On the latest episode of the Billieve Podcast, in the eighth installment of our State of the Buffalo Bills series, hosts John Boccacino and Jamie D’Amico break down and review the contributions the Bills got from their cornerbacks in 2020.
The Bills brought back almost every starter from the team that went 13-3 and advanced into the AFC Championship. Arguably the one starting role up for grabs is opposite All-Pro Tre’Davious White, who anchors the cornerback position. White has evolved into one of the game’s best cornerbacks, and excels playing man coverage on both fast wide receivers and talented tight ends. He’s the perfect cornerback for this defense, as he is proficient in both man and zone coverages. He is also impressive in press coverage and has become one of the best lockdown CBs in the game.
Former undrafted rookie free agent Levi Wallace, who was brought back on a one-year, $1.75 million contract after starting 12 games last year, is in line to start at CB2. Wallace is a slightly above average, serviceable option. He is a solid and instinctual zone corner who thrives in Buffalo’s zone-heavy scheme while also getting beat off the line of scrimmage.
We make the case why general manager Brandon Beane should seriously consider drafting a talent like Asante Samuel Jr. (Florida State), Eric Stokes (Georgia), Greg Newsome II (Northwestern) or Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech) with the No. 30 overall pick in the NFL Draft to, at the very least, bring in a capable playmaker who can push Wallace for the starting job.
When it comes to the rest of Buffalo’s cornerbacks, we discuss the potential of nickel CB Taron Johnson, who is a fantastic tackler and asset in the run defense, a solid cover corner who plays with aggression and tenacity in the slot. We speculate on whether he truly learned from his Week 6 benching, when he responded with a solid second half of the year, or whether he will revert back to his up-and-down form displayed over those first five weeks.
We also assess whether Dane Jackson, who has impressed in limited playing time, can one day slide in as Buffalo’s starting CB2, break down the play of rookie Cam Lewis, discuss whether Siran Neal is solely a special teams contributor or if he can help out in the secondary, and more.
Check out the latest Billieve Podcast for our thoughts on Buffalo’s cornerbacks, then join the conversation by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below.
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