Buffalo Bills: A look back at the 2022 draft class
By Kevin Devine
Round 3: Terrel Bernard
The Bills added linebacker Terrel Bernard in round 3 of the 2022 draft. Bernard was scouted as a plus defender against the run and the pass while in college at Baylor. This is unique, as many middle linebackers in college excel against the run but struggle in pass coverage.
The knock on Bernard is his size. At 6’1” and 224 lbs he is small for a middle linebacker, though the NFL seems to be trending toward smaller and more athletic linebackers in general. Coming to the Bills highly recommended by coaches at Baylor, head coach Sean McDermott has frequently spoken highly of Bernard and indicated that he has a chance to become a more central part of the Bills defense.
In 2022, he played mainly in a special teams role, and stayed on the roster as a backup and depth piece. In his one start against the New York Jets he recorded seven tackles.
With Tremaine Edmunds leaving for Chicago as a free agent, and Brandon Beane indicating that his replacement may already be on the Bills roster, Bernard seems like the most likely candidate to get a shot and to step up, making him yet another 2022 draft pick that currently projects to have a major impact on the 2023 roster.