Breaking down the Bills defense and how it shapes their draft needs

You can point to any number of reasons why the Buffalo Bills decided to move on from Sean McDermott , and according to owner Terry Pegula, at the top of the list was the proverbial playoff wall that the team could not scale in the coach’s nine seasons. That was certainly a big one, but if that’s No. 1, then No.

1A was that Pegula, and general manager Brandon Beane, knew the biggest thing holding Buffalo back year after year in the postseason was its defense, and nothing was going to change on that side of the ball if McDermott returned to finish off a decade at the helm. There was nothing wrong with the offense, which is in large part why Joe Brady was picked to replace McDermott as opposed to any of the outside candidates. But Brady’s first edict from management was simple: Pick a defensive coordinator who can put together a defense that can win in January.

Hey, no pressure Jim Leonhard. You’re stepping into a team that has made the playoffs eight of the last nine years, armed with a superb offense, and it’s your job to make sure the defense doesn’t tank the effort. Leonhard is changing the scheme, this we know.

What is uncertain is how Buffalo’s returning players fit into it, and what it needs in this draft to not only augment it, but it make better. Here’s what the Bills’ look like on defense heading into the draft: Defensive line: Lots to figure out ▶ Depth chart: Ed Oliver, Deone Walker, TJ Sanders, DeWayne Carter, Phidarian Mathis, Zion Logue, Landon Jackson, Andre Jones Jr. , Tommy Akingbesote.