Underrated Bills LB poised to ‘become a celebrity’ in 2024 NFL season

Every NFL team and fanbase has their the guys, the players who, in the eyes of fans, are paramount to their team’s success and are on the verge of national prominence, but who wouldn’t glance at a grocery store in another market in the NFL.

Several Buffalo Bills fit that description, perhaps none more aptly than linebacker Terrel Bernard. His play has been inspired throughout the 2023 NFL season; Taking over the middle linebacker role vacated by Tremaine Edmunds, the 2022 third-round pick has been excellent, totaling 165 tackles, 6.5 sacks, five pass deflections, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He was simply everywhere for the Bills, using his athleticism and touch-to-touch ability to hold his own in coverage while consistently making timely “spectacular plays” to put his distinct stamp on games.

Bills fans are well aware of his talent, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a casual football fan outside of Buffalo who could even tell you what team Bernard plays for, let alone what position he plays.

Bernard’s 2023 escape came out of nowhere; he was a completely unheralded player at the start of the season, his stellar play not even anticipated by Bills fans. So it’s only natural that it will take some time for the national media and median fans to catch up, which they haven’t done yet.

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Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler has a feeling that could change soon. The author identified Bernard as a player to watch in a recent article breaking down an NFL player at every position who is on the cusp of “stardom,” praising his 2023 season before declaring that expectations are high at the moment. dawn of his third year.

Despite only playing one year of substantial snaps, Bernard now leads all linebackers drafted since 2022 in solo tackles (96), pressures (20), sacks (eight) and interceptions ( three), by PFF,” Fowler wrote. “Bernard was everywhere for Buffalo last fall, and he figures to be even more involved working alongside veteran Matt Milano in 2024.”

“Elite linebacker play is often the hallmark of the best defenses in football. Bernard’s success in his second season created high expectations for him within the revamped Bills defense.

We’ll push back against the notion that Buffalo’s defense is “revamped” (it returns nine of 11 starters and its new defensive coordinator — who may not even call plays — has been in the system for seven years), but the team I do indeed have high expectations of Bernard for the 2024 season. However, he is no stranger to meeting and exceeding expectations; with a full year of starting experience under his belt, it’s fair to assume that Bernard will excel once again. If he’s even able to match the production he built during the 2023 season, he could ascend to “superstar” status in the 2024 campaign.