Bills shift to a 3-4 defense could benefit former college sack leader

Javon Solomon isn't new player for the Buffalo Bills. But he may have a new role.

Solomon may finally have a natural position on Buffalo's defense. That could be one of the ripple effects of the team's shift to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Solomon is one of the existing players from the Sean McDermott era who stands to benefit most from the change.

"I think an easy one is Javon Solomon," Beane said last week. "In our old defense you would kind of call him a DPR: designated pass rusher. Javon really found a nice niche on special teams in his first two years. Had some opportunities, but not a lot as part of third-down packages.

"I think he fits more of a standup 3-4 standup outside backer then a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end."

A 3-4 defense asks outside linebackers to play in space, rush off the edge and handle a more versatile workload than traditional defense ends. It could give Solomon a clearer path to more snaps.

The Bills selected Solomon in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Troy, where he played outside linebacker before transitioning to defensive end, thriving in both roles. He earned second-team All-American honors after leading the FBS with 16 sacks.

The 6-foot-1, 246-pounder has recorded 30 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 31 games over his first two seasons with the Bills.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Javon Solomon could benefit from Buffalo Bills' switch to 3-4 defense