Breakout Players Of The Buffalo Bills In 2022
This is arguably the most talented team the Buffalo Bills have had in decades. From top to bottom this team is filled with playmakers and is one of the best rosters in the league, with no real weakness anywhere. That being said, some players are looking to prove themselves this year, and step into a bigger role, in a word, breakout. They’re going to have to show they belong. In this article, we will go over the players on this Bills roster that are poised to have a breakout year!
Tremaine Edmunds
I know Bills Mafia has some mixed opinions on Edmunds, and rightfully so. Edmunds has struggled the past couple of years and is dealing with injury as well. This past season he posted a career-low low in tackles, and quarterback 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. Not the Edmunds that we’re used to seeing.
With that being said, Buffalo picked up his fifth-year option, which was the right thing to do. This is a big prove-it year for Edmunds and he needs to have a breakout season. 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 this defense going into his fifth NFL season. This Bills defense is going to be one of the best in the league once again, and if Edmunds steps up the way we 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 4 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 as well.
I think Edmunds will silence the haters, have that breakout season we’ve been waiting for, and bounce back in a big way this year.
Knox vs. Howard: More touchdowns in ’22-23 season? – Powered By PickUp
Kaiir Elam
Elam was selected with the 23rd overall pick in the draft this past April to none other than the Buffalo Bills. Elam fills a big need for the Bills going into this season. A number two cornerback and possibly the number one corner, if Tre’Davious White remains out to start the year. Elam is only 21 years old and already has a huge task ahead of him. He’s joining playmakers on this defense like Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Von Miller, White, etc, so the pressure will definitely be on Elam at the beginning of the season to be on par with those guys.
I have Elam listed as a breakout candidate this season because he is. He couldn’t have been thrust into a better situation. He has the work ethic, the charisma, and the personality that will fit right in with this Bills team.
“I want the playbook on the plane!”, Elam said when he was talking to Bills GM Brandon Beane after they had just drafted him. That’s the kind of guy you want on your team. That’s the kind of work ethic and dedication that coaches love from their players. It makes them easy to coach when they’re willing to learn. Elam has that “it” factor in him, that tells me he’s going to have that breakout year. Even if struggles his first couple of games, because he’s going to be in the spotlight and on the big stage, I see no reason why he won’t bounce back in a big way and get it going down the stretch.
Being on a team with all these great players and elite talents, you can be sure they’re going to be giving Elam a lot of tips and tricks along the way. They’ll be there helping him and giving him constructive criticisms and making sure he understands his assignment, that’s why he’s going to be successful on this team and in this league. His caliber of talent along with his coaches and his new teammates are what’s going to make him successful and enjoy a breakout year.
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, four sacks, and an interception coming off of Patrick Mahomes. While Rousseau had splashes of excellence last year, particularly in that Chiefs regular-season game, he was relatively quiet for the most part for the rest of the season.
He was regarded as an extremely talented player with great athleticism and agility, as well as size and length. Despite the physical gifts, Rousseau was deemed as very raw, coming into the season; however, we heard of players that were raw before, and look how some of them turned out over the next couple of years.
With future Hall of Famer Von Miller, 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, and we’re going to need that breakout, for this defense to take that championship step. Rushing the passer has been a significant weakness for the Bills 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 these great AFC quarterbacks. I believe with the knowledge Miller has passed on to Rousseau and the experience he had from last year, Groot is poised to breakout in 2022
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 third year with the team, Davis is ready to take that next step. He is ready to take that number two wide receiver spot and boy has he earned it.
Davis finished with 35 receptions, 549 yards, and six touchdowns in 2021, but everyone remembers him for what he did against the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs. One could say this was his breakout game. He exploded for eight receptions, 201 yards, and four touchdowns! Davis implemented himself in the record books on that day, in what was truly a legendary performance. That moment is when Bills fans and NFL fans across the country knew that Davis is ready to be that guy.
Fantasy experts are also already projecting Davis to have a breakout year. He is going to get more playing time, more looks, and 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 on NFL GameDay that Gabe Davis will be a 1st-team 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 this year in Buffalo, and with the offense and talent around him, there will be plenty of chances for him to breakout in 2022. He is a future superstar, and this is going to be the year he explodes.
Prediction: 83/ 1100/ 11
Who do you all think is going to breakout? A few honorable mentions from me include Spencer Brown, James Cook, and Ed Oliver.
This team has the stars and they have the talent. They have a lot of young talent as well that has a ton of potential to be great in this league. We’ve seen what this coaching staff can do to turn these young and raw athletes into superstars, and I expect nothing less from the players on this list. If every one of these players has the breakout season we think they might have, imagine what a season it could be for the Buffalo Bills in 2022?
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook @BillsBeatSR
Want to join our team here at Bills Beat? Become a part of what we are building at Stadium Rant, just click here to apply and get started.
#KaiirElam #StefonDiggs #JoshAllen #Bills #GabrielDavis #BuffaloBills #AFCEast #NFL #GregoryRousseau #GabeDavis #TremaineEdmunds