5 safeties the Buffalo Bills should monitor at the 2023 NFL Combine

Alabama consistently has one of the best defenses in college football and guys like Jordan Battle are a big reason for that.  Battle comes into this draft with a third-round projection.  This could be the spot the Buffalo Bills decide to go with safety if they go offensive line or wide receiver with the first couple of rounds.

Battle brings some size to the position at 6’1″ and 206 pounds.  He’ll show at the NFL Combine his speed too and he’s been compared to Justin Reid, which isn’t a bad comparison.  If there is a negative in his game, it’s his man coverage skills, where he lacks some of the traits needed; however, if he can learn to utilize his size and physicality, he could improve in this area.

If the Bills were able to select Battle in the third round, I think that would be a great pick, someone that could potentially step in right away if needed or learn behind Hyde, before taking over the role on a full-time basis in 2024.  Or if things don’t work out with Benford moving to safety or if he is needed at the corner due to injuries, Battle could be capable of stepping in alongside Hyde as a rookie.