The Buffalo Bills have some difficult decisions coming up at the end of the month, with one recent Day 2 draft pick potentially falling to the wrong side of the roster bubble.
The Bills have made some changes under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, moving to a 3-4 base defense that could call for a smaller defensive line room in the coming season. SI.com writer Randy Gurzi predicted the team would keep only five defensive linemen on the final 53-man roster, leaving out DeWayne Carter.
DeWayne Carter Facing Difficult Road Ahead
Gurzi predicted the Bills would roll with a group that included Ed Oliver, Deone Walker, T.J. Sanders, Zane Durant, and Landon Jackson. Veteran Philadrian Mathis is facing a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policies, leaving DeWayne Carter as the odd man out.
Gurzi predicted the Bills would try to keep Carter on the practice squad, though there would be no guarantee he would clear waivers to return to them.
“Buffalo goes thin at this position but there will be plenty of packages with two defensive tackles and two outside linebackers in a modified nickel formation,” Gurzi wrote. “They would love to get DeWayne Carter back for extra depth on the practice squad.”
Carter had an up-and-down rookie season in 2024, appearing in 11 games with three starts and making 14 total tackles. He suffered an Achilles injury before the start of the 2025 season and was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.
Carter could be falling behind 2025 draft pick Walker, who had a stellar performance in just two series of the team’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. Walker managed two tackles for a loss, including a sack, as the Bills dominated against Carolina’s first-string defense.
The Bills have some other players returning from major injuries on the defensive line, including edge rusher Michael Hoecht.
DeWayne Carter Made Big Change for 2026
Carter had put in a lot of work during the offseason to adjust to the new defense, which calls for bigger linemen in the middle. He told reporters during the team’s OTAs that he added 30 pounds during the offseason, preparing to play nose guard.
“So, I’m anywhere between 325 to 330 [pounds],” Carter said. “I’m expecting myself to play around 320, 325. And then, expectations overall, I mean, I don’t really have any. I just take it day by day and obviously know different goals and stuff I have in my head and with my coaches. Bu at the end of the day, I’m taking it day by day.”
SI.com’s Alex Brasky predicted at the time OTAs started that Carter could have a good chance to make the team simply by virtue of the lack of competition.
“Aside from Carter, Buffalo’s top option at the center of its interior defensive line is 2025 fourth-round pick Deone Walker. However, beyond that, there isn’t much to speak of considering the Bills bypassed the position both in free agency and the NFL Draft,” Brasky wrote.
“That leaves Carter in a good position to make a run at a key spot in Buffalo’s defensive line rotation for the upcoming season. Now, it’s just a matter of him seizing his opportunity, entering a critical year in his development.”
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