The Bills are trying to sort out a defense that’s learning on the fly, and Javon Solomon may be one of the clearest examples of a player whose skill set could fit the new direction better than the old one ever did.
Solomon, who wears No. 56, is listed as an outside linebacker at 6’1” and 246 pounds. He’s 25 now and turns 26 on 1/17/2027.
Buffalo took him in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 168 overall pick out of Troy, and he’s now entering the third year of his four-year rookie deal, which is worth $4,274,276. If he makes the 53-man roster in 2026, his cap hit is $1,138,569; if the Bills move on from him, the dead-cap charge would be $127,138.
Last season, Solomon kept carving out a role as a pass-rush specialist, but his biggest value came on special teams. He played 278 snaps there, which was 64% of Buffalo’s total special teams work, and only Joe Andreessen, Reggie Gilliam, and Sam Franklin logged more.
On defense, his usage stayed limited. He topped 17 defensive snaps in just three games, and all three came in lopsided matchups: both games against the New York Jets and Buffalo’s 30-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
For the year, Solomon finished with 17 tackles, two quarterback hits, one takcle for loss, and one sack. In the playoffs, he barely saw the field on defense, playing just one defensive snap, while adding two special teams tackles across 38 special teams snaps.
Buffalo’s edge room is crowded. Solomon is one of eight players in that group, alongside Michael Hoecht, T.J.
Parker, Greg Rousseau, Bradley Chubb, Cade Denhoff, Mike Danna, and Andre Jones Jr. He was healthy during the offseason and took part in OTAs before the Bills went into their pre-camp recovery period.
The reason Solomon stands out is simple: his tools look more useful in Jim Leonhard’s defense than they did in Sean McDermott’s. McDermott’s approach leaned toward bigger, longer edge players who could hold the line with length.
Solomon is more of a bendy, twitchy athlete who makes his living in chase mode. That kind of profile makes sense if the defense is asking him to attack space and get after the quarterback off the edge.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had Solomon pegged during the 2024 draft cycle as a possible fit for a stand-up edge role, and that idea still makes sense. He doesn’t look like the classic 4-3 end Buffalo might have wanted before, but he does look like someone who could create problems coming off the edge behind bigger bodies up front.
His quickness and leverage give him traits that some of Buffalo’s other converted defensive ends don’t have, and his shorter frame could actually work in his favor in a stand-up role. At 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash, he has the speed to pair with a frame that sits four to eight inches lower than most tackles.
The roster math, though, is messy. Chubb, Rousseau, Parker, and Hoecht are treated as locks, with Hoecht’s Week 1 health the only real question in that group.
Buffalo could keep six edge players, and if it does, roles may overlap. Hoecht has the versatility to bounce around different defenses, and Solomon has enough athleticism to do the same.
Both are listed as outside linebackers, but either could be used in A-gap looks, rushing the passer or dropping into short zones to make life harder for blocking schemes.
Solomon is probably fighting with Jones and Danna for the final spots, and two of those three likely make it. Jones brings special teams value and experience in a 3-4 system.
Danna offers a steady veteran presence and championship experience from his time with the Kansas City Chiefs. Solomon has the athletic upside.
For now, the case for Solomon is built on two things Buffalo can use: special teams reliability and the chance that he becomes a real problem off the edge. His place on the roster will come down to how he performs and how healthy he stays this summer, but he has a strong shot to stick and, if things break right, to play a meaningful role on defense this season.
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