Top five Bills who must step up in 2024 — Defense

0
Buffalo Bills v New England Patriots
Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images

With several former key players leaving the team, the Bills will need some in-house solutions to step up and deliver

Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, Leonard Floyd... the list of former Buffalo Bills defensive stars goes on. It's undeniable that there’s been a lot of turnover on defense for the Bills’ roster and that 2024 will mark the first year of a new version of head coach Sean McDermott's (and new defensive coordinator Bobby Babich) defense.

It’s not just the former stars who won't be around moving forward, but also players who were solid contributors over the years such as Dane Jackson, Jordan Phillips, and Shaq Lawson, to name a few, who must be replaced by new faces this season.

With so many veterans moving on, and the cap situation not allowing the team to replace all of them with household names from free agency, it's natural to expect some of the talent already on the roster to step up and take advantage of the opportunity to become the new stalwarts of this consistently strong unit. Free-agent additions and the rookie class are expected to help, but the players already on the roster have the advantage of knowing the defensive schemes and what their coaches expect from them.

So, who are the five players that can make the most impact on the defensive side of the ball with a jump in production in 2024? Here are my picks...

5 — Ed Oliver, IDL

The former ninth-overall pick is coming off his best year as a pro, finishing second on the team in sacks with 9.5, and consistently wreaking havoc on opposing backfields. Oliver promised to outplay his new contract, which he signed last offseason, and his first season after the re-signing has been a nice step in the right direction.

Despite the recent production, Oliver has the potential to do even more. We didn't see the same impactful player from the regular season in the playoff matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs and, despite all the qualities he possesses, Oliver isn't listed among many people's top-10 NFL defensive tackles — something that I believe he's capable of achieving.

The Bills desperately need game-changers along their defensive line and Oliver certainly is one of the most talented pieces they have at their disposal. He's already very good, but it would be awesome for the team if he could become great.

4 — Kaiir Elam, CB

The former Florida Gator was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft to finally give the Bills a long-time answer at the CB2 spot, opposite Tre'Davious White. Fast forward to 2024, and White isn't even around anymore while it remains unknown whether Elam is capable of securing a starting job with the team.

Entering his third NFL season, the time is running out for the physically gifted but inconsistent pro. Elam has struggled to fit in the Bills’ zone-heavy defensive scheme, but he also hasn't looked particularly good when asked to play to his strengths. Hiding a lower-leg injury and trying to play through it at the beginning of last season certainly didn't help matters.

There's still hope, though. Kaiir played his best when it mattered the most, given opportunities to start in both Wildcard Round games for the Bills the last two seasons — against the Dolphins and Steelers. He has all the physical tools to succeed and he has said and done the right things during the OTAs.

As the top depth option at CB, the opportunity should arise again, though it's up to him to finally make the most of it. Should that happen, Elam's a player who can elevate the level of the defense thanks to his sheer potential. The time for production is now.

3 — Greg Rousseau, EDGE

Rousseau has been able to establish himself as a good to very good starter for the Bills — big, and strong, he's a player who can set the edge like few, and hardly ever allows somebody to escape his arms when he wraps up and tackles. He also consistently closes passing lanes, taking advantage of his long arms to bat down passes at the line of scrimmage.

Like Oliver, Rousseau's already an important piece for Buffalo’s defensive line, and he’s one of the few players there with superstar potential that would benefit the team immensely if he could finally reach such level. We've seen flashes of greatness, but foot and ankle injuries have slowed him down the last couple of seasons, making it fair to ask if he will ever be able to stay healthy for an entire campaign. 2024 should be an important year for Groot, and his performances will be key for the Bills’ defensive unit.

2 — A.J. Epenesa, EDGE

After back-to-back seasons with 6.5 sacks in a rotational role, the former second-round pick is back with the Bills, despite testing the free-agency market. This time, Epenesa should have the opportunity to battle for a starting spot opposite Greg Rousseau, since Leonard Floyd isn't in the fold anymore and Von Miller, his main competition, is coming off his worst season as a pro.

Since being drafted in 2020, Epenesa has been through a lot. The team essentially asked him to completely change his body — a big edge defender who relied on his size and strength to succeed at the collegiate level had to slim down and become a quicker and more explosive pass rusher, relying on technique to get the job done.

Such a change demands time to work properly, with the athlete having to learn all over again how to use his body's new strengths and how to deal with the new weaknesses. Epenesa finally looks comfortable with his new playing style and has been a nice situational rusher for the Bills the last couple of seasons, and he might be able to offer even more.

I don't believe he has enough play strength to become a good enough run defender — that's why I don't see him taking the next step and becoming a starter. With that said, I believe he can continue to get better as a pass rusher, and it should be more than enough to make him an even more valuable contributor with Buffalo’s defense in 2024.

1 — Von Miller, EDGE

No player on the Bills’ defensive roster can make a bigger impact in 2024 than Von Miller if he’s playing at his best, and the reason why is simple — after injuring his knee in 2022, he was a total non-factor in 2023. Anything Miller can add to the table will be important since his contract continues to be (even after a team-friendly renegotiation) one of the largest hits to the Bills’ payroll.

Miller has looked good during OTAs and has said he still wants to play and contribute. He's been feeling more confident in his knee to the point a brace isn't needed anymore.

It's still early but if Miller can somewhat recapture his pre-injury form, he could become the difference maker the Bills need on the defensive line. It's a group that has proven to be good without him, but one that could look totally different with the future Hall of Fame pass rusher winning one-on-ones and drawing more attention his way, allowing the other younger pieces to flourish in more favorable situations.

Final Thoughts

Overall, four of the five choices were general manger Brandon Beane's high draft choices (three first-round picks and a single second-round pick), and Miller was Beane’s biggest free-agent acquisition. When we see a team with so few blue-chip players very hard-strapped against the cap, it shows that some of them have simply failed to meet the expectations.

Beane has been great at finding gems in later rounds, but the team hasn't been able to develop other superstars to surround quarterback Josh Allen, and that includes on defense. It’s notable that four out of five choices play on the defensive line, and all four are key cogs in the team's prospects of generating enough pass rush — especially against the best offenses and in the playoffs, to consistently impact those games and give Allen and the offense more opportunities to lead the team to wins.

Buffalo Bills v Chicago Bears Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver might still have some untapped potential.

Despite the question marks at both safety spots (Who will start? Will they be good enough?), and the lack of proven depth at the cornerback position, generating enough pass rush without blitzing is the biggest concern with the new defense. McDermott and Babich have done an amazing job with the secondary over the years, and having a linebacker duo that can do it all, blitzing and covering, certainly makes things easier.

However, at the end of the day, you need to consistently win one-on-one matchups in the trenches, and the players mentioned above certainly are the most capable of elevating their games short-term and becoming the game-changers that this team badly needs. If they do so, everything else should be easier to adjust. Simply put: Everything starts with them.

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post