Baylor defensive coordinator Ron Roberts has a simple way of describing Terrel Bernard.

"He's a playmaker," Roberts said. "He's a football player. Heck, I don't know that there's anything I asked him to do that he didn't get done. He's an impact to the game. Not just the plays he makes. He'll make plays, but how he'll help everyone else around him get better."

That was certainly the case in January when the Baylor linebacker became the first defensive player since 2008 to win Sugar Bowl MVP with a record-tying 20 tackles and two sacks.

"He has a knack in our biggest games in the biggest moments, he's been able to show up and be at his best and I think that's the mark of a great player," Roberts said. "Can they be at their best when their best is needed? He's a guy that consistently through his career was able to do that."

Bernard now looks to start making those moments with the Bills after being selected in the 3rd round, 89th overall.

While there's no denying how productive a player Bernard was for the Bears, other numbers stick out when projecting to the NFL.

For Bernard, he's considered an undersized linebacker at 6'1" and 224 lbs.

"I think the other attributes he brings to the table will compensate for any deficiency he does have," Roberts said. "His mental approach to the game. The way he understands and studies the game. He's got an extremely high football IQ. Just able to master the tools to his trade. He's just been able to do anything I've asked him to do."

​One of the things Roberts asked Bernard to do was play in coverage, something we've already heard Bills General Manager Brandon Beane indicate could be the rookie's role early on in certain sub-packages.

"He did a lot of coverage here," Roberts explained. "He played our Will linebacker, which a lot of times he was out of the box in any type of a spread set. It wasn't just tight ends. Sometimes it was slot receivers, inside guys. So he has that experience to be able to cover people. Most of the time it was in 11-personnel. It was tight ends, but sometimes it would be by formation or motion he would get on a slot receiver and he did a tremendous job."

​Bernard grabbed three interceptions with 7 passes defended over four years at Baylor.

He also was very good and blitzing, finishing his Bears career 16.5 sacks, 7.5 of those coming his senior season.

"He does have the ability to get off blocks and make plays that way," Roberts said. "He has a knack for blitzing, pressuring just because it's more of a feel and timing and understanding the quarterback mechanics. All those things he pays attention to. Motions, things that trigger. Ball's about to be snapped, timing those things. Sometimes a player just has a good feel for it and he definitely has that."

And Roberts emphasized that those elements of Bernard's game are just part of what the Bills are getting with this Day 2 pick.

"If you like what you see on film you're going to love the rest of him because that's probably not the best thing about him," Roberts explained. "The best thing about him is how he conducts his business on a daily basis. Even here, he was a professional. Just how he did everything. From meetings to taking notes to leading other people to just, on a day to day basis, how he showed up. His work ethic. His character. All those things just stand out."

Terrel Bernard already at least sounds like just what the Bills are looking for.

We'll see if that translates on the field as well.