Bills' LB Terrel Bernard: Defensive Signal-Caller Earns No. 13 Ranking

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. LB Terrel Bernard seeks to rebound after an injury-riddled 2025 to prove his No. 13 ranking.

The Buffalo Bills' defensive shift under new coordinator Jim Leonhard will apply a lot to its linebacker group, and that includes fifth-year player Terrel Bernard, who's coming off a disappointing season.

In 2025, Bernard dealt with ankle, knee and elbow injuries that forced him to miss five games. He got offseason surgery on his knee, which could be a good sign as he aims to prove his worthiness of a four-year, $50 million extension he received the prior offseason.

Bernard finished fourth on the Bills with 65 tackles and tied for third with six tackles for loss in 2025 despite playing in just 12 games.

With the departures of Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson, Bernard is now the alpha in Buffalo's linebacker group, putting more pressure on him to ensure Buffalo's defense shifts smoothly to Leonhard's scheme and improves from its seventh-ranked finish in 2025.

Why is Bernard so important?

PICK! Terrel Bernard takes the ball back for the @BuffaloBills

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— NFL (@NFL) September 19, 2025

Bernard enters his third full season as Buffalo's green-dot defender, meaning he calls the defensive signals. In the wake of Milano's deteriorating health, Bernard took on a bigger responsibility in 2023 and has carried that with him ever since.

Bernard's instincts are the first thing that comes to mind when taking a look at his game. His game-ending interception of Tua Tagovailoa in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, when he jumps the route, is a prime example of them.

Athleticism is another strength of Bernard's game, as his 7.03-second 3-cone time was the third-fastest amongst linebackers at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. He displays excellent sideline-to-sideline range on the field with it.

Bernard's background

Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (8) celebrates recovering a New England Patriots fumble in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bernard was born on May 7, 1999 in La Porte, Texas and attended La Porte High School, where he earned first-team all-district honors twice. He was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and chose Baylor over schools such as Houston, Colorado and Texas Tech.

Bernard was a two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection and made the first team in 2021 after recording 106 tackles with 12.5 for loss and 7.5 sacks. After posting 20 tackles and two sacks against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl that season, he was named the game's MVP.

The Bills selected Bernard in the third round at No. 89 in the 2022 NFL Draft and had his best season in 2023, when his 143 tackles were the 12th-most in the NFL.

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

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