The Buffalo Bills have a more dynamic, more versatile player at their No. 3 or No. 4 edge rusher position than in recent years.
That’s the optimistic assessment of the Bills’ free-agent signee from the Los Angeles Rams – Michael Hoecht (pronounced Hoyt).
“You’re gonna love him,” said D’Marco Farr, a former Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams who serves on the Rams’ broadcast team. “He’s an all-gas, no-brakes type player.
“Tremendous guy, great leadership qualities,” Farr said. “He’s definitely a guy you want on your football team.”
“I think his versatility and multiplicity really helps him,” said retired NFL linebacker Kirk Morrison, a former Bill who also is a member of the Rams’ broadcast team. “He’s able to rush the passer, he’s able to stop the run. And it’s not necessarily his strong suit, but he is capable of dropping into zone coverages at the linebacking spot.”
People are also reading…
Los Angeles Rams Michael Hoecht
Defensive lineman Michael Hoecht reacts after bringing Denver quarterback Russell Wilson down for a sack in a 2022 game in Inglewood, Calif. Hoecht is a key new addition to the Bills' defense. Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times
Hoecht, 6-foot-4 and 267 pounds, agreed to terms with the Bills on a three-year deal worth a reported $7 million a year.
That speaks to the Bills’ view of the upside for a player who had 3 sacks last season, 6 in 2023 and 4½ in 2022. Based solely on the modest sack production, Hoecht’s numbers don’t suggest he’s a big upgrade as a rotational edge rusher.
Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa, who is playing on a $6 million a year deal, had 6 sacks last season, 6½ in 2023 and 6½ in 2022. Measured by playing time, Epenesa was the No. 2 defensive end in the playoffs last season, while Dawuane Smoot was No. 3 and Von Miller was No. 4. Smoot produced just 1.5 sacks last season but had a three-year stretch from 2020 to 2022 where he had 16½ sacks.
However, Hoecht is a different kind of athlete than Smoot and Epenesa.
Hoecht ran the 40-yard dash out of college at 4.65 seconds at a weight of 290 pounds. Hoecht posted off-the-charts agility numbers in the 3-cone drill (7.05 seconds) and the short shuttle (4.21). Epenesa ran a 5.04 40-yard dash at 275 pounds, with a short shuttle of 4.46 and a 3-cone time of 7.34. Smoot’s numbers were 4.67, 4.39 and 7.18 at 264 pounds.
The Rams used Hoecht as an off-the-ball linebacker and dropped him into coverage far more than the Bills are likely to do. Hoecht had 223 pass-rush snaps in 2024 while dropping into coverage 156 times (22%). Hoecht had a quality pressure rate of 12.1%, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Epenesa had a pressure rate of 7.1% on 336 pass-rush snaps, while Smoot was at 5.6% on 195 snaps. (Epenesa’s production was down from 2023, when he had a 13.5% pressure rate.)
Watching video of Hoecht’s games in 2024, it’s easy to see he brings more explosion and “juice” to his pass rush game when he’s running twists and stunts with other defensive linemen than either Epenesa or Smoot. There’s a play vs. Arizona in 2023 where Hoecht copies an Aaron Donald move by throwing an inside leaping cross chop at rookie tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and gets a pressure.
Is he better than Epenesa as a pure outside rusher in a four-man rush? The jury is out on that question.
Hoecht has some impressive outside rushes on occasion, but Epenesa to this point has more good outside rush move highlights. Hoecht had a strong playoff game in the Rams’ wild-card win over Minnesota, and he gave Vikings right tackle Cam Robinson some fits with quick inside and outside moves.
In the Week 14 game against the Bills in Los Angeles, Hoecht dropped into coverage a lot. There were about four straight-up pass-rush plays where Hoecht was matched up against Bills right tackle Spencer Brown, and Brown shut him down. Brown is a high-end right tackle. He shuts a lot of people down.
The big addition of defensive end Joey Bosa drops Epenesa down to No. 3 on the Bills’ edge pecking order. Hoecht arguably is as good as Epenesa and Smoot at setting the edge vs. the run. Does Hoecht get as many snaps as Epenesa? It’ll be an interesting competition to watch.
Both Farr and Morrison see Hoecht as a quality No. 3 or No. 4 edge rusher.
“He's a situational pass rusher,” Morrison said. “He can be that third and fourth rusher on a team. Even if you get a package to where you want to do some of the speed rush packages, he can be the third defensive end who comes in and lines up over the center and can actually drop back in coverage in some zone blitzing stuff.”
“Yes, you’re talking third guy, off the bench, pass rush situations or a spot duty starter – he can do that as well,” Farr said. “His games, his stunts, his brain almost are more valuable than all his body parts put together.”
Farr sees big value in Hoecht’s ability to let the defensive coordinator get creative in lining him up all over the front to manufacture favorable matchups. The presumption is the Bills will lean into more simulated pressures – which four guys are rushing? – with the addition of Hoecht and new defensive assistants Ryan Nielsen and Jason Rebrovich.
“Just as an outside guy, I think you’re selling him short,” Farr said. “I think he’s a guy you can move around to pick on certain people and to run games with. I think he’s one of the best stunt guys or game guys that we had on this team. He has great timing.”
0 Comments
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!