Detroit, Mich. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills add again to their defensive front in the 2024 NFL Draft with the selection of edge rusher Javon Solomon with the 168th overall pick in the fifth round out of Troy University.
During his time at Troy, Solomon was a First-Team All-Sun Belt twice (2021, 2023), was a Third-Team All-Sun Belt in 2022, and an All-Sun Belt Honorable mention in 2020.
Solomon lead all of the FBS with 16 sacks, and ranked ninth with 18 tackles for loss in 2023. He also set the single-season sack record at Troy and in the Sun Belt Conference in 2023.
One of his best performances this past year was a four-sack performance against the University of Louisiana-Monroe, which gave him Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Solomon joins a defensive line group that already consists the likes of Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, and A.J. Epenesa.
He is also the first player to be drafted by the Bills out of Troy since the team selected quarterback Levi Brown in 2010.
Here is what NFL analyst Lance Zierlein had to say on the 23-year old pass rusher:
"Solomon doesn’t have prototypical size as an NFL edge rusher, and longer tackles can irritate his play at times, but there is plenty to like in the production and the tape. His frame is chiseled, with extremely powerful hips. It’s tough to sustain blocks against him due to his base strength and low center of gravity, which explains why he’s always around the ball at the whistle. He’s an instinctive rusher with a variety of moves and counters that he can string together to put tackles on the ropes. He’s a capable run defender but can be engulfed by size, so he might need to play as a stand-up linebacker. Solomon’s strengths tend to align with what we see from NFL edge defenders with rotational and potential-future-starter value."
Buffalo's next selection comes with the 204th overall pick in the sixth round.
