Just a few days ago, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane shared some thoughts on edge rusher Von Miller and where the veteran was at in terms of his injury timeline.
Miller, of course, tore his ACL during the Bills’ Thanksgiving game last season. With a serious injury like that happening late in the season, questions immediately arise in regards to just when he’d be back — or if he’d be back next season.
With Miller set to turn 34 in March, this is not an injury he wants to rush back from. But at the same time, he is crucial to this defense.
Beane wouldn’t rule out Miller missing the entirety of the 2023 season, but also wasn’t sure when he’d be back.
“I think Von’s in a good spot. I think he’s doing well. I expect him for a good portion of 2023; I’m not ruling out all of 2023, but I don’t want to say that, either. I think it’s too early,” Beane said.
With this kind of update, the Bills should seriously start considering an edge rusher within the first couple of rounds in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The edge rusher position is top-heavy in the 2023 NFL Draft, so the Buffalo Bills would have to spend early
This year’s edge rusher class is a pretty good one, with a solid dozen names that could be taken within the first two and a half rounds. The Bills pick at no. 27 in the first round, and many would like to see them go after an offensive lineman there.
But, in the second round, Buffalo’s pick at no. 60 looks like a great spot to think about an edge rusher.
Some of the names they could be looking at with that pick:
Nolan Smith, Georgia
Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
Will McDonald IV, Iowa State
Zach Harrison, Ohio State
Durell Nchami, Maryland
Even beyond the second round, there are maybe another seven or eight edge rushers who could be taken in the third round. Again, it’s a top-heavy position in this year’s draft and the Bills would be doing themselves a favor by ensuring they take one within the first three rounds.
We all saw what happened with the pass rush after Miller went out. It became highly inconsistent and the Bills relied on someone like linebacker Matt Milano to fill in the gaps at times. But, they couldn’t get a legitimate and consistent pass rush with that front four after Miller left.