91 Buffalo Bills Players in 91 Days: LB Edefuan Ulofoshio

The Buffalo Bills have been known to field a lot of “special teams only” players throughout head coach Sean McDermott’s tenure. Often, those players are linebackers. That doesn’t mean those linebackers can’t contribute on defense, but it does mean the team does its best to keep them from playing defense if it can.

This offseason, it seems like the Bills have abandoned that strategy somewhat, particularly at linebacker. After dealing with a series of injuries last season, it makes sense for the club to pivot and try to build the type of depth that can step in and fill roles on defense rather than just contribute in the ever-important third phase of the game.

In today’s episode of our “91 Players in 91 Days” series, we discuss a young player whose best role early in his career is probably as a special teams player, but who has the potential to become a solid role player down the road.

Edefuan Ulofoshio

• Number: 48
• Position: KG
• Size weight: 1.85 m, 107 kg
• Age: 24 (25 on 01/23/2025)
• Experience/Draft: R; selected by Buffalo in the fifth round (160th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft
• College: Washington
• Acquired: Fifth round draft pick

Financial situation (according to Spotrac): Ulofoshio signed a four-year rookie contract worth $4,334,024. Of that total, the contract contains $314,024 in the form of a signing bonus. That total is the amount Buffalo will have to pay if Ulofoshio is released. If he makes the team, Ulofoshio will have a salary cap hit of $873,506 for the 2024 season.

2023 Recap: As a sixth-year player after two injury-plagued seasons, Ulofoshio had a lot to prove in his final year with the Huskies. He played in all 15 games for the Huskies, recording 94 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks on the season. His tackles and tackles for loss were both second on the team. He also had an interception, which he returned 45 yards for a touchdown, a forced fumble and three pass breakups.

For his efforts, Ulofoshio was named a finalist for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s top linebacker. He also made a few All-America teams: He was named a second-team All-America by Focus on professional footballA third-team All-America by Phil Steele, and first-team All-Pac 12. At the team’s postseason banquet, Ulofoshio won UW’s Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award. He was also invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash, jumped 39.5 inches in the vertical jump and posted a 10’8″ broad jump.

Positional perspectives: Ulofoshio is one of eight off-ball linebackers competing for a roster spot. Joe Andreessen, Matt Milano, Dorian Williams, Deion Jones, Nicholas Morrow, Terrel Bernard and Baylon Spector are the others.

Off-season 2024: Ulofoshio is healthy and ready for training camp.

Outlook for the 2024 season: Ulofoshio, whose name is pronounced “ed-EH-fuan YOO-lo-FO-shio,” is an interesting example of perseverance and potential. An arm injury and torn ACL limited him to just 14 games in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, but he came back strong and helped the Huskies come within one game of winning the national championship.

He seems like a player that, with good coaching and continued work, could develop into a good pro linebacker. However, he is a bit limited in coverage and he tends to be a bit too aggressive when attacking the line of scrimmage. He will need time to adjust to the pro game and for the pro game to slow down for him as well.

He won’t need that extra experience on special teams, though, where his power-hitting skills and straight-line speed will be a big help. I think he’s a replacement for Tyler Matakevich, but with one major caveat: While Matakevich was known as a liability on defense, Ulofoshio has the potential to contribute at some point in the near future. No fifth-round pick guarantees he’ll make the roster, but I believe the Anchorage, Alaska, native will be on the team in September.