Buffalo Bills position room preview: Safety
By Avery Duncan
The Buffalo Bills have one of the most well-rounded safety depth charts in the NFL; there is no doubt about it.
Arguably the Buffalo Bills’ most vaunted position group, the safeties have been the heart of the defense for the better part of the past two seasons. Since signing Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer in the 2017 off-season, the Bills’ secondary play has simply been outstanding.
Alongside an equally as promising group of cornerbacks, the Bills’ safeties, chiefly Hyde and Poyer, led the team to a league-leading pass defense last season. By the end of the 2018 season, the Bills led the NFL in passing yards allowed (2,867) and finished third in passer rating against (82.6). In 2019, they will be returning with the same corps of secondary defenders with a few interesting additions.
The Bills don’t just have high-level starters at both safety positions; they have quite a bit of promise behind them too. In the past two drafts, general manager Brandon Beane has drafted two safeties in the fifth round — Siran Neal (2018), Jaquan Johnson (2019). Each carries a bit of intrigue in their own rights but will have to contend with veteran Rafael Bush for snaps.
It’s never a bad thing when you have too much talent at a position (if you handle it correctly). The Bills may have just that. If an injury or something unprecedented occurs, head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier should have a bevy of suitable replacements available.