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Intriguing rookie DE details his biggest growth throughout Bills' training camp

Buffalo Bills rookie defensive end Javon Solomon talked about the biggest improvements he's made throughout the team's training camp thus far.

Kyle Silagyi

Feb 29, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Troy defensive lineman Javon Solomon (DL47) works out during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 29, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Troy defensive lineman Javon Solomon (DL47) works out during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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You’ll find some fascinating names and nuggets of information if you, for some reason, choose to peruse the Troy football program’s record book. Several impactful players have suited up for the Trojans throughout the program’s history, the majority of them coming on the defensive side of the ball; Pro Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware first made a name for himself by terrorizing opposing quarterbacks at Troy, as did two-time Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora.

There’s an interesting name above the two in the 'career sacks' section of the school’s record book, however, an intriguing player who is now attempting to etch his name alongside the likes of Ware and Umenyiora and become the next Trojans pass-rusher to flourish at the professional level.

Javon Solomon tallied 33 sacks throughout his time at Troy, good for second in school history. An astounding 16 of his quarterback takedowns came in a 2023 season in which he led the FBS in sacks, something that prompted the Buffalo Bills to take him in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s shown flashes of ability throughout Buffalo’s 2024 training camp, particularly becoming more comfortable throughout the team’s final practices at St. John Fisher University as he showcased an improved understanding of the defensive scheme. 

Related: Bills' kicker in 'a good rhythm' following adversity-riddled 2023 NFL season

Solomon feels as though he grew as a player throughout the multi-week stretch of practices, detailing his most significant improvements with The Batavia Daily News’ Alex Brasky following Thursday’s session.

“I’d probably start out with my mindset and my mind and my eyes,” Solomon said. “Those kinds of things have to change when you go from the college level; don’t get me wrong, everybody’s good, everybody’s talented, but what separates everybody is their mentality and their mindset. My coaches and my teammates, they’re helping me do that, been helping me get right mentally. 

“The focus is on my eyes, because my eyes are probably the biggest thing that can help you make plays. Your eyes take you to your keys, and your keys take you to the ball. I’m focusing on that, and that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve learned throughout these 12 training camp practices, and that’ll probably be the biggest thing I take with me for the rest of my career.”

Solomon told Brasky that part of his growth stems from his willingness to seek advice and guidance from veterans, telling the reporter that he’s used players like Von Miller, A.J. Epenesa, and Greg Rousseau as sounding boards before sharing that he trained with Miller and veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot in the offseason. Epenesa shared a similar sentiment when talking about Solomon to reporters earlier this week, describing the rookie as a “sponge.”

This is an encouraging sign for the 23-year-old, who perhaps only fell in the 2024 draft due to questions about his size. The 6-foot-1, 246-pound Solomon isn’t the towering physical presence that NFL brasses generally prioritize with premium selections, and many prognosticators, thus, dubbed him a ‘designated pass-rusher’ in the pre-draft process (meaning that he’s best-suited for a niche role that will see him line up exclusively on obvious passing downs). The rookie has dealt with questions about his frame throughout his entire life, something that’s prompted him to hyper-focus on other areas of his game.

Javon Solomon
Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Troy defensive lineman Javon Solomon (DL47) talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

“I think that’s the kind of thing that gets misconstrued all the time is that football is all about height and your weight and your size,” Solomon said. “I think football is about football. It’s about athleticism and what you do when nobody is watching to make yourself better. That’s something I take pride in, that’s something I was always willing to do, because I knew I didn’t have what everybody thought everybody needs.”

As a fifth-round pick, Solomon’s spot on Buffalo’s 53-man roster seems all but certain, and he may be in line to earn a jersey on gamedays given that the team generally dressed five defensive ends on gamedays last season. He’ll look to show his coaching staff that he has the ability to be more than a designated pass-rusher with a strong preseason; given the talent dichotomy between depth offensive and defensive linemen across the NFL, Solomon will have the opportunity to put some impressive reps on tape throughout the three-game ramp-up stretch.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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