Bills Central

Where does the Bills defensive line rank entering 2024 NFL season?

How does the Bills' defensive line rank according to PFF in their 'top-32' series entering the new season?

McKenna Middlebrook

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is pressured by Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau (50).
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is pressured by Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau (50). / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and
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The Buffalo Bills have questions swirling around their defensive line as we approach the start of the 2024 NFL season. PFF has recently released their ‘Top-32’ series, where they rank the top 32 players at each position. This includes ranking edge rushers and the interior defensive line. Where does the once-lauded defensive line of the Bills rank heading into next season? 

We’ll start with Buffalo's edge rushers; PFF has just one defensive end on the top-32 list with Greg Rousseau. He's ranked as the 25th best edge defender in the league with PFF saying this about the lone Buffalo Bill: “He is still looking to take the next step as a pass-rusher, as he has yet to eclipse double-digit sacks and recorded a 15.5% win rate in 2023.” The assessment of Rousseau is… fair. Rousseau has still yet to make the leap into becoming a top-tier pass rusher, but his relentlessness and run-stopping ability are severely underrated. 

What is interesting about this is the lack of Von Miller. While it’s been noted by plenty of pundits (and fans) around the NFL landscape, Miller isn’t the same player he was when he joined the Bills. But, he is Von Miller. If he comes back healthy and focused he is one of the most dominant pass rushers in NFL history.

When it comes to the interior of the defensive line, the Bills fare slightly better compared to their edge rushers on the top-32 list. Both Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones feature, with Oliver being ranked 22nd and Jones being ranked 24th. First, here is what PFF has to say about Oliver, “Another player who has perhaps never quite lived up to his expected potential, Oliver is coming off a career year in terms of pass rushing, racking up 72 quarterback pressures, including the playoffs.” They fail to mention the 9.5 sacks that Oliver accumulated last season, which was tied for 25th across the entirety of the NFL. And according to PFF’s own metrics, across every interior defensive lineman in the NFL he was tied for third in sacks last season, so the ranking of Oliver at 22nd seems a bit of a snub. 

Here is what PFF has to say about Jones, “Through nine games, he sported an 80.9 PFF pass-rushing grade, the best on the team. He had 20 total pressures across only 152 pass-rushing snaps and was playing well against the run.” Anyone who watched the Bills defense without Jones last season he was severely missed when went down with injury. And his stats back-up the praise he deserves, in just the 152 pass-rushing snaps last season, he tallied 3.0 sacks. 

The Bills defensive line used to be one of the deepest in the NFL. They had talented proven depth and blend of effective run stoppers and pass rushers. Like the rest of the team, the defensive line is in-flux. Now the young players they’ve drafted over the last few years need to start to prove themselves as consistent starters.

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McKenna Middlebrook

MCKENNA MIDDLEBROOK

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