Buffalo Bills’ Rookie DE Playset Models Game After These Elite Passers

Size doesn’t matter to Buffalo Bills rookie Javon Solomon. The fifth-round pick was an effective passer even if he didn’t fit a certain prototype.

“There are guys like Bryce Huff who are killing the game. He’s probably maybe a little bit taller than me. The small size is a visual cue. At the same time, what you do from a physical standpoint is a completely different thing,” Solomon said while addressing a media scrum during the Bills’ rookie minicamp.

The 6-foot-1, 246-pound runner is an inch or two shorter than Huff, who received a big free agent contract from Philadelphia after leading the New York Jets in sacks last season.

“I’m going to go out there and do my best. There’s a lot of (undersized) guys who have had success,” said Solomon, who also mentioned Elvis Dumervil, a 5-foot-11 pass rusher with 105.5 sacks. career.

Solomon mastered the art of pressuring the passer during his college career at Troy, a program that produced NFL greats DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora. He surpassed both men on his way to Troy’s career DI FBS sacks record.

“I can be in little league, I can be in college, I like to pass rush,” said Solomon, who was the No. 168 overall pick in last month’s draft. “It will be a long road to reach the legends and the greats, but the little things start now.”

Solomon, along with Buffalo’s other draft picks, got their first taste of NFL action at the team’s rookie minicamp in Orchard Park. This was the Edge Rusher’s first football activity since the pre-draft process began.

“It’s awesome. I haven’t worn a team helmet and everything in a really long time, since the Senior Bowl,” Solomon said. “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I’m here now just to play football.”

His first challenge as a professional is learning the Bills’ defensive playbook.

“Being connected to the games. They’re new games. Once you’re connected to the games, you can go in there and play fast and do what you do,” Solomon said.