Sydney Brown is projected as a second-rounder and interestingly enough, when I wrote my article profiling safety options for the Buffalo Bills a few weeks ago, I said Skinner may not be available at the Bills’ second-round pick; however, that seems to have flipped now, as Brown is now projected higher.
That may have something to do with Brown’s performance at the Senior Bowl, having that opportunity to show what you can do in front of NFL coaches, staff, and scouts can certainly impact these guys’ draft positions.
Brown is six foot and weighs over 210 pounds, so has solid size to help out in run support, while also showcasing a 4.5 40-yard. He also showed off some ball skills in 2022, snagging six interceptions for Illinois.
This is another player who made Bruce Feldman’s Freak list of 2022. Bruce’s take:
"“…made All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2021, led Illinois with 81 tackles, and also forced two fumbles. He added almost 6 pounds of lean muscle mass this summer while losing 1 pound of fat. He has also hit 22.4 mph on the GPS in-game. ”"
Any of these five safeties I think could step in year one and play well or provide some solid depth, while they develop and prepare to take the full-time role in 2024. It’s not a foregone conclusion that Micah Hyde won’t return after next season, but the Buffalo Bills need to have a contingency plan in place beforehand.