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DE Jerry Hughes makes Top 100

By Carson Mason

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So far there have been two Buffalo Bills players on the NFL Network’s Top 100 player list of 2015: Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes. Williams, Buffalo’s disruptive defensive tackle, has been on the list for years and came in this year at #72. 

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Jerry Hughes, on the other hand, is a Bill’s defensive end, who was ranked #63 this year. Unlike Williams, Hughes was not ranked on the 2013 Top 100 list.

In my opinion, 2014 was Jerry Hughes’ breakout season. This relatively small 6’2″, 245 pound defensive end had 36 solo tackles, 17 assisted tackles (53 combined), and three forced fumbles.

With his small-stature, he is one of the most underrated defensive ends in the NFL but has two “back to back double-digit sack seasons” to boast, according to NFL Network.

Hughes has only been in the NFL for five seasons and is already making a name for himself as one of the league’s best defenders. He attended Texas Christian University and won many notable accolades during his college career, including the Lott Trophy (2009), the Ted Hendricks Award (2009), a unanimous first-team All-American (2009), the MWC defensive player of the year (2009), and a consensus first-team All-American (2008).

Following his outstanding college career, Hughes was the 31st pick of the 2010 draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He played with the Colts for three seasons, where he started in seven games and had 62 combined tackles.

Nov 30, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes (55) celebrates with the fans after recovering a fumble to score a touchdown during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

On April 29th, 2013 the Bills made a deal with the Colts and traded LB Kelvin Sheppard for Hughes. The trade has since seemed to work out for the Bills, as they recently signed Hughes to a 5-year contract worth at least $45M on March 9th, 2015.

When Hughes appeared on the Top 100 list, his fellow teammates had plenty of complimentary things to say about him, including Bill’s DT Marcell Dareus.

"“His motor is constantly going. It’s constantly moving. And for him to see it, strip the ball, lay on his back, pick the ball up, get back up, run the ball in in that one play just shows you everything in that one play just about describing the guy.”"

Lee Smith, former Bill’s tight end, shared his opinion of Hughes’ talents too.

"“In my opinion, Jerry is playing the best football on our team right now. Being as little as he is, not to say that he’s little but 250 pounds, you know sometimes people mistake him for a speed guy and the next thing you know he’s putting the tackle in the quarterback’s lap. So I’m glad I get to mess around with him in practice and it makes some of the other guy’s a little easier to handle.”"

Despite his small-size compared to other defensive ends, Hughes helped the Bill’s defense lead the league in sacks for two years in a row. If Hughes continues to play the same high-caliber defense this year under Rex Ryan’s direction,  he will go from being under-estimated and underrated to one of the league’s most respected defensive ends.

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