PFF contributor Ryan Smith ranked the NFL's top 32 edge rushers, as part of a series of offseason positional rankings completed by the website's writers.
The Buffalo Bills received recognition in the pass rusher edition, with Smith ranking Greg Rousseau 14th on the list.
Rousseau tied his career-high in sacks in 2024 with eight, and set new season-highs with 24 QB hits, 53 total tackles, and three forced fumbles last season.
Smith writes, "Rousseau earned an 82.2 PFF grade in 2024, marking his third consecutive season with a grade of 80.0 or higher." In addition to matching his career high in the regular season, Smith also highlights Groot's two playoff sacks, calling 2024, "his most productive campaign to date."
The edge rushers ranked ahead of Rousseau include some of the top players in the NFL, regardless of position. Cleveland's Myles Garrett took the top spot, while Micah Parsons, TJ Watt, Nick Bosa, and Aidan Hutchinson rounded out the top five.
Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson, subjects of various trade rumors throughout the offseason, took the next two spots, while Defensive Rookie of the Year winners Jared Verse and Will Anderson helped complete the top 10 along with Khalil Mack.
The final players ranked ahead of Rousseau were Josh Hines-Allen, Danielle Hunter, and Alex Highsmith. Groot was ranked ahead of other productive pass rushers, including Jonathan Greenard, Brian Burns, and Andrew Van Ginkel, making his spot in the ranking among the best edge rushers in the NFL.
Rousseau tallied 63 pressures in 2024 per PFF, which ranked 10th among 211 edge rushers. His 83.1 overall grade and 81.9 pass rush grade were the 12th and 13th best rankings among those 211 edge rushers. While he doesn't always fill up the sack column portion of his stat sheet, Rousseau's size, run stopping ability, and fit within Buffalo's defensive scheme help an edge rusher without double-digit sacks be recognized as one of the best in the league at his position.
Groot signed a four year, $80 million contract extension with the Bills this offseason, keeping him in Buffalo through the 2029 season. $20 million AAV ranks 12th among all edge rushers, aligning within the same range as his 14th place ranking by PFF. The Bills will rely on him to lead a room of defensive ends that will see the return of AJ Epenesa and Javon Solomon, along with the new additions of veterans Joey Bosa and Micahel Hoect, and third round rookie Landon Jackson.
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