In a recent ranking of secondaries in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, the Buffalo Bills finished eighth.
There is no question that entering the upcoming season, the strength of the Buffalo Bills lies in their secondary. Last year, the Bills finished first in pass defense, allowing only 179 passing yards per game. They also finished seventh in the league in interceptions with 17.
The hope is that this group can replicate last year’s success bringing back their entire starting secondary with Tre White and Levi Wallace at cornerback and Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde at safety.
Pro Football Focus believes this group is good enough to crack the Top 10 as the eighth best secondary in the NFL.
"8. BUFFALO BILLSCB Tre’Davious WhiteCB Levi WallaceCB Taron JohnsonS Micah HydeS Jordan PoyerThere are still question marks at the corner position across from Tre’Davious White, but no one is questioning what might be the best safety tandem in the NFL. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer have earned coverage grades of 93.1 and 91.1 respectively over the past two seasons."
As PFF notes, the cornerback position opposite Tre White is a bit of a question mark. This has been a training camp battle this summer with Wallace competing with free agent signings Kevin Johnson and EJ Gaines.
However, as a rookie last year Wallace played very well and was even graded as the best rookie cornerback last year by PFF.
The strength of the secondary is at safety with Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who will be entering their third season together with the Bills, have combined for 16 interceptions over that stretch. The play of these two have elevated the Bills’ defense, putting them in the top tier of the NFL.
While the Buffalo Bills’ passing defense was the best in the NFL last year, the fact that this group is still young and developing, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine them surpassing this ranking of eighth by PFF.