The Buffalo Bills selected defensive end Carlos “Boogie” Basham Jr. with the 61st overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, nearly 24 hours after taking University of Miami defensive end Greg Rousseau with the 30th overall pick in the first round.
Basham Jr. tallied 20.5 sacks in his four-year career at Wake Forest University, good for the fourth-most total in program history.
The 23-year-old edge rusher now joins a Bills defense that he spoke highly of on Friday, and one he says he uses when he picks up the controller to play EA Sports' Madden NFL video game.
“They’re definitely a hard-nosed defense,” Basham Jr. said during his introductory Zoom conference call. “Even when I play Madden, I play with the Bills. The defense is something I really love. I’m glad I’m a part of it now. That was the main thing I was thinking about when it was first going through my head. It’s a dream come true.”
Basham Jr. has experience playing at multiple positions along the defensive line. His versatility is a trait that the Bills have coveted in their defensive line in the past. Basham says he views himself as someone who bring versatility to the table.
“I see myself as someone who’s a chess piece,” Basham Jr. said. “Someone you can plug and play across the board. Someone who plays hard at all positions. Some guys like going inside and playing three-technique and playing over the nose tackle, I take pride in that.”
Basham Jr. joins a defensive end group that already features veterans Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, second-year edge rusher A.J. Epenesa, newcomer Efe Obada, and the newly drafted Rousseau. Basham sees himself fitting right in with the group, especially with Epenesa and Rousseau.
“I fit in with the young guys who want to learn and just want to play football,” Basham Jr. said. “I love competing. With those guys, there will be a lot of competition. I was friends with A.J. while he was going through the process…me and Greg, we’re cool now too.”
You can listen to Basham Jr.’s full introductory Zoom conference call below: