I’ve been a little quieter than usual on here recently, so, apologies!
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working through The Scouting Academy’s curriculum to improve my understanding of player evaluation and film study. My hope is that the time invested now will lead to better, more detailed scouting reports and player analysis throughout the 2026 season. I’m hoping it will make a difference and you’ll enjoy even more detail in these pieces than before!
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Ironically, the first position group I’ve been studying is defensive line play, which made A.J. Epenesa a particularly fun signing to evaluate. This was a bit of extra homework for me to do this week…
Before diving into the film, let’s take a look at Epenesa’s background, usage, and production. All numbers via PFF, as always.
Context
A.J. Epenesa enters his seventh NFL season after spending the first six years of his career with the Buffalo Bills. Originally selected in the second round (54th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Iowa, Epenesa has appeared in 93 regular-season games and developed into a valuable rotational edge defender within Buffalo’s defensive line rotation.
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The Bills primarily deployed Epenesa as a left defensive end. In 2025, 96% of his pass-rush snaps came from the left side. He aligned most frequently as a 6-technique, 7-technique, and wide edge defender, operating almost exclusively as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end.
Epenesa has played at least 14 games in every NFL season and has appeared in every game over the last three years except for one missed contest in 2025 due to a concussion. The only notable concern this offseason was a reported failed physical with the Cleveland Browns. The exact reason was never disclosed publicly, although Epenesa dealt with several minor injuries during the 2025 season before ultimately appearing in 16 games. It’s an obvious concern.
Position
Epenesa possesses the size and length to play on early downs while also offering enough pass-rush ability to remain on the field in passing situations. His game is built more around power, effort, and hand usage than elite athletic traits, making him an ideal complementary edge defender rather than a primary pass-rushing threat.
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For the Eagles, Epenesa profiles as a rotational edge defender capable of spelling the starting defensive ends, playing base downs, and providing situational pass-rush snaps. His ability to align in multiple edge techniques should make him a useful fit in Vic Fangio’s defense.
Key Stats
In 2024, he recorded 22 pressures, 11 quarterback hits, and six sacks on 341 pass-rush snaps, producing a pressure rate of 6.5%. While his sack total fell to 2.5 sacks in 2025, his underlying pass-rush efficiency improved. Epenesa generated the same 22 pressures despite rushing the passer 130 fewer times, increasing his pressure rate from 6.5% to 10.4%. His quarterback hit rate also improved from 3.2% to 4.3% per pass-rush snap. 10.4% is a decent pressure number for a rotational option. For context, Nolan Smith was at 13% and Jalyx Hunt was 10.9%.
Strengths
Powerful, technically sound pass rusher
Epenesa wins far more with technique and power than athleticism. He shows a well-developed pass-rush plan and consistently attacks offensive tackles with purpose. His best rushes are bull rushes, where he has the power to collapse the pocket with heavy hands and use his length to generate force through contact. He understands how to attack an offensive tackle’s outside shoulder and can walk blockers back into the quarterback when he lands his hands cleanly. He is strong as hell when he can extend his arm fully and really get into a tackles chest.
He doesn’t have a bag of moves because he can’t threaten the outside consistently, which limits you as a pass rusher (without the ability to win outside, it is harder to counter with spin moves, etc.) but he does have some techniques, such as the Stutter Bull, that he can use as a change-up. As he likes to attack inside, the little fake on his 3rd step is perfectly timed to try and get the OT to show his hands, allowing Epenesa to get under him and push him aggressively back to the quarterback. If you are a power rusher who wins inside, using that to disguise the standard bull rush is a clever change up.
Additionally, he rushes with good pass-rush integrity. This is not a superstar pass rusher chasing sacks and getting caught up in the field. Even when he doesn’t win, he can make a play on the quarterback by preventing him from escaping the pocket, allowing others to clean up. This is the benefit of a power rusher over a speed rusher.
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Excellent hand usage
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Epenesa’s game is his use of hands. His hands are active throughout the rep, and he does a good job clearing his chest when tackles attempt to latch on. You can see the experience at times when he strikes the opponent’s wrists, rather than just aimlessly throwing his hands around. Rather than relying on burst or flexibility, he frequently defeats blocks through timing, placement, and sheer hand strength. This also allows him to play over guards, and not just take on tackles.
Strong play strength and length
At 6-foot-5 with long arms, Epenesa possesses prototypical NFL size for the position. His upper-body strength stands out on film, particularly when locking out offensive tackles or controlling tight ends in the run game. His length also helps him finish tackles and keep blockers away from his frame. The arm length is incredibly obvious to spot on film. It gives him an advantage, despite not being a great athlete.
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Disciplined run defender
Epenesa shows good awareness against the run and rarely abandons his responsibilities in search of splash plays. He understands his run fits, diagnoses concepts quickly, and displays good discipline when offenses attempt to influence him with misdirection or option looks.
His length allows him to set firm edges and maintain separation from blockers. His arm length also allows him to tackle when he is within reaching distance of a ball carrier, which matters!
His pursuit is also very good for someone his size. He is a reliable backside defender who will make plays if close enough to the back. However, he will not be one of those players making ridiculously athletic plays from the backside, because he doesn’t have the speed to get across to the over side quickly enough. He’s just reliably good.
Valuable stunt and twist defender
While he lacks elite athletic traits, Epenesa can be highly effective as the penetrator (you want your edge defender to crash into the guard, allowing the DT to bend around you) on twists. He does the dirty work well. His power forces offensive linemen to commit to him, creating opportunities for teammates looping behind him. He consistently executes these assignments with good timing and physicality due to his size.
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Coverage
Despite being bigger, he’s surprisingly good at dropping into coverage when needed on sim pressures. He seems to have a good understanding of the players around him, which has enabled him to pick off some passes throughout his career.
Weaknesses
Limited athletic ceiling
The biggest limitation in Epenesa’s game is his overall athletic profile. He lacks high-end change-of-direction ability and does not possess the flexibility or lower-body looseness typically associated with top-tier edge rushers. This shows up when attempting to redirect or corner sharply at the top of the rush. More athletic, powerful tackles will nullify his threat a lot of the time. I don’t think he’s someone you expect to win against top-tier offensive linemen.
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Not a speed rusher
Epenesa is unlikely to consistently threaten offensive tackles with pure speed. His first step is adequate rather than explosive, and he lacks the acceleration to regularly win around the outside shoulder. When tackles match his power and length, he can struggle to find alternative ways to create pressure. Not every rusher has to win outside, but speed rushers can force quarterbacks to step up into the pathway of inside pressure. Considering the Eagles would like Jalen Carter to be the centerpiece of the pass rush, speed rushes can be beneficial in forcing the QB to step up.
Limited bend around the corner
Related to his athletic limitations, Epenesa does not consistently flatten to the quarterback after winning the edge. He often sees the rush lane correctly, but lacks the ankle and hip flexibility to fully capitalize on it. Many of his wins come through the tackle rather than around him. He doesn’t have the range to point his toes at the quarterback when trying to bend the corner, which results in him missing the quarterback. You won’t see many wins where he bends the edge.
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Can play too high
Despite possessing excellent strength, Epenesa occasionally surrenders leverage by playing with a high pad level. When this happens, blockers can get under him and neutralize some of his natural power. Given his strength profile, there are snaps where he should dominate more consistently than he does. He can have issues in the run game because of his height, and it’s likely linked to his height.
Average in Space
Once the ball breaks containment or reaches the perimeter, Epenesa’s athletic limitations become more apparent. His effort is generally good, but he lacks the pursuit speed to consistently finish plays from the backside or chase down mobile quarterbacks in space. If you can get him one-on-one vs a top-tier athlete, he will struggle to get a hand on them. Mobile quarterbacks can avoid his rush and create outside of structure if he has to make a one-on-one tackle.
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Overall
Coming into this evaluation, I wasn’t expecting to like A.J. Epenesa as much as I did.
The overall theme of his film is that he’s simply a decent football player. He’s not an elite athlete, and he’s never going to be confused with the premier edge rushers in the NFL, but he consistently finds ways to impact games in limited snaps. He wins with power, length, hand usage, effort, and intelligence rather than rare physical traits. There are plenty of edge defenders who look more impressive in space, but Epenesa understands how to play the position and has developed a polished skill set over six NFL seasons.
What stood out most was how physical he is. He routinely collapses pockets with his bull rush, uses his hands extremely well, and plays with the kind of strength that fits what the Eagles have traditionally valued along the defensive line. He isn’t a bendy speed rusher, and he won’t threaten offensive tackles around the corner on a consistent basis, but he doesn’t need to. His game is built around winning in different ways and doing the little things well.
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From the Eagles’ perspective, this is exactly what you want from your fourth edge defender. The Eagles don’t need Epenesa to be a star. They already have Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Jonathan Greenard expected to handle the bulk of the workload. What they need is a dependable veteran who can take meaningful snaps, hold up against the run, generate occasional pressure, and allow the younger players to stay fresh over a long season. Epenesa looks capable of doing all of those things.
The biggest concern has nothing to do with the film. It is impossible to ignore the unusual circumstances surrounding his free agency. Epenesa reportedly had an agreement with Cleveland in place before failing a physical, prompting the Browns to back away from the deal. That is not something that happens often with a 27-year-old player coming off a season in which he appeared in 16 games. We don’t know exactly what caused the failed physical, but it would be naïve to pretend it isn’t a concern.
In fact, it is probably the main reason why my expectations remain somewhat tempered despite liking the film. If Epenesa had entered free agency with a completely clean bill of health, I suspect he would have signed much earlier and potentially for more money. The fact that he remained available this late in the offseason suggests there may be concerns around the league that simply aren’t visible on film. Although Epenesa has been durable throughout his career, his snap counts have remained relatively modest. He played a career-high 712 snaps in 2024 before dropping back to 488 in 2025 (and he was better in 2025). Therefore, it is fair to wonder whether he is simply better suited to a rotational role. His style of play is extremely physical, and some of his effectiveness may come from staying fresh rather than playing 600-plus snaps a season.
Ultimately, I came away viewing this as a very sensible signing for the Eagles. The key variable is health. If the physical concerns prove to be a non-issue, the Eagles may have added a quality rotational defensive end at excellent value. If not, the risk is obvious. Based purely on the film, though, this is a player who belongs in an NFL rotation and one who makes an already deep Eagles edge room even stronger.
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Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here.
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