It’s been a talking point all offseason for the Bills — should they add more youth and size to their defensive tackle group? This year’s class is considered deep and talented at that spot.
Oregon’s Derrick Harmon is a big body who’s drawn comparisons to a current Bills d-lineman — DaQuan Jones — which might be just what they need for the present and the future.
Harmon is 6’5”, 313 pounds with long arms and plays with strength along the defensive line. He’s athletic and moves well for a big man, running 4.95 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Analysts project him as a 1-technique defensive tackle in the NFL, similar to the traditional nose tackle position, but feels he’s versatile to move up and down the line.
"From zero to a five. I play anything. Whatever a team needs me to play,” he said. “I feel like I can play in a mid-front, a three-down front, a four-down front, attack. Whatever a team needs me to play I can play.”
Harmon began his college career at Michigan State before transferring to Oregon for his final season, where he was a Second Team All-American after racking up five sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss and a pair of forced fumbles. According to the Athletic, he led all interior defensive lineman with 55 pressures.
“A little bit of grit. I’ve got a dog in me. Real gritty player. Just try to get to that ball and make a play,” he said.
NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein projects Harmon as a first round pick, and he’s been a popular choice in mock drafts for the Bills at No. 30 on night one. He could be a nice fit next to Ed Oliver for the long term and an answer for the eventual departure of Jones.
The club is relatively thin at defensive tackle depth with only Jones, Oliver and DeWayne Carter as regular contributors returning from last season. Free agent signee Larry Ogunjobi is suspended for the first six games of the 2025 season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.