EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth of an eight-part series diving into each position group for the Buffalo Bills leading into training camp July 24.
When Sean McDermott arrived in Buffalo, two of the first signings by the Bills didn’t move the excitement needle at the time.
Then, instead of attempting to solve a 20-year quarterback problem that offseason, the Bills traded their first round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs, who ended up selecting Patrick Mahomes. Moving down in the first round, the Bills took a cornerback — a cornerback.
All three of those players ended up being adored by fans and critical to taking the Bills from a 17-year playoff drought to a perennial AFC contender. For the better part of seven years, safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer were the pulse of the team, with Tre’Davious White mixing in a jovial personality with All-Pro production at cornerback.
But over the last few seasons, injuries and age stripped all three of their most valuable asset: reliability. Whatever holes needed to be filled, the Bills could bank those three players each year, until they couldn’t.
The Bills moved on from those players and are now retooling the secondary, complete with a new coach in Jahmile Addae. The biggest unknown is safety, as the Bills attempt to patch up holes with a mix of players on a defense that ranked in the top-10 in passing touchdowns allowed six of the last seven seasons.
All-Pro slot cornerback Taron Johnson takes over as the unquestioned leader of the secondary, but perhaps the most important player in the secondary is Taylor Rapp, who goes from spot duty to full-time starter at safety. With a newcomer Mike Edwards or a rookie Cole Bishop starting opposite him, Rapp has to take over for Hyde and Poyer by directing traffic.
“Last year, when T-Rapp got here, new system, different environment in the room, and he did a great job of understanding his role and excelling at his role and now a new role this year,” McDermott said. “… At this point Taylor’s really stepped into that role and I would say asserted himself from a leadership standpoint, a little bit and a communicator standpoint which is huge in that back end, where next to him, who is it going to be?”
The betting favorite for the second starting safety should be Edwards, although he wasn’t able to participate in minicamp practices due to offseason shoulder surgery. Edwards started for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, but was more of a role player until injuries pushed him into the starting lineup.
On the other hand, only one rookie safety has started at least 10 games in the 15 years McDermott has been an NFL defensive coordinator or head coach. Even general manager Brandon Beane alluded to Bishop getting his first action in packages rather than as a starter.
Bishop also spoke about Buffalo’s coverage schemes being different than playing for Utah in college, while players often talk about how long it takes to get up to speed because of the complexity of the Bills’ defense.
“I’ve seen a player that has a bright future, but he’s a rookie,” Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said. “So there’s learning, there’s growth, and (safeties coach) Joe Danna is doing everything he can to get him as up to speed as possible.”
Cornerback should be a strength for the Bills, but training camp should offer a glimpse into the future. Rasul Douglas had four interceptions in nine games after being acquired from the Green Bay Packers at the trade deadline, but he’s 30 years old and the Bills haven’t shown urgency in extending his contract.
Christian Benford has been a steal after being taken in the sixth round in 2022, ranking seventh among all cornerbacks in coverage and first in zone coverage last year, according to Pro Football Focus. But Benford had some nagging injuries in his first season, which means embattled 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam’s progression is critical this year and in the future.
With Dane Jackson off to Carolina, Elam likely slides in as the No. 3 cornerback, with a fourth option to be revealed among players like Ja’Marcus Ingram and rookie Daequan Hardy. Elam didn’t have a tremendous relationship with previous secondary coach John Butler, but the Bills are hoping Addae is the right man for the continued development of Benford and Elam.
“In Jahmile, we thought — and it’s been confirmed by him — he was going to bring a great presence for the corners, specifically,” Babich said. “He was going to be extremely detailed. He was going to hone in on the smallest parts of the technical aspect of that position.”