Buffalo Bills Most Important Players for 2017: #8 Reggie Ragland

Beginning a new series this week, we will begin to take a look at the players who impact will be the most important on the Buffalo Bills season. Continuing on to number eight, we will gradually progress our way to number one. For this series, we will take a look at the players who I feel will be important to any success the Bills have this season.

Moving on from our look at rookie wide receiver Zay Jones yesterday, today, we will take a look at another player who can be considered a rookie. Drafted during the 2016 NFL Draft, linebacker Reggie Ragland was someone with so much talent, the Bills traded up to land him. Seen as a day one starter for Buffalo, Ragland failed to see the field his rookie season after tearing his ACL.


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Now recovered and back in the fold, Ragland is once again expected to start come day one for the Bills. Shifting to a more natural 4-3 defense will also aid in Ragland’s advancement this season. Playing as the middle linebacker, Ragland will be key in both defending the pass and stopping the run on a Buffalo Bills defense in need of a good season.

With Ragland expected to be the only young part in the Bills linebacking corps this season, the Alabama prospect will need to show now that he can be the player Buffalo needs him to be. Earning a starting role, Ragland’s play will be key to the overall success of the Bills defense this season, much like Ray Lewis was to the Baltimore Ravens.

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Should Ragland succeed this season in what would be his rookie campaign, the defense will look strong in both the pass and run aspects of stopping opposing offenses. While this will not lead to a much improved unit, Ragland will have the power to set the tone for the overall defense this season depending on what kind of form he can carry throughout the season.

Overall, the success of any defense really comes down to it’s linebacking corps. Seeing as Reggie Ragland is the middle linebacker in this division, his performance this season will make a big impact on whether or not the defense as a whole has a successful campaign.

READ MORE: Buffalo’s ninth most important player for 2017

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