Bills HC says rookie DT has ‘flashed,’ is in line for ‘pivotal role’

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott offered significant praise to rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter ahead of Thursday's training camp practice.

Bills defensive tackle DeWayne Carter looses a game of 'rock, paper, sissors' to fan Isaac Howlett, 11, Rochester, as he signs autographs at the end of day three. The pair were playing for Carter's wristbands, which Howlett won. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

There are certain selections in the annual NFL Draft that simply add up, that prompt a straightforward “Yeah, that makes sense” from fans and prognosticators alike. 

The Buffalo Bills’ selection of defensive tackle DeWayne Carter in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft was one such acquisition. It was not only a sound onfield addition—Carter plays with the penetrating, up-field style that Buffalo oft-looks for in its interior defenders—but the 23-year-old seems a tailormade locker room fit on a Bills roster that so heavily values character; he earned the nickname “Mr. Duke” throughout his stint in Durham as he became the first three-time team captain in Blue Devils history, earning the university’s Carmen Falcone Team Most Valuable Player Award in 2023.

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He got off to a slow start at his debut training camp, something that wasn’t necessarily surprising given the lack of pads throughout the first few days of practice. He started to make an impact both on and off the field once pads came on, showing consistent promise and impressing his teammates with both his play and demeanor. Veteran defender DaQuan Jones told reporters that Carter has the potential to be “special” last week, and head coach Sean McDermott got in on the applause on Thursday, noting the recent “flashes” he’s seen from Carter while speaking to reporters ahead of Buffalo's final training camp practice at St. John Fisher University.

“I feel like the light has started to come on with him,” McDermott said. “There was a series of practices early where it probably wasn’t what we needed it to be. Somewhere around the scrimmage last week, give or take, maybe a day before the scrimmage, and then the scrimmage . . . I thought he really flashed from a ‘that’s more of what we need’ [perspective]. 

Bills defensive tackle DeWayne Carter heads to the field on the opening day of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher Universtiy. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

“Listen, he’s going to play a pivotal role in that third, fourth defensive tackle spot for us, ideally. And so with that comes a lot of development that still needs to happen, but I’ve been impressed with some of his flashes of late.”

McDermott notes that Carter is in line for an immediate “pivotal role," which isn’t necessarily surprising given the sideline boss’ penchant for rotating Buffalo’s defensive line in-game. It looks as though Carter is penciled into the team’s second defensive tackle pairing alongside veteran Austin Johnson, meaning he should see his significant share of snaps as a rookie. If his collegiate career is any indication, he’s more than capable of making a swift impact; he tallied 12 sacks and 25 tackles for loss throughout his collegiate career, recording 123 total quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus.

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