Should the Bills draft a DT this year? The NFL Draft is just two days away, and the Buffalo Bills have some needs that must be taken care of. Josh Allen’s team has 10 picks this year, including three selections in the first two rounds. CB, wideout, edge rusher, and defensive tackle are some of the positions GM Brandon Beane needs to address. Especially that DT spot. DaQuan Jones’ contract expires after this season, and their newly signed Larry Ogunjobi has a suspension to serve. That’s quite a difficult spot to be in, if you ask us.

On March 14, Buffalo signed two defensive players in free agency, Larry Ogunjobi and DE Michael Hoecht. But soon after they signed with the team, both of them were hit with six-game suspensions. So yeah, they’ll have to wait a while before suiting up in Bills gear. That naturally raises the question: will Buffalo now look to draft players at those positions? Turns out, not quite. GM Beane made it clear the suspensions won’t change the team’s draft plans.

Well, it looks like the Bills are quite confident in their roster’s depth. On Tuesday, Beane appeared before the draft and talked about this year’s draft. Speaking of Buffalo having late-round picks, GM Brandon Beane said that it’s a little tricky finding players in the late rounds of the draft. 

“This is a projection business. You’re weighing risk. And whatever round it is, and especially when you’re talking about (round) one and two and things like that. I just want to get it right for the team, and for Terry Pegula and that crew, that’s my job,” he said. “It’s not to pick the players, how I rank them. It’s how the consensus… how we feel… making sure I see alignment and making sure we all have the shared vision for this player and how we’re going to use him here in Buffalo.“

Well, maybe the suspensions were likely anticipated internally. It’s possible the Bills knew this was coming and built their plans around it. That’s why the 48-year-old has stayed firm about not shifting draft priorities.

The reason for Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht’s suspension

Shortly after Larry and Hoecht signed with Buffalo, they were charged with violating the NFL’s PED (performance-enhancing d—-) policy. The league has explicitly banned substances such as steroids, anabolic agents, and exogenous testosterone. According to the NFL’s official rulebook on performance-enhancing substances, “The National Football League Management Council and NFL Players Association (“NFLPA”) (collectively, the “Parties”) have jointly developed this Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances (the “Policy”) to prohibit and prevent the use of anabolic/androgenic steroids (including exogenous testosterone), stimulants, human or animal growth hormones, whether natural or synthetic, and related or similar substances.”

Ogunjobi signed a deal worth roughly $6.7 million, while Hoecht agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract with the Bills. That’s a combined $27 million investment in two defensive pieces, an investment Buffalo likely didn’t expect to kick off with league suspensions. Addressing the situation, GM Brandon Beane said, “It’s not ideal to have two guys with that, but both guys have never had any issues off the field. It’s a tough lesson on where you get your supplements or whatever happened.“

Speaking about the situation, Hoecht told the media that he had been relying on his trainer when it came to supplements. “It’s important to keep the game pure, and it was a real low moment for me,” he said. “It’s fully my responsibility. And it’s something I’m going to have to own and come out on the better side of it.” Ogunjobi echoed a similar sentiment, explaining, “It was a situation where I don’t know what it was, but I think it was a tainted supplement that I took. But I understand the league. We have an obligation to understand what we put in our body, and I take full responsibility for that.“

Now, with two key signings sidelined before even suiting up, will the Bills’ $27 million gamble pay off when it matters most?