The in-house options for the Buffalo Bills to replace Levi Wallace are limited only to Dane Jackson. While Jackson has been acceptable in 2020 and 2021, his play hasn’t elevated the Bills’ defense during his time in the lineup. He hasn’t hurt the team, but there is room for improvement.
The problem is that if Levi Wallace leaves, Tre’Davious White is the only outside cornerback under contract for 2022 alongside Jackson. To compound the mess, White is coming back from an ACL tear suffered in November. Is he going to be full-go for the start of the season or do they want to ease him back into the lineup?
The other cornerbacks on the roster are either completely unproven or slot cornerbacks. Taron Johnson has never played outside in the NFL and Cam Lewis is his primary backup.
Tim Harris, Olaijah Griffin, and Nick McCloud are incredibly inexperienced. McCloud has played in two NFL games, taking a defensive snap in one contest. Tim Harris has three NFL games; two with the San Francisco 49ers and one with the Cleveland Browns over the last two seasons, with just two snaps coming on defense. Griffin spent the season on Buffalo’s practice squad.
With injuries a natural part of the NFL season, going in with a recuperating White, Jackson, and guys with five combined NFL games is not a formula for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Listen, I’ll trust defensive coordinator/assistant head coach Leslie Frazier and head coach Sean McDermott with the secondary because they’ve shown that they know what they’re doing, but if would seem the Bills need to add at least one cornerback capable of playing starter reps over the course of the next few months. Maybe more.
Next read
- All-22 Year in review: Levi Wallace
- All-22 Year in review: Dane Jackson
- Contract projection for CB Levi Wallace
- Bills don’t have in-house depth to replace Levi Wallace
- Free agents who could replace Levi Wallace
- 2022 NFL Draft prospects at CB
- Opinion: Bills should upgrade the CB2 spot from Levi Wallace this offseason
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