Bills' LB Greg Rousseau: Why Important Lengthy Defender Ranks No. 11

As the team enjoys its summer break, Bills On SI will unveil its Top 25 Player Rankings (based upon expected impact) for the 2026 season. The ranking methodology is based on positional value, past performance and expectations for any player.

The Buffalo Bills' ability to get after opposing quarterbacks will be critical to their success in 2026, and this season, their edge rushers will become stand-up linebackers in base packages in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard's 3-4 scheme.

Seventh-year player Greg Rousseau is one of the headliners on a defense that underwent a lot of change in the offseason, and after recording at least seven sacks for the second straight season, he'll look to improve as he enters the first year of a four-year, $80 million extension he signed in March 2025.

Rousseau and safety Damar Hamlin are the second-longest tenured players on Buffalo's defense, and with Matt Milano and Tre'Davious White gone in free agency, Rousseau's role will become even more important in 2026.

Why is Rousseau so important?

This is how you set the edge.

Patriots try a pin & pull toss to the left, but Greg Rousseau beats the pin from Hunter Henry (#85) and blows this play up (along with five other #Bills).#BillsMafia @PayTheBillsPod pic.twitter.com/4B2JvhJ9zj
— Carson Hayek (@CarsonHayek) December 15, 2025

Rousseau's biggest strength is setting the edge in the running game. He uses his long 34 3/8-inch arms to get offensive linemen off him to get into the backfield. Although he had just six tackles for loss in 2025 compared to 16 in 2024, his 83.0 Pro Football Focus run defense grade was the second-best among edge defenders last season.

While rushing the passer, the man Bills fans call "Groot" has lots of length at 6-foot-7, which helps him expand his sack radius, as evidenced by his long strides. He may get to utilize his strides even more in a two-point stance in 2026 in Leonhard's 3-4.

Rousseau's 77.2 pass-rush grade ranked 19th among qualified edge rushers, and in Leonhard's aggressive defense, he'll likely get more opportunities to get after the quarterback in 2025.

Rousseau's background

Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau reaches out at ball carrier New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller during first-half action of the Bills' home game against the New Orleans Saints in Orchard Park on Sept. 28, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Rousseau was born on April 5, 2000 in Coconut Creek, Florida and attended Champagnat Catholic School in Hialeah, playing wide receiver on offense as well as defensive end. He came out of high school as a three-star recruit and chose Miami over schools like LSU and Iowa State.

The 26-year-old only played two seasons with the Hurricanes, opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns about COVID-19. After redshirting his freshman season, he won ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 after a 15.5-sack season, which was second in the country behind Chase Young.

Buffalo took a chance on Rousseau with the 30th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft despite having a year of rust, and it has paid dividends. His 53 tackles for loss since he entered the league are 19th in the NFL, and his 32 sacks are the most on the Bills in that timeframe.

The rest of the Top 25 so far:

25. RB Ty Johnson, June 16
24. CB Maxwell Hairston, June 17
23. K Tyler Bass, June 18
22. CB Dee Alford, June 19
21. LB Dorian Williams, June 20
20. RB Ray Davis, June 22
19. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, June 23
18. G Alec Anderson, June 24
17. TE Dawson Knox, June 25
16. DT Deone Walker, June 27
15. TE Dalton Kincaid, June 28
14. G O'Cyrus Torrence, June 29
13. LB Terrel Bernard, July 1
12. C Connor McGovern, June 30

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