The Buffalo Bills offense needs to step up much more than the team’s defense next season. Still the defensive side of the ball for the Bills hasn’t been picture perfect.
And even then, it’ll still want to remain as one of the league’s best. There could be still be a bit more to ask from a player or two on that side of the ball.
With that, here are three players on defense that need to step up for the Bills in 2020:
DE Jerry Hughes
Jerry Hughes has been a staple on the Bills for awhile now. He was drafted by the Colts, but is now the longest-tenured member of the Bills, post-Kyle Williams.
But the Bills should expect a better year from the pass rusher in 2020. Hughes is certainly an iron man, never missing a game in his Bills career. But he’s off a season of only 4.5 sacks. Shaq Lawson led the defensive end group with 6.5 last season. But there’s no reason Hughes shouldn’t step up next season. Following the year, he had multiple offseason surgeries, so for starters, he should be healthier.
Buffalo replaced Lawson, who departed via free agency, with Mario Addison. While older, Addison has had at least nine sacks the past four seasons in a row. With more talent across from him on the D-line, Hughes should notch well above four sacks next season. When another Mario, Mario Williams, was across from him, Hughes had back-to-back 10-sack seasons with the Bills. The Bills should expect Hughes to push that double-digit territory in 2020.