If you weren’t of the belief that the Bills were selecting AJ Epenesa to potentially replace Trent Murphy, it’s hard to figure all these pieces being in place if the scenario played out in Bleacher Report‘s recent way-too-early 2021 NFL Draft happens.
In it, the Bills double-down on early pass rushers, adding another, this time in Round 1. This time the selection is Quincy Roche at pick No. 24 overall after making AJ Epenesa their first pick in Round 2 of the 2020 draft. First off, the pick at No. 24 indicates B/R also thinks the Bills will be a playoff team again next season.
On Roche, he actually moved over to the University of Miami for the upcoming season after spending the past few seasons with Temple. At Temple, Roche has shown himself as an all-around defensive end.
He ranked fifth in the FBS with 13 sacks and No. 11 in tackles for loss in 2019. That effort earned him ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. The 6-foot-4, 235 pound lineman also had seven pass breakups, six pass breakup and three blocks kicks at Temple.
Roche to the Bills would slide him in as the long-term option at defensive end with Epenesa. In this formula, Murphy would likely no longer be on the Bills.
Even if he isn’t a cut candidate before the 2020 season, he’s entering the final year of his contract. That’d leave the two young guys playing behind Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison potentially, at least through the 2021 campaign, which is Hughes’ final year of his current deal while Addison is signed through 2022.
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