The Longhorn Files: Defensive Line & Offensive Line

Here is the disclaimer: I would be foolish to think that Byron would be available near 28. For a majority of the draft process he has been neck-and-neck with DT Johnny Newton. But it is clear that he is the best defensive tackle, if not one of the best defensive prospects.

Given the lucrative free agent market at the defensive tackle position, NFL teams will be searching for a young, top notch, and cost-controlled anchor to their defensive line. Okay, so he won’t make it to 28. Should the Buffalo Bills consider trading up for Murphy? The answer should simply be no. If we lived in a world in which Stefon Diggs was still here, I might say yes. But there goes that luxury. Wide receiver remains the biggest need for Buffalo and defensive tackle should not supersede it. 

How about on Day 2?

DT T’Vondre Sweat

The first thing to say about T’Vondre is that, well, he is extremely big. At 6’4” and 366 pounds, he may not be the largest defensive tackle who has ever graced the National Football League, but he would be a seismic addition to many defensive lines. The Bills still have a need at defensive tackle, but should 1-technique (or nose tackle) still be a consideration? Hold on, let me stop you right there. Sweat actually played a majority of his snaps in the B-gap, outside the guard, so let’s get that right. The weird thing is, at Texas, DT Byron Murphy played more snaps in the A-gap than Sweat did, even though Murphy is about 60 pounds lighter. That’s what made their defensive line so good. They were complementary and both offered so much versatility.

At his size, T’Vondre Sweat should not move the way that he does. In fact, there were 10 players at the 2024 NFL scouting combine who ran a slower 40-time than he did, and they are all lighter than he is! His frame shows up primarily in the run game. He is able to use his short-area quickness and awareness to disengage from double teams in order to make a tackle on running backs. He doesn’t always get into the backfield. However, he made it easier for Byron Murphy to loop around and make a tackle or get at the quarterback. He would immediately help Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard and would likely turn Buffalo into one of the best run defenses in the league (as he did at Texas).

There are some concerns about T’Vondre Sweat’s every-down usage at the NFL level. It is valid to worry that his meatloaf size may hinder his ability to be a constant contributor through every down. However, that is easily fixable: he could shed some pounds and, with the help of an NFL-level strength and conditioning staff, he could be at a more appropriate weight. Sweat was also recently charged with a DWI. This could drop his draft stock or even remove him from the Bills’ big board altogether.

OT Christian Jones

The Buffalo Bills have great depth at offensive tackle. They have starters Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, as well as Ryan Van Demark, Alec Anderson, and La’el Collins. However, there needs to be a contingency plan in the event that Spencer Brown leaves after 2024. Christian Jones is a projected Day 3 right tackle with good measurements, standing at 6’5” and weighing 305 pounds. Jones has elite arm length of 34.5 inches to add along to his large frame, too. He is not as athletic as the top tackles in the 2024 draft class, which is a detriment to his game. But he possesses great play strength (especially as a run blocker) to give him a chance to contribute to a starting lineup if given the opportunity. Jones played at right tackle in every game for Texas in 2023, which was his sixth season. 

Aaron Kromer loves athleticism. But, as I mentioned, Jones does not have a whole lot of that, despite finishing as one of the top offensive tackles in the forty time. His lateral agility is quite the opposite that Spencer Brown’s was in 2021. Christian Jones also does not display that same agility in-game. In light of this, the Bills might be attracted to his aggressive play-style and strength in the run game. They could draft him to be a developmental right tackle in the meantime while Spencer Brown is ahead of him.

Conclusion

The Buffalo Bills are still in need of help in the trenches, both in the current moment and beyond 2024. Neither prospect I named are considered to be solutions to the Bills’ needs in the trenches. But they both possess interesting skill-sets and traits that might draw the team in their directions.

T’Vondre Sweat is the most intriguing of the two due to his monster size. (Perhaps he could eventually replace DaQuan Jones on the defensive line?) There are still questions about his personal life that may drop him down the board, though. Christian Jones is a mauler, but he has limited pass protection agility. Despite some of their negatives, I still have to show some love to my Texas boys and give my audience a chance to learn about a couple players who may have a chance to be drafted by our beloved Buffalo Bills!

I should get the last article of this series done by the end of the week. That will highlight a couple of linebackers and a defensive back who may be on the Bills’ radar in the later rounds and post-draft free agency! Stay tuned!