: 10th season)
- Jerry Hughes (31: 11th season)
- Trent Murphy (29: 7th season)
Another, Jefferson, who’s 27.
While edge defenders aren’t running backs and can typically find some longevity in their careers, all three of the bullet-point guys are 30-years-old or pushing it. Not youthful. That youth is now Epenesa.
So does that mean he’s going to have a bit of a “redshirt” rookie season while some of the others take more of the playing time? Or does Epenesa, who some predict could also play a bit on the inside of the D-line like Jefferson, eventually start seeing more and more playing time as the year goes on?
Epenesa is going to be on the Bills’ final roster, but it’s going to be a curious watch as to how much he actually plays on game day. Also considering that he’s a rookie, he’s not going to have any or much preseason action to warm up to the pro game due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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