Brandon Beane does not share your angst.
Buffalo Bills fans have been clamoring for a move at cornerback – any move – but so far, the team has mostly stood pat. Levi Wallace departed for the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving the Bills with a potential hole in their projected starting lineup. Siran Neal was re-signed, but he’s been mostly been a contributor on special teams to this point in his career.
As of now, Tre’Davious White and third-year veteran Dane Jackson are atop the depth chart, but with the real games not starting until September, there is time for that to change. Complicating matters is White’s recovery from a torn ACL. While he’s believed to be on track in his rehabilitation, it remains to be seen if he’ll be ready to play in Week 1.
“We’ll continue to address multiple positions now, at the draft, after the draft – whatever it takes,” Beane, the Bills’ sixth-year general manager, said last month. “Anything is on the table, for corner or any other spot.”
People are also reading…
While free agency remains a viable option, the available options have been pretty picked through. That’s not to say Beane won’t still look there, but the draft is the biggest remaining tool left for him to improve his roster heading into an eagerly anticipated 2022 season.
Another factor is the salary cap. A free agent or trade acquisition might simply be too cost prohibitive for a team tight up against the cap, whereas it’s a fixed cost for a draft pick.
“My main focus right now is the draft,” Beane said last month at the NFL owners meetings. “We're out of money unless you guys have some here. Other than that, we'll always look. After the draft, we'll be looking. We're never satisfied. We got a lot of positions that I still want to get more depth. We're not just waking up every day saying, 'Where's the corner?' We're looking everywhere and we have a lot of time. We don't play games until September. It's my job to make sure we have the roster ready by then and not April 1.”
The good news is, the draft looks to be reasonably well stocked with cornerbacks.
“The five-year average of cornerbacks taken over the first three rounds is 13.4. This year's class should approach – and potentially surpass – that number, but I wouldn't call this a standout position group,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in his positional preview. “In my estimation, there are more cornerbacks with third-round grades than second-round grades, but overall, the depth and upside look good in Rounds 3 through 5.”
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah described the available talent as a "solid group of corners."
Overall position ranking: 7 out of 10.
Bills view: Jackson stepped into the starting lineup when White got hurt on Thanksgiving night against the Saints and finished the season strong. Did the 2020 seventh-round draft pick out of Pitt do enough to prove he can be a full-time starter? Is White going to be back to his All-Pro level by September? Those are questions the Bills’ coaching staff and front office have to answer.
“Tre’s doing well – he’s working hard in the building, so we’ll start there,” coach Sean McDermott said last month, though the Bills have not provided an expected timeline for White's return. “I don’t want to forget about Tre. Then Dane, we have a lot of confidence in Dane as well, and the work that he’s put in and shown, and the results on the field to this point – albeit a small sample. Then we’ve got the young guys behind him who are working hard and just got through their first year. … Without getting into everyone, we’ve got a lot of confidence in those guys."
While that may be the case, it still might be time to devote some more draft resources to the position. Over the past four years, the Bills have used a pick in the fourth round or earlier on just one cornerback – Taron Johnson in 2018.
Even if the Bills determine White and Jackson are ready to be Week 1 starters, depth is a concern. A drafted rookie would not provide experience in that regard, but he might provide a viable starting option – especially if drafted in the first couple of rounds. For a team with no real holes anywhere else on the roster, cornerback definitely sticks out.
Bills need ranking: 9 out of 10.
The best: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Cincinnati.
A 6-foot-3, 190-pounder, Gardner ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. A consensus All-American, Gardner won the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year award after not giving up a touchdown in more than 1,000 career college snaps, according to analytics website Pro Football Focus. In 2021, Gardner allowed just 13 catches for 117 yards – for the entire season. He had three interceptions and three sacks, as well, and is a willing tackler. Overall, Gardner is the complete package and figures to be gone within the first 10 picks, at worst.
"Gardner is the long, rangy cover corner every defensive coordinator is looking for to man the island," NFL analyst Bucky Brooks wrote.
Names to know: Trent McDuffie, Washington; Derek Stingley Jr., LSU; Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson; Roger McCreary, Auburn.
Stingley had an amazing 2019 season with LSU as a freshman, but hasn’t duplicated that level of performance since, leading to some evaluators fearing he has bust potential. He’s also played just 10 games over the past two seasons because of injuries.
McDuffie didn’t test all that well and finished college with just two interceptions and 10 passes defensed, but he’s viewed as an excellent option for teams running a primarily zone scheme, like the Bills. He also could be long gone by the time the Bills are on the clock at No. 25.
According to PFF, no cornerback in college football played more snaps in 2021 than Booth did without allowing a reception of 20-plus yards. Booth already has had a top-30 visit with the Bills, according to the NFL Network. He’s a willing tackler, which is a necessary trait in McDermott’s defense, and fits the physical profile for the Bills at the position.
McCreary was lightly recruited out of high school, and according to scouts, plays as if he’s never forgotten that slight.
“Trent McDuffie may be the safest,” Zierlein wrote. “The positional growth of Derek Stingley Jr. and Andrew Booth could have a big impact on how we view this crop in three years.”
Sleeper: Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston State.
He’ll have to answer questions about his competition level in FCS, but McCollum had 13 interceptions and six forced fumbles in college, showing good production on the football, and ran a blazing, 4.33-second 40-yard dash. He fits the physical profile teams are looking for and was a team captain who has gotten great reviews for his leadership.
TOP 10 CORNERBACKS
1 Ahmad Gardner*, Cincinnati – Height: 6-3. Weight: 190.
2 Trent McDuffie*, Washington – Height: 5-11. Weight: 193.
3. Derek Stingley Jr.*, LSU – Height: 6-0. Weight: 195.
4. Andrew Booth Jr.*, Clemson – Height: 6-0. Weight: 194.
5. Kyler Gordon*, Washington – Height: 6-0. Weight: 194.
6. Roger McCreary, Auburn – Height: 5-11. Weight: 190.
7. Kaiir Elam*, Florida – Height: 6-2. Weight: 191.
8. Marcus Jones, Houston – Height: 5-8. Weight: 174.
9. Josh Jobe, Alabama – Height: 6-1. Weight: 194.
10. Tariq Woolen, UTSA – Height: 6-4. Weight: 205.
* – Underclassman
