Buffalo Bills: Who should start opposite Tre’Davious White?
This is the case for who, Levi Wallace or Josh Norman, should start opposite Tre’Davious White this coming season for the Buffalo Bills.
A highly anticipated competition during the Buffalo Bills training camp is between former Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman and incumbent Levi Wallace. With Tre’Davious White locking up the top cornerback spot, it’s going to be interesting to see who fills the second cornerback spot.
As an undrafted rookie, Levi Wallace has already turned a lot of heads, managing to hold down the starting cornerback position for both the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. Although he as performed well in the past two season, there are definitely question marks as to his ability to continue to develop. This is where Josh Norman enters the picture.
Norman played under head coach Sean McDermott in the past and excelled in McDermott’s defensive scheme. However, Norman appears to have lost a step since his days under McDermott, and therefore has a lot to prove in his one year, $6 million contract. The question becomes, who will win the job and who is actually the better fit playing beside Tre’Davious White.
The case for Josh Norman
Both Josh Norman and Levi Wallace are talented cornerbacks that can certainly improve the defense. Josh Norman brings fantastic experience, and has the ability to provide leadership within the defense. Norman has not only experienced playoff football, but has played in a Super Bowl.
This type of experience is invaluable, and there is an argument that having a player like this on the defense could potentially catapult the defense into becoming the best in the entire NFL. Granted, Norman is five years removed from his Super Bowl appearance, and has produced multiple average to mediocre seasons since his 2015 Pro Bowl season.
It should also be noted that when Norman entered the NFL, his pre-draft measurables were not particularly impressive. Norman’s 40-yard dash was slower than Levi Wallace’s and his three-cone drill (which I personally place a high priority on when analyzing defensive backs) was also slower than Wallace’s. I understand that pre-draft measurables do not directly correlate to elite play in the NFL, but I figured it was worth mentioning. I believe Josh Norman has a high ceiling, but there are risks with bringing an experienced veteran into an already tight-knit locker room.
The case for Levi Wallace
Levi Wallace has an interesting story from being a walk-on at Alabama to College Football Playoff National Champion and he has a proven track record to be a winner. I believe this is a key intangible trait to have.
Although he did not impress during his pre-draft workouts, he appears to be “a gamer”, meaning he plays well when it counts, and performs at a higher level during live games. He certainly fits the Sean McDermott mindset, as he has excellent work ethic, and plays with a chip on his shoulder.
During Wallace’s rookie season, he received a coverage grade of 85.3 from Pro Football Focus, placing him within the Top 5 rankings for all cornerbacks during that season. In his second season, Wallace did not perform nearly as well, receiving a low grade of just 68.6.
I believe he fits somewhere between those two scores, placing him slightly above average for a second cornerback. With this in mind, Wallace is a servicable cornerback with a low ceiling. I think he is a solid choice, but I don’t believe he can significantly improve the Bills defense.
The Verdict
If the Buffalo Bills are looking for a safe option that will be consistently average, and will gel with the rest of the defensive unit, Levi Wallace is the right choice. If the Buffalo Bills are looking to push towards improving the defense with the risk of the defensive unit taking a step backwards, Josh Norman is the right choice.
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Given how complete the Bills roster is, I believe they should be taking a risk to make a deep run through the playoffs, therefore starting the season with Josh Norman. I understand that there are significant risks with Norman, but if he can reach his ceiling of Pro Bowl status, the Buffalo Bills will have the best defense in the 2020 NFL season.