Bills Best Building Block: Greg Rousseau a Soon-To-Be Star?

Buffalo Bills defensive end Gregory Rousseau doubled his sack total in his second season.

If Gregory Rousseau's performance last year is any indication, he may be on the verge of breaking out this season for the Buffalo Bills. 

The third-year defensive end doubled his sack total from his rookie season with eight, tying him with Von Miller for the most on the team. Rousseau thrived despite dealing with an ankle injury that caused him to miss four games. Miller missed the final six games of the regular season with a torn ACL.

With Rousseau's trajectory from year one to year two, Bleacher Report named him Buffalo's "most promising building block," heading into the 2023 campaign.

"The Bills could benefit from a star pass-rusher as Von Miller continues to edge," Bleacher Report writes. "If Rousseau can continue to have stretches like he did in the first four games of the season, he will be a superstar on a contender."

Rousseau, who was drafted No. 30 overall in 2021, also set career highs with 10 tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits. 

His emergence would make an already strong Buffalo defense even better. The Bills' defense allowed an average of 17.9 points per game in the regular season, which was second-best in the NFL. 

Rousseau and Miller's health and play will carry a Buffalo defense looking to maintain its high level of performance and overcome the loss of linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. In what should be a much more competitive AFC East, Rousseau's ability to build on 2022 and emerge into stardom could be what gets the Bills over the top in the playoffs. 

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