The Buffalo Bills added plenty of talent to their defense this offseason, focusing on the secondary through free agency and the NFL draft.
The moves could mean bad news for one 2025 draft pick, however. SI.com analyst Alex Brasky predicted that second-year safety Jordan Hancock will face an uphill battle to earn a spot on the active roster this year after the team brought in some competition for the position.
Jordan Hancock Facing Tough Competition
Brasky suggested that it was a bad sign for Hancock when the Bills used another fifth-round pick on a defensive back this year, taking Jalon Kilgore. Like Hancock, Kilgore is considered a versatile defensive back who could line up at either safety or cornerback.
The Bills also brought in free agents Dee Alford, who is expected to take over as nickel cornerback for Taron Johnson, and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
“Things could swing one way or another for Hancock, who must stand out over the next few months if he hopes to have any chance of sticking around with the Bills,” Brasky wrote. “Buffalo has moved on from a couple of recent former fifth-rounders within their first two years of being drafted, including linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio [2024] and wide receiver Justin Shorter [2023].”
Hancock settled into a steady role with the Bills after joining the team as a fifth-round pick, appearing in 13 total games. Hancock made 22 tackles, playing mostly on special teams as he appeared in 58% of snaps. Hancock played in only 19% of defensive snaps.
Brasky suggested that Hancock may need to rely on his versatility, seeing more time at cornerback than safety.
“Dee Alford was signed as a free agent to take over as the team’s new starter at the position after Taron Johnson was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason,” Brasky wrote. “However, while the Bills seemed to be training him to serve in the back end of the teamâs defense under former head coach Sean McDermott, Buffalo could have a different role in mind for Hancock, with first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard taking the reins of his new, chaos-inducing unit.”
Bills Expected to Give Big Role to Second-Round Cornerback
The Bills made some sweeping changes to their secondary. Aside from trading Johnson to the Raiders, the Bills also parted ways with veteran cornerback Dane Jackson and allowed another cornerback — Tre’Davious White — to hit free agency.
The team invested a second-round draft pick on Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun, who The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia called a good fit for the team’s new scheme under defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
The Bills moved up to select Igbinosun, and in doing so, added another cornerback who gives them the ability to play man coverage at a higher rate than the veteran cornerbacks they purged from the roster in the offseason,” Buscaglia wrote. “Where Igbinosun lacks in body weight (189) pounds, he makes up for it with excellent height (6-2) and arm length (nearly 33 inches). Even for a slighter build, Igbinosunâs physicality and ability as a run defender made him an appealing option. The newest Bills cornerback only turned 22 in early April.”
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