The Buffalo Bills will have a much different-looking defense in 2026.
Buffalo fired head coach Sean McDermott and replaced him with Joe Brady, while Jim Leonhard has taken over as defensive coordinator. The Bills have already begun a defensive turnaround with plenty of new players brought in, while old players will be competing for roster spots.
One player who is expected to compete for a roster spot is 2024 third-round pick DeWayne Carter. Carter is bulking up to help play nose tackle, but Bills analyst Fernando Schmude of SBNation predicts Buffalo will cut Carter before the regular season.
“And then there’s Mathis over Carter at the backup nose tackle spot,” Schmude wrote. “I want to be clear: DeWayne Carter gets the entire offseason to make this projection look foolish, and I genuinely hope he does, because that would justify the third-round pick invested in him two years ago.
“However, Mathis has been the player who has contributed more so far, earning a new deal. He has more experience playing nose tackle, eating blocks without getting embarrassed. Mathis does it, and Carter is bulking up to play this role, one that he hasn’t played in his career yet. Advantage Mathis.”
Buffalo releasing a third-round pick from the 2024 Draft would be a disappointing look for him, Brandon Beane, and the scouts who picked him.
Carter missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn Achilles. He recorded 11 tackles in 11 games in his rookie season in 2024.
Carter is Bulking up in New-Look Role
After missing the entire 2025 season, Carter is bulking up to play a new role.
The Bills are switching to a 3-4 defense, so the nose tackle role will be key for Buffalo. He entered the 2025 training camp around 300 pounds, and Carter revealed he’s bulked up quite a bit.
So, I’m anywhere between 325 to 330 (pounds),” Carter said. “I’m expecting myself to play around 320, 325. And then, expectations overall, I mean, I don’t really have any. I just take it day by day and obviously know different goals and stuff I have in my head and with my coaches. But at the end of the day, I’m taking it day by day.”
Carter did struggle in his rookie season, and after missing the entire 2025 season, this training camp could be do-or-die for him to earn a spot on the Bills roster.
Carter will likely be competing Phidarian Mathis for the backup job, as T.J. Sanders, Ed Oliver, and Deone Walker will serve as the starting defensive ends and nose tackles.
Jim Leonhard Excited for Bills Defense
Buffalo hired Leonhard as its new defensive coordinator, which many fans are excited about.
The Bills’ defense struggled in the playoffs for years, and Leonhard wants to change how Buffalo’s defense plays.
“We’re going to be an attacking defense up front and in the back end. We’re going to attack the football. The biggest stat in football is turnovers, so we’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to fly around, we’re going to communicate, we’re going to play well together, but we’re going to cause issues for offense, and we’re going to force them to react to us,” Leonhard said. …
“We’re going to be aggressive, we’re not going to be reckless. There’s a right and a wrong way in my opinion on how to attack quarterbacks in the NFL and it changes a little bit week to week based on their skill set …You have to try to change the comfort level of that quarterback, you got to be able to speed him up, you got to be able to slow him down.”
Leonhard is a first-year NFL defensive coordinator.
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