The safety position is one that the Buffalo Bills could be taking a close look at but they are going to be looking for a player who can play that big nickel role in this defense. One of those players that certainly fit that mold is Hamsah Nasirildeen out of Florida State. Let’s take a closer look at his profile and how he might with the Buffalo Bills.
Measurables/Stats
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 215 pounds
Arms: 34.5″
Hands: 9.75″
Hamsah Nasirildeen played 35 games over four seasons for Florida State. He finished with 233 total tackles, four tackles for a loss, one sack, four interceptions, nine passes defended, three forced fumbles, and one defensive touchdown.
His best season was in 2019, the last time he played a full season, and he finished with 101 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, two interceptions, three passes defended, and three forced fumbles.
However, he suffered a knee injury towards the end of the 2019 season that carried over into the following season. He was only able to play two games this past year but did have 13 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and one interception.
NFL.com Scouting Report by Lance Zierlein
"Box safety projection with plus physical traits, but might need additional monitoring to see how he progresses from his ACL tear after playing just two games in 2020. He’s a willing leader, good teammate and hard worker who has played for three different head coaches and defensive coordinators. Even while rehabbing, he made road trips to offer guidance and leadership to younger players and was celebrated by the entire sideline after grabbing an interception in one of his 2020 appearances. He can be a strong, capable tackler near the line of scrimmage, but needs to improve his understanding of angles and fundamentals as an open-field tackler. He could benefit from having one consistent teacher who is able to smooth out the wrinkles."
Highlights
How he fits with the Buffalo Bills
Hamsah Nasirildeen is a big safety and certainly has the physical traits to play that big nickel role for this defense. At 6’3″ and 215 pounds, he can play close to the line of scrimmage to help against the run but he also has the size to match up against tight ends in the NFL.
While he wouldn’t likely see much playing time as a true safety, unless there was an injury to either starting safety, he would be in line for plenty of playing time as a rookie with how much nickel the Buffalo Bills like to play. He would spend most of the time rotating with Taron Johnson depending on the matchup and the offensive formation.