The first draft pick that the Bills made under Sean McDermott was cornerback Tre’Davious White, who became an All-Pro player early on in his career. He became a shutdown corner and easily a top five corner in the game. When McDermott was hired in 2017, fans knew that the secondary was going to change from what it was under Rex Ryan the two years prior.
White created phenomenal memories in his first go-around with the Bills, but then two major injuries slowed him down in 2021 and 2023. In 2021, White tore his ACL on Thanksgiving. Then in 2023, he tore his achilles which ended his season once again. During the 2024 offseason, the Bills released White and he had signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams.
Eventually, he was traded to the Baltimore Ravens to end his season and then he was brought back to Buffalo last offseason on a one-year deal. When the Bills brought him back, it was right before the draft which gave the Bills flexibility. They still ended up taking Maxwell Hairston at No. 30.
Bills in prime position to repeat recent offseason history with Tre'Davious White
With the NFL Draft approaching here next week, the Bills’ biggest needs are wide receiver and most areas on the defense. However, cornerback is not a huge need for Buffalo. They have Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, and Dee Alford as the penciled in starters, but they still need depth.
While they should look to draft atleast one corner, it would make more sense for them to see if another reunion with White is possible.
White was a starter last season for the Bills and was very impressive. He managed to rack up 40 total tackles and 10 pass deflections while allowing just a 51% completion rate when being thrown against.
While he is not in the middle of his prime, White showed that he can still provide great football and the Bills must strongly consider the idea of bringing him back to help fill out the rest of the cornerback room.
At the same time, with McDermott being out of the picture and a new defensive scheme coming into play, maybe White’s time in Buffalo is now truly over. However, it doesn’t hurt to try. Not only would the Bills be getting a solid veteran back in the locker room, but they also get more flexibility going into the draft next week.