DeWayne Carter, a former third-round pick, was absolutely, positively looking like a goner after the preseason, yet somehow he’s not just on the Buffalo Bills’ 53-man roster, he’s out there playing some seriously quality football as a rotational defensive tackle in Jim Leonhard’s scheme. This dude was playing deep into fourth quarters of exhibition games, barely making a peep, and now he’s a legitimate impact player two weeks into the season. You just love to see it when a player seizes an unexpected chance like this.
Against All Odds: How Two Freak Plays Opened the Door
Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. Carter’s entire opportunity hinged on two pretty rare occurrences, pure happenstance that lined up perfectly for him. First up, in one of the last defensive snaps of the preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, rookie defensive tackle Zane Durant goes down with a neck injury. Bam. Sent straight to IR-designated to return. While we can’t say for sure, that injury was almost certainly the reason Carter even sniffed the 53-man roster. NFL clubs almost always side with their rookie draft picks, but with Durant’s injury being so severe, Buffalo might not have had a choice. Most of us thought Carter was already packing his bags.
Then, just before Week 2’s game against the Detroit Lions, another wild domino fell. Ed Oliver, a cornerstone of that D-line, got scratched at the last minute after tweaking his hip during warmups. Just like that, Carter was set to play even more snaps. It’s wild how quickly things can change in the league, and Carter was ready when his number was called.
From Sidelines to Standout: Carter’s Early Season Impact
So, what did Carter do with this crazy, unexpected shot? He absolutely ran with it. In Week 1 against the Texans, he logged 18 snaps. He only made one tackle, yeah, but it was a crucial run stop, an advanced stat marking a loss for the offense. He also bagged a pressure on just seven pass-rush snaps and didn’t miss a single tackle. That’s efficiency right there.
Then came Week 2, where he saw a huge jump, playing 31 snaps in Buffalo’s 10-point victory over the Lions. He put up two tackles, including another big run stop, and racked up a pair of pressures on 20 pass-rush snaps. The sample size is small, for sure, but his early pressure rate is sitting at a stellar 11.1%. Think about this: he’s nearly halfway to the total pressures he registered his *entire rookie season* back in 2024, when he had 8 pressures on 162 pass-rush snaps. For a defensive tackle, that 10% pressure rate is usually what separates the good from the truly outstanding players. On top of that, he’s got two stops on just 21 run-game snaps and is apparently “winning” on more than half those reps. How about this stat: Carter ranks second among all NFL defensive tackles in ESPN’s run stop win rate metric, tallying 11 wins in those 21 snaps. That’s just straight up elite production right now.
This early surge from a guy who was practically off the team roster is incredible. Carter is proving he belongs, making the most of every single rep. He’s showing real grit and talent that the Bills will absolutely need as the season rolls on. You gotta love seeing a player grab hold of an opportunity like this with both hands.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
Leave a Reply