BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — Buffalo Bills All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White is set for his first full season coming off an ACL injury suffered in 2021. We now look into who will line up alongside him at the other cornerback spot.
“I think this is a legitimate competition. Just like middle linebacker. And I think the guys you need to keep an eye out for are (Kaiir) Elam obviously," says Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. "He’ll be right there in it. Dane Jackson is someone they love. They’ve developed him since 2020. And Christian Benford who is still playing cornerback. He did not move to safety.”
One of those three guys, along with Taron Johnson’s solidified role at the nickelback spot, will link with White to form a crucial part of the Bills secondary. Last year in White’s absence, Jackson got the nod with the then-rookie Benford flashing at the number two position early in the season. When injuries began to ripple through the secondary, Elam got his shot And had a really good end to the season in the playoffs.
The sheer amount of adversity this position group has dealt with in the last year is why defensive backs coach John Butler preaches getting everyone in that room ready to go, and why he believes that group is in a really good place right now.
“The experience taught us that one; the NFL is going to keep playing. And the games are going to keep coming and the teams are really good. And I’m proud of the way the team responded and preserved," Butler says.
"And I thought whoever played obviously played good enough for us to get to the playoffs. And that’s where we got to. But that is not unexpected. Football is a violent game. And that’s why we’re trying to always get everybody ready," he adds.
Much like that middle linebacker spot, patience will be key here. But having a handful of options to choose from at the end of it all is a good problem to have for the Bills defense.
