The 2024 season has wrapped up for the Bills in a one score loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, a tale as old as time. A big reason, again, for this loss is the defense and their impact, or lack thereof. Give Kansas City credit, they pulled out all the stops on offense that the Bills weren't fully prepared for, like Patrick Mahomes using his legs more often than any time this season.
With the lack of pass rush and also not having enough corner depth (Kaiir Elam being the main reason), the Bills were not able to stop this Chiefs offense. The areas that the Bills need to address are not just on the players, although having some game wreckers at multiple levels of the defense doesn't hurt either. Here are a few positions and some coaching personnel that have be different come the 2025 season.
Defensive tackle
The Bills need to address the defensive tackle position. They brought back DaQuan Jones for the 2024 season, which sounded like a good idea given his impact early in 2023 with Ed Oliver before his pec injury. But the 2024 season for Jones was not what the Bills were expecting. The Bills had to bring back Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson, who both increased some of the floor with the room down the stretch, but it wasn't enough.
Along with Phillips, Jefferson, and Jones, Austin Johnson didn't bring much to the room in terms of depth outside of some flash plays (2 interceptions). To round out the room, their 3rd-round pick in 2024, DeWayne Carter, was underwhelming as well which could be contributed to an injury mid-season and possibly hitting the proverbial "rookie wall". The Bills have to get not only great depth in 2025, but also a great complement to Ed Oliver that can win consistently up front both as a pass rusher but also a run defender.
Edge rusher
Most of what was said for defensive tackle can be attributed to edge rushers. Greg Rousseau, along with Ed Oliver, were the most impactful linemen. The depth behind Rousseau was slightly more impactful than the tackles behind Oliver, but not by much. A.J. Epenesa wasn't as good as his 2023 season it felt, even though he had similar numbers both in 2023 and 2024. Von Miller, although a situational pass rusher, did contribute, but in the biggest game, he didn't make much of an impact either.
The same can be said for Dawuane Smoot. He did well in the games leading up to the AFC championship, but did not contribute much. That might be because of his injury midseason, and the impact it could have had. Their rookie 5th-round pick, Javon Solomon, had some flashes during the season, but it feels he is still a raw product. Hopefully he can emerge in 2025. Along with defensive tackle, they need some more game wreckers in that room.
Safety
It was always hard going to find a replacement for arguably the best safety duo in possibly Buffalo Bills history, but the tandem of Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin could have been better. Rapp was arguably their best safety, and Hamlin was about average but has his own limitations athletically. Having Hamlin cover Xavier Worthy is the best example, but is not terribly fair to Hamlin given the fact that Worthy is one of the fastest players in the NFL.
Cole Bishop, their 2nd-round pick in 2024, had some strong promise leading into the season, but an early training camp injury really set him back for 2024. The hope is that Bishop can build off a stronger end to the season in 2024 and take that momentum and have an exceptional second season.
If the Bills can find another high end depth piece, they could keep Hamlin as great depth, or possibly let him walk this season. Look for the Bills to possibly draft another safety. Maybe a later round developmental player that Sean McDermott can mold into a good player, given McDermott's extensive track record.
Defensive line coach
This, above all else, could be the biggest contributor. Before Marcus West took over in 2024, the Bills had Eric Washington as their defensive line coach. While Washington did a decently solid job, he was never a coach that could consistently get the most out of his players. With West, the defensive line seemed to take a step back in terms of consistency and impact.
Greg Rousseau seemed to elevate his game, but was not the breakout that Bills fans hoped for with a mostly healthy campaign. Ed Oliver had a hamstring injury earlier in the season, but again, didn't look like the same game wrecker he was in 2023. Having the defensive talent can make any coach look better than they are, but it's the job of the coach to elevate the players further than their ceiling. Hopefully, the Bills can find the Aaron Kromer version of the defensive line.