Painful Stat Shows Bills Haven’t Addressed Biggest Weakness Yet

This offseason, the Buffalo Bills made a couple of big moves this offseason to address some of their top needs. Their biggest move was trading a second-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for wide receiver DJ Moore.

Adding Moore gives them a go-to receiver for Josh Allen, and he has experience working with head coach Joe Brady. They also addressed their pass rush, signing Bradley Chubb who has 48 sacks in his career and gives Buffalo a great duo alongside Greg Rousseau.

What they haven't done, however, is fix their most glaring weakness on defense. According to Warren Sharp, the Bills were the second-worst defense in the NFL at stopping opposing teams on third-and-short. The Indianapolis Colts were the worst, allowing an 81 percent conversion rate, but the Bills weren't far behind at 79 percent.

Third downs are a key measurement for success in the NFL on both sides of the ball. Teams that can convert those on offense are naturally going to have more success, whereas getting off the field on defense helps that unit stay fresh. It can also be a demoralizer when the opposing team moves the chains consistently on third down.

Bills new defensive coordinator expected to bring change

Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jim Leonhard was hired this offseason to lead the Bills' defense, and he comes from a unit that had much more success. Leonhard was the assistant head coach and pass game coordinator for the Denver Broncos last season, and they allowed a 51 percent conversion rate according to Sharp.

They were also one of the best defenses overall, finishing third in scoring defense, compared to 12th for Buffalo. Having Leonhard is a step in the right direction, but the Bills still need to focus on defensive tackle in the NFL draft to improve.

Bills must focus on run-stuffers in the NFL draft

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Kayden McDonald celebrates during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bills were one of the worst defenses in the NFL against the run, surrendering 2.315 yards last season. That was with DaQuan Jones, who is now a free agent.

Buffalo is hoping for Deone Walker to take another step in his development and help more in the run game, but adding more run-stuffers in the upcoming NFL draft is a must. Several mock drafts have them addressing this with Kayden McDonald as a target in Round 1. They don't necesarily need to use their first pick on a nose tackle, but they can't leave the weekend without addressing it.

The Bills won't make the progress they hope to this season without fixing this glaring weakness, and it starts with finding someone who can shut down the run and help get the defense off the field.

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