The Buffalo Bills decided to pass on taking a quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft, opting to trade from the 10th overall selection to the 27th in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes was the choice for Kansas City, and Buffalo snagged LSU cornerback Tre’Davious White with that selection.
White immediately stepped in and became one of the NFL’s best at his position, consistently displaying toughness and good football instincts as a rookie. His phenomenal season, where he essentially served as Stephon Gilmore’s direct replacement after the veteran signed with the New England Patriots in free agency, earns him the best overall salary cap value of 2017.
Tre’Davious White
2017 Cap Hit (per Spotrac): $1,834,747 (1.18% of 2017 Cap)
2017 Cap Hit Rank by Position: 69th among cornerbacks
2017 Vital Stats: 16 games, 16 starts (98.65% defensive snaps; 18.31% ST snaps), 69 tackles, 4 interceptions, 18 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 TD
The fact that White played the second-most defensive snaps among any Bills’ defender behind Preston Brown is even more impressive considering the cheap shot he took from Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski. His performance on those snaps is also remarkable, given the learning curve often experienced by players coming right out of college.
White was a natural fit in head coach Sean McDermott’s defense, mixing zone and man in a way that allowed him to maximize his ball skills and his toughness. White offered solid run support and was rarely out of position against either the run or the pass. Pro Football Focus graded him as an elite player as a rookie, as White earned a 92 for his efforts. That was second only to Casey Hayward of the Los Angeles Chargers among all NFL corners.
To have elite production out of anyone still on a rookie contract provides great cap value for the club, hence White earning our top spot among Bills salary cap bargains for 2017.
Best 2017 Bills salary cap values
10. QB Tyrod Taylor (article)
9. LB Preston Brown (article)
8. LT Dion Dawkins (article)
7. LB Matt Milano (article)
6. CB E.J. Gaines (article)
5. RB LeSean McCoy (article)
4. OG Richie Incognito (article)
3. FS Micah Hyde (article)
2. SS Jordan Poyer (article)
1. CB Tre’Davious White (article)