The Buffalo Bills addressed their secondary early in the NFL draft, taking a cornerback to add some much-needed depth — and potentially closing the door on a return for longtime veteran Tre’Davious White.
The Bills landed Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun with the No. 62 overall pick, adding a talented defensive back to a secondary with no openings at the top of the depth chart. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said the team can never have too much trusted depth, especially given the injuries they’ve seen in recent years.
But the move means less room for White, who is still a free agent after his one-year deal with the Bills expired.
Bills Had Sent Tre’Davious White Message Before Draft
White remained unsigned through the first round of free agency, but Beane hinted earlier this week that the team could be open to a reunion. He suggested that it would come down to the outcome of the NFL draft.
âYeah, I mean, we love TreâDavious,â Beane said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. âI think at this point, you know, weâre waiting through the draft and probably he is as well. You would never close the door on bringing a guy like Tre back here to Buffalo.â
With the Bills picking a cornerback with a Day 2 pick, it would leave even less room on the roster for White to return. He played a key role with the Bills last season, starting 16 games and making 40 total tackles with one interception and 10 passes defensed.
Brandon Beane Explains Davison Igbinosun Pick
Though the Bills may have had more glaring needs at wide receiver and linebacker, Beane said the team had to go with Igbinosun for the value he could add to the secondary.
While Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston are the team’s starting outside CBs, the Bills felt they needed to fortify the depth behind them for several reasons.
In April it may be considered unconventional to select a player in the second round who â in an ideal world â is playing behind Benford and Hairston to open the year. But in December and January, you’re only as strong as your weakest link.
“You want to make sure, as the season goes along, if injury strikes, that you’ve got enough guys, even if they’re not starters,” Beane said, via the team’s official website. “How many guys we went through last season that played in the playoffs for us, or helped us get to the playoffs. So you’re going to need those guys.”
The Bills had shown heavy interest in Igbinosun throughout the offseason, hosting him for a pre-draft visit where he got a strong endorsement from Bills cornerback Jordan Hancock, his former Buckeyes teammate.
“[Hancock] is close with him and raved about him,” Beane said.
Beane added that Igbinosun had all the physical tools for the position and came highly recommended.
“He checked the box,” Beane stated. “The multitude of people that I talked to there just raved about his football character, his competitiveness, his love of ball. Great teammate.”
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