PFF: Bills’ Shaq Lawson has gotten to the QB since 2019
The Buffalo Bills brought defensive end Shaq Lawson back this offseason on an affordable one-year deal.
Under the surface, it could be a solid pickup.
Lawson is well-known in Buffalo as a former first-round pick of the Bills. He has consistently been a solid defender against the run, but his sack numbers haven’t always been there.
But Pro Football Focus provides some context that might make one rethink Lawson’s ability to get to the quarterback.
According to the football analytics outlet, Lawson has had 32 quarterback hits since the 2019 season. In that time period, that’s the 13th most in the NFL for defensive ends:
Shaq Lawson: 32 quarterback hits since 2019, 13th most among all Edge Rushers💪 pic.twitter.com/3adt1BewmX
— PFF BUF Bills (@PFF_Bills) May 26, 2022
All in all, 13th is a pretty solid spot to rank.
In his career, Lawson has only notched 21.5 sacks since 2016. His single-season high was in 2019, his final year with the Bills.
Since then, Lawson has jumped around to the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Houston Texans.
While many hope the Bills get better production from some of their younger defensive ends thanks to the addition of Von Miller, Lawson might be a player to think about as well. With opposing teams focusing on Miller, perhaps Lawson can take advantage of that and add to his own sack totals playing across from such a talented player.
