Sometimes Pro Football Focus’ numbers are a dividing factor for football analysts and fans alike. Bills quarterback Josh Allen is a lightning rod in that regard.
But in the opposite light, we have Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes. Instead of being picked part by the fancy stats, Hughes see his status bumped positively by them. While not a big sack artist, PFF often praises Hughes for the pressure he applies to opposing offenses, even if it doesn’t show up in the stat column. The football analytics outlet did so once again as Hughes landed in their list of the top-25 edge defenders heading into the 2020 season.
Hughes lands at No. 18 overall:
Jerry Hughes might finally be slowing down as a pass-rush force at 32 years of age. Hughes has been Buffalo’s sole significant source of pass rush on the edge for pretty much the entirety of his career, and he is only a year removed from a career-best 90.4 PFF pass-rush grade and 74 total pressures. 2019 saw a downswing in both grade and pressure rate, and it remains to be seen if Hughes can pick that pace back up this coming season. At his best, he remains an excellent speed rusher who is very difficult to handle.
Hughes has been a staple on the Bills’ defensive line for a long while now. He’s the longest-tenured member of the team. But even if Hughes took a bit of a step back in 2019, there’s reason to believe in him next season.
Buffalo’s offseason signing of Mario Addison could help Hughes. Often times, Hughes has been best when he’s had that complement across from him on the D-line. Think… Mario Williams. With Williams across from him, Hughes had double-digit sack seasons, back-to-back.
Because of the rotation along Buffalo’s defensive line, double-digits would be massive for Hughes. But it’s not out of the realm of possibility. But regardless, there’s reason to believe Hughes can continue playing at a high level for at least another season or two, all things considered.
And for what it’s worth, Hughes is only one of two AFC East pass rushers appearing on this list. The other is former Patriots and current Dolphins linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who landed at No. 23.
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