The Buffalo Bills defense has been so good in recent memory that being ranked fifth-best in the NFL almost seems disappointing. But that’s still a heck of a ranking, and that’s where the group landed in a recent defense power ranking poll by the NFL Wire.
The Bills land at the No. 5 spot, despite previously being a top-three unit.
Here’s the breakdown on Buffalo’s unit via Doug Farrar:
It’s not yet clear how high Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s ceiling is, but one thing’s for sure — under head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Buffalo’s defense has officially arrived. The alpha in this group is cornerback Tre’Davious White, who competed with New England’s Stephon Gilmore for the title of NFL’s best cornerback in 2019. Safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer fill out three-fourths of a fine secondary, 2019 first-round lineman Ed Oliver is a star on the rise, and if either veteran free agent signing Josh Norman can find the fountain of youth or young cornerback Levi Wallace can find consistency, this can be as good a defense as you’ll see in the NFL in 2020.
The part that actually does feel a little extra disappoint is that the Patriots have the No. 1 ranked defense in that poll. They beat out the 49ers, Steelers, and Ravens, as well. Those teams, respectively, are ahead of the Bills. This also brings to light that winning the AFC East still won’t be such an easy task, even without Tom Brady under center for the Pats anymore.
But as these defensive lists often bring to mind, Buffalo’s offense has a tough slate ahead of them next season. Seven teams in TD Wire’s top-10 are on Buffalo’s upcoming schedule. Those included the Patriots (1), 49ers (2), Steelers (3), and Rams (8).
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