Bills Central

NFL analyst says breakout Bills DE is an 'under-the-radar' Pro Bowl pick

An NFL.com writer feels as though the Buffalo Bills have a potential Pro Bowler anchoring their defensive line.

Ronnie Eastham

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Though the quality and consistency of the Buffalo Bills’ pass rush have been called into question at times this season, the team has been generally effective in getting after opposing quarterbacks, currently ranking 12th in the NFL in total sacks with 25. No player has been more impactful along Buffalo’s defensive front than fourth-year defensive end Greg Rousseau; the Bills yearned to see the 6-foot-7 defender take the next step in his development this season and evolve into a more consistently noticeable presence, and through the first 10 games of the 2024 campaign, he’s done exactly that.

Rousseau has tallied 5.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits thus far this year, putting him firmly on pace to blow his previous career highs out of the water in both statistics. He’s already tied his career high in tackles for loss with 12, this a testament to not only his increase in pass-rushing efficiency, but his status as one of the league’s better run defenders, an attribute that goes unnoticed by most. He now has 22.5 sacks in his career, and 1.5 additional quarterback takedowns will put him in the top 15 in franchise history in the statistic.

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Long viewed by the Buffalo faithful who has an important contributor who perhaps hasn’t received the national recognition he deserves, Rousseau’s numbers are becoming difficult to ignore. NFL.com’s Kevin Patra shares this sentiment, recently circling Rousseau as an "under-the-radar" player who is worthy of a Pro Bowl nod this season.

“Rousseau's career has been building to this season,” Patra wrote. “The uber-talented athlete has been a menace through 10 games. Seemingly every play, there is No. 50 flying onto the screen, hitting a ballcarrier, swiping at a quarterback, tipping a pass, or skunking a play. His 5.5 sacks put the former first-round pick on pace for a career-high, and his 12 tackles for loss are tied for an NFL high (with three-time Pro Bowler and DPOY candidate Trey Hendrickson). 

Greg Roussea
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“He's been a flash, generating 36 QB pressures, and 20 of his pressures are of the quick variety (first 2.5 seconds of a play), tied for the fifth-most in the NFL. The only players above him in that metric: Myles Garrett (26), Hendrickson (24), Danielle Hunter (23), and Brian Burns (21). That's the type of get-off group Rousseau is surrounding himself with in 2024."

The perhaps scary thing for opposing quarterbacks is that Rousseau still has room to improve; as Patra notes, he has 36 pressures this season but only 5.5 sacks, meaning the 24-year-old isn't necessarily finishing pressures at an elite clip. This is perhaps the next step in what has already been a discernible developmental track for Rousseau; Buffalo needs a game-changer on the edge to bring down the likes of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whom Rousseau and co. face this weekend. The defender has just one year remaining on his deal, the fifth-year option Buffalo picked up this past spring; it looks as though he's well on track to earning a mega-extension sooner rather than later.

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Ronnie Eastham
RONNIE EASTHAM

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