Bills players poised to have a breakout year

This is arguably the most talented team that the Buffalo Bills have had in decades. From top to bottom, they are one of the best rosters in the NFL, as they are filled with playmakers and lack any real weaknesses. That being said, there are some players that are looking to prove themselves this year by stepping up into a bigger role. Bills players are going to have to show that they belong in order to remain on the roster long term. In this article we will go over the players on this Bills roster that are poised to have a breakout year.

DE Greg Rousseau

“Groot”, as fans call him, is going into the second year of his NFL career. He was the first-round draft pick of the Bills last year out of the University of Miami. Rousseau finished his rookie season with 50 tackles, 4 sacks and 1 INT. While Rousseau had splashes of excellence last year, particularly in the Chiefs regular season game (where he intercepted Mahomes), he was relatively quiet for the most part for the rest of the season. This was expected however of the 30th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He was regarded as an extremely talented player with great athleticism and agility, as well as size and length. Rousseau, however, was deemed as very raw coming into the season. We’ve heard of ‘raw talent’ before and look how that turned out for them over the next couple years.

With future hall of famer Von Miller now as a teammate, Rousseau has already been said to have been absorbing a lot of the techniques and tricks that Miller has taught him. “It’s like polishing a diamond,” Miller said when asked about taking Rousseau under his wing.

Rousseau is going to be a star, and who better to get him there than all-time great Von Miller? I’m expecting Rousseau to have a breakout season this year, on the opposite edge as Miller, and the Bills are going to need him to. Getting to the quarterback has been a weakness of the Bills over the past few years, and if they’re going to make a run this year, these guys are going to have to step up and get after the great AFC QBs. I believe with the knowledge that Miller has to give Rousseau, and the experience he now has, Groot is poised to breakout in 2022.

LB Tremaine Edmunds

I know Bills Mafia has had some mixed opinions on Edmunds, and rightfully so. Edmunds has struggled at times over the past couple years. This past season he posted a career low in tackles, QB Hits and failed to record a sack – along with looking lost out on the field at times. Taking bad routes and angles to the ball carriers and not being able to shed blocks is not the Edmunds that we’re used to seeing. With that being said, Buffalo picked up his 5th-year option, which was the right thing to do. This is a big prove-it year for Edmunds. He will either be making a lot of money after this year with the Bills, or he’ll be packing his bags in free agency. I like the former in this situation.

I believe Edmunds is poised to breakout this season. Edmunds is well aware of what fans have been saying of him and he’s well aware he needs to play better. He is the leader of the Bills defense and going into his 5th NFL season. The defense is going to be one of the best in the league once again, and if Edmunds steps up the way I expect him to, it’s only going to be that much better. Knowledge and experience play a huge part in Edmunds’ development, and while he has played four seasons already, he is still developing, as is the game – learning new formations, new routes, new defensive alignments and coverage schemes. However with the new additions to the defensive line, I think that’ll be a big help to Edmunds this year. I think Edmunds silences the haters and bounces back in a big way this year.

OT Spencer Brown

“The Mountain” as some call him (in reference to the mountain on Game of Thrones), Spencer Brown is a player going into his 2nd year as the Bills starting RT. Brown is another one similar to Groot: while he has some flashes of greatness, he did struggle at points as well along the way, but that’s to be expected with a rookie tackle. Brown stands at 6’8″ tall and weighs 311 pounds. He is a big boy playing on the offensive line. We know Brown has a personality on him, reminding Desmond King how short he is, and taking a fan’s beer and pouring it on his face after a Bills TD, but we’re here to talk about his play.

Spencer Brown is a guy that has the attributes it takes in order to be great. He has the size, strength and passion. The big thing for Brown will be his core strength and his balance. Going against guys much shorter and quicker than him, staying in front of them, staying low and on balance is going to be vital for his success in year two. The Bills offensive line as a whole should be a lot better this year. They struggled mightily in some games last year, however down the stretch they pulled together and kept Josh Allen upright. I do like Brown to breakout this year. Having the experience he has now, along with his size, will make him a really great pass protector in the league for years to come.

WR Gabe Davis

If I had to rank them in terms of who is most likely to break out, Gabe Davis would be number one… for obvious reasons. Going into his 3rd year with the team, Davis is ready to take that next step. He is ready to step into the #2 WR spot, and boy has he earned it. Davis finished with 35/549/6 in his 2021 season, but what everyone will remember him for, is what he did against the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs, where he exploded for 8 receptions, 201 yards and 4 TDs. Davis implemented himself in the record books on that day.

That moment is when Bills fans, and NFL fans across the country, knew that Davis is ready to step up and be that guy. Fantasy experts are also already projecting Davis to have a breakout year. He is going to get more playing time, more targets, more opportunities. He has already done a lot with the minimal opportunities he’s been given. I can’t even imagine what his ceiling can be as a full-time starter catching passes from Josh Allen.

Emmanuel Sanders said that Gabe Davis will be an All-Pro player this year. Sanders got to work closely with Davis as we know, and he said that he is expecting Davis to be a star, and be one fast. I’m sure all of Bills Mafia is salivating after hearing Emmanuel Sanders say that after the great career he has had. It’s going to be Gabe Davis’ time to shine this year in Buffalo, and with the offense and talent around him, there will be plenty of great opportunities. He is a future superstar and this is going to be the year he explodes. Prediction: 83/1100/11.

Some honorable mentions for this list would be Kaiir Elam, Ed Oliver, Jamison Crowder, Dawson Knox, and AJ Epenesa.

The Bills are absolutely loaded this year at nearly every position on the field. I expect big things from the players mentioned. They have the opportunity in front of them and now they need to seize the moment and run with it. If they all break out like they’re expected to, then Buffalo will be even more difficult to beat than they already are.