Buffalo Bills: Ranking the linebacker groups in the AFC East

This is where the Buffalo Bills linebackers rank among the other teams in the AFC East.

For the past month I have been going over the different positions of the AFC East and recently the Buffalo Bills were picked to have the best offense in the AFC East. The focus now shifts to the opposite side of the ball with how each team ranks at linebacker within the division.

The linebacker is an integral part of the defense. They line up about 4-5 yards behind the defensive line in the second level and essentially back up the big boys up front. These guys need to have a keen eye on what the offense will be doing and they have to be quick on their feet. Speed and coverage ability is key to be a good linebacker.

This is a position that gets scrutinized quite a bit, just because of the responsibility that is placed on their shoulders. With the NFL evolving into a very pass happy league, there has been a lot more reliance on the linebackers to keep up with pass catchers in the slot and downfield.

The New England Patriots set the standard at the position within the division, but in recent years things have shifted. After a busy offseason, each team should feel that they have really good depth at the linebacker position.

It is a little difficult to rank the linebacking corps because each team uses different schemes. That is why this list is based on talent and depth of the position, utilizing the depth charts from Ourlads.com.