Last season, the Buffalo Bills suffered a devastating loss when they lost all-time leading All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. Luckily for Buffalo, he was lining up next to a rising star in Terrel Bernard, who in just his second season had accumulated 143 total stops, 6.5 sacks, three interceptions, and fumble recoveries. The former Baylor Bear had a surprise breakthrough season, one that left the Western New York supporters forgetting about Tremaine Edmunds in the blink of an eye.
Heading into the 2024 season with a pair of healthy standout linebackers and promising young talent in Dorian Williams, the Bills’ linebacker group appears poised for a strong ranking in preseason assessments. According to PFF, the Bills’ linebackers have been rated as the 11th-best unit in the NFL. Gordon McGuinness of PFF highlighted the strengths of Milano and Bernard, citing Milano’s exceptional coverage skills and Bernard’s consistent performance as a solid starter.
And it’s this notion that casts doubt on the unit’s ranking—Milano is unquestionably one of the league’s most important defenders, and Bernard’s absence from the team last season was felt greatly. Buffalo’s linebacker group includes an All-Pro player and a player who probably would have been considered for the All-Pro team had he been a more well-known player going into the 2023 season. And this group isn’t even ranked in the top 10?
Taking everything into account, the Bills will probably rank much higher if their linebacker tandem can remain healthy. Furthermore, PFF might not be the most reliable source when it comes to Buffalo’s linebackers; the publication recently ranked Milano as the fourth-best linebacker in football, while Bernard was left off of its top 32. Tyrel Dodson, an…fine linebacker whom the Bills let depart as a free agent this offseason, came in at No. 22.
