Matt Milano praised, Terrel Bernard snubbed in NFL linebacker rankings

Terrel Bernard's omission overshadows Matt Milano's favorable landing spot in PFF's latest NFL linebacker ranking.

Linebacker Terrel Bernard shares a laugh with Micah Hyde (23) and Matt Milano while stretching before a training camp practice. / Jamie Germano/Democrat and Chronicle /

So close, yet so far.

It’s a cliché that traces its roots back centuries, and we can (likely) all think of examples within our own lives that give tangible representation to the phrase. If you can’t, look no further than Pro Football Focus’s latest NFL linebacker ranking, which—rightfully—ranks one Buffalo Bills defender among the league’s best while simultaneously snubbing another.

Matt Milano is ranked as the fourth-best linebacker in football in writer Gordon McGuinness’s list, slotting in just behind elite defenders like Fred Warner, Roquan Smith, and DeMario Davis. Terrel Bernard, who dynamically mans the middle of Buffalo’s defense opposite Milano (and largely did so without him throughout the 2023 season), is absent from the list; PFF does not view him among the league’s top 32 linebackers.

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McGuinness had this to say of Milano:

“Off to another strong start before suffering a season-ending injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5 last year, Milano was in attendance at OTAs this week — a good sign for his return to the field,” he wrote. “His 83.2 PFF coverage grade was the fourth-best mark at the position in 2022.”

Milano’s ranking is completely fair, as few defenders impact the game as heavily or consistently as the 29-year-old when he’s healthy. He’s a rangy sideline-to-sideline linebacker with a nose for the football who has a penchant for making splash plays in opportune moments; he’s tallied 39 pass deflections, 10 interceptions, and 10.5 sacks throughout his professional career, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2022. The defender, however, has difficulty staying on the field, as he’s missed at least one game due to injury in six of his seven professional seasons; he missed the vast majority of the 2023 campaign with a fractured tibia.

The omission of Bernard from the list entirely is simply egregious, though not surprising considering he earned a 64.0 overall grade from PFF last season. Those who watched any stretch of Bills football in 2023 know just how impactful Bernard was for Buffalo’s defense; he was nearly as impactful as a prime Milano, his presence felt in all areas of the field and manifesting in the form of 6.5 sacks, five pass deflections, and three interceptions.

The linebacker’s breakout season went largely unnoticed by national pundits, and thus, his snub is not unexpected—but that doesn’t make it any less egregious. Making matters a bit more comical is the fact that Tyrel Dodson, who started 10 games alongside Bernard in Buffalo’s defense last year, comes in at No. 22 on PFF’s list. The team allowed Dodson to depart in free agency; he signed a one-year, $4.26 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks.

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Dodson is a playable linebacker who undoubtedly had a solid 2023 season with the Bills.

Ask any Buffalo fan who had the better season—and who is the better player—between he and Bernard, and you’ll likely receive a unanimous answer.

Unjustifiable omission aside, it’s nice to see Milano receive his flowers despite his recent injury issues. Bernard will attempt to earn a spot on future editions of the ranking with yet another solid outing in the 2024 season.