Buffalo Bills: Ranking the starting safeties of the AFC East

2) Buffalo Bills

Projected Starters – Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde

Since the arrival of Leslie Frazier in 2017, the passing defense has improved year after year and finishing 4th overall last season in passing yards allowed. A big part of that improvement have been one of the best safety tandems in the league with Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde roaming the middle of the field.

Since joining the team in 2017 from the Cleveland Browns, Jordan Poyer has benefited in the Bills defensive system and has transformed himself from a run of the mill kind of safety into a ball hawk and who can provide support in the run defense. This past season, was the best season of his career racking up 91 tackles, one sack, three passes defended, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He is so versatile that head coach Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier can use him in a variety of ways such as an edge blitzer, deep ball coverage situations, and an in the box defender. You can plug him anywhere and it will make offenses scratch their heads wondering how to game plan for one half of this duo.

Micah Hyde joined the Buffalo Bills in 2017 as well and he quickly made it known that he is a force to be reckoned with. He finished the 2019 season with 65 tackles, two passes defended, one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. But you have to understand this, his numbers are not indicative of his play. His coverage skills put him above many other safeties in the division. Hyde can pretty much do what his counterpart, Poyer, can do. Expect him to improve much more next season at the free safety position.