ORCHARD PARK (TNS) — In a sea of massive humans, Landon Jackson stands out.

He just looks like somebody.

The Buffalo Bills’ third-round pick is 6-foot-6, 264 pounds with frying pan-sized hands and a physique chiseled from a superhero movie. He also happens to run a 4.68-second 40-yard dash and boasts a 40 ½-inch vertical leap.

But Jackson willingly admits that it’s taken some time to learn how to consistently utilize his body as an advantage. Injuries have played a role, tearing his ACL as a sophomore in Texarkana, Texas, and then suffering an ankle fracture as a senior in 2020.

During Jackson’s freshman season at LSU — where he played one season before transferring to Arkansas — he tore his left ACL a second time. And then there was a weight issue.

Jackson was 240 when he signed with LSU, but he showed up for his freshman season at 285 and he didn’t always bulk up with the healthiest diets. He gradually shedded 20 pounds, and while he had a successful three seasons at Arkansas, Jackson only tallied 26 ½ tackles for a loss and 16 sacks in 37 games.

Now that Jackson is with a team that covets players his size, he is learning how to use his 33 ¼-inch arms to keep blockers away.

“They can’t get their arms on you (in the run game),” Jackson told GNN Sports after practice Wednesday. “It’s easier to sit them down and just not get driven off the ball. And then also in pass rush, you’re really able to just keep them away from you and work a move.”

Buffalo Bills players 6-foot-5 or taller

If the NFL doesn’t work for Jackson, he could grab a few players and dominate pick-up basketball games at the park. Right tackle Spencer Brown (6-8) recorded a 40-point, 40-rebound game in high school, while defensive end A.J. Epenesa (6-6) had Division I interest as a high school basketball player.

They aren’t alone, as the Bills are tied with the Eagles with the most players 6-5 or taller (25), while having the fourth-most players 6-6 or taller (12). The Bills were blunt about wanting a player Jackson’s size, with four of six defensive ends drafted by general manager Brandon Beane since 2018 have been at least 6-6.

Usually taller players have longer arms that are key to playing offensive and defensive line by keeping an opponent from getting into their chest. But even some shorter players have long arms.

Second-year defensive end Javon Solomon is 6-1, but has 33 ⅞-inch arms. Second-round defensive tackle T.J. Sanders is a hair under 6-4, but boasts 33 ⅛-inch arms.

That extends to other positions as well. There are some concerns about first-round pick Maxwell Hairston size (5-11, 183), but he has 31-inch arms. Fellow cornerback and sixth-round pick Dorian Strong is also slender, but is 6-1 and has 30 ⅞-inch arms.

“It’s bigger, faster, stronger and so each position has its advantages when it comes to length,” Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray said in an exclusive interview with GNN Sports. “But you start looking at D-line, O-line, cornerback and even receiver. There’s an advantage to it if you can combine length with skill.”

Offensive tackles are usually taller because they can take bigger steps and have a longer reach to operate in space. Guards aren’t usually skyscrapers because they are working in more confined areas, but the Bills are simply big across the board.

Thirteen of the 16 offensive linemen currently on the roster are at least 6-5. Four of the last five offensive tackles drafted since 2021 have been 6-7, including Chase Lundt, this year’s sixth-round pick.

All five projected starters are at least 6-5. The Bills haven’t started an offensive lineman shorter than 6-5 since 2022. Buffalo wants athletic linemen, but when the temperature drops and the wind picks up, it also wants players who are big and physical.

“The longer, bigger, quicker they are, the better they are,” Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer said. “They’re probably first-rounders. And then you get the taller guy that’s not as athletic, he’s in the next round. … You’re just looking for traits as the draft goes. And what we have found in this division, in the cold games, the bigger players are better.”

The Bills want long defensive ends for the same reasons they want size for offensive tackles. Epenesa and 6-6 Greg Rousseau have knocked down a combined 31 passes since 2021, but height has disadvantages for a defensive lineman.

The knock on Jackson leading up to the draft was that he didn’t have much bend in his body. And he readily says that playing with a lower pad level to create leverage is an ongoing challenge, just as it has been for Epenesa and Rousseau at times during their careers.

The Bills have a tackling sled set to a height that forces defensive linemen to play lower. It’s also a constant point of emphasis for Buffalo’s defensive line coaching triumvirate of Marcus West, Ryan Nielsen and Jason Rebrovich.

“A lot of it is just being able to bend at the knee,” Jackson said. “They’ve got those sleds, so that alone will force you to keep your pad level pretty low or else you’re going to start banging your head on the top of the sled.”