What's next for the Buffalo Bills defense after Matt Milano's injury?

BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — For the second year in a row, the Buffalo Bills will try to make their way to the playoffs without linebacker Matt Milano.

“Matt is a heck of a football player,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said Thursday. “We've seen him work his ass off. He stayed in Buffalo all summer to get over his leg injury and now this is happening. So it's an unfortunate set of circumstances, but I know he's going to handle it well.”

A huge blow before the season even started. Happened on a routine play in practice. That was the worst case scenario as we tried to figure out what had happened. https://t.co/29LzXul5UR

— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) 15 August 2024

But how will the Bills deal with this devastating injury to their star linebacker and arguably best player on defense?

Well, this will be a huge opportunity for 2023 third-round pick Dorian Williams. As a rookie, Williams was primarily a special teams player and only started two games. In his second season, Williams will be asked to replace Milano on the Bills' defense and play alongside Terrel Bernard.

“Yeah, Dorian is going to do a good job,” McDermott said. “He's made progress and now it's not just up to him but all of his teammates around him. It's not just one person's job to fill the void that Matt left. You can never replace a player like Matt or Matt's influence. Now it's time for our team to move forward with resilience and support each other. And guys like Dorian have to step up to the plate.”

Last year, LB Terrel Bernard emerged as a former third-round pick that surprised most of us to the best of his ability. Now Dorian Williams has a chance to do the exact same thing. A terrible injury for the Bills, but also a huge opportunity for Williams.

— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) 15 August 2024

And the aforementioned Bernard is the best-case scenario for what we could expect from Williams in 2024. This time last season, the linebacker position was a major problem for the team after Tremaine Edmunds left as a free agent. Bernard, who, like Williams, was entering his second season as a former third-round pick, developed into one of the Bills' best playmakers.

Expecting a similar leap from Williams as Bernard is a stretch, but there's no denying that the second-year Tulane linebacker has the ability to do it. Williams shined in his rookie season, especially in the running game. Williams needs to improve his pass coverage, but has the potential to take a big step with more reps and experience.

But even if Williams shines, the Bills defense will sorely miss Milano. His injury and the departures of safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer will make the Bills defense look almost like a completely different unit.