2019 Buffalo Bills scouting report: cornerback Tre’Davious White

The Buffalo Bills’ secondary is outstanding. When you factor in the fact that the team was in the bottom-third of the league in sacks and still led the league in passing yards against in 2018, it makes the performance of the coverage group even more impressive.

While the group as a whole is a good one, the squad’s top corner is the unheralded star. Since arriving as a first-round pick in 2017, he has been consistently excellent, both in terms of his ability as a player and his prowess as a dancer.

In today’s edition of “90 players in 90 days,” we profile Buffalo’s best corner—a man who is among the best in the league at his position.

Name: Tre’Davious White

Number: 27

Position: CB

Height/Weight: 5’11” 192 lbs.

Age: 24 (24 on 1/16/20)

Experience/Draft: 3; selected in the first round (27 overall) by the Bills in the 2017 NFL Draft

College: LSU

Acquired: First-round draft choice

Financial situation (per Spotrac): White enters the third year of his rookie contract, a four-year pact that totals $10,091,110. The contract includes $7,785,050 in guarantees. For the 2019 season, White will count $2,752,121 against the salary cap.

2018 Recap: White was outstanding again in his second year. While his counting statistics looked worse than the year prior, he was treated like a top corner all throughout his second year. This means that teams avoided throwing at him, choosing instead to throw at Vontae Davis the guy who retired at halftime, Ryan Lewis, Phillip Gaines, and Levi Wallace. For the year, White played in all 16 games, totaling 54 tackles, one tackle for loss, eight pass breakups, and two interceptions. He was targeted 66 times on the year, allowing only 33 catches for a total of 386 yards and two touchdowns. He did commit 11 penalties, however—a huge uptick from his rookie year total of three penalties against.

Positional outlook: White tops a deeper positional group this year, with Wallace returning as the likely starter across from him. Kevin Johnson and E.J. Gaines provide veteran insurance (if they can stay healthy, which is already a problem for Gaines). Taron Johnson should once again man the slot, with Cam Lewis, Ryan Lewis, Lafayette Pitts, and Denzel Rice serving as the other corners on the 90-man roster.

2019 Offseason: White has participated in all offseason activities to date.

2019 Season outlook: White is an elite corner on an excellent defense—yet it feels as if he’s continuously overshadowed by other players. Perhaps it’s the market, perhaps it’s the style of defense the Bills deploy, or perhaps this is an invented feeling, but White is a player whose national profile should grow with another solid season. If the Bills can take the leap into contention that fans have been waiting for, then White should make that leap sooner rather than later.