Buffalo Rumblings
For years, the Buffalo Bills were spoiled by the elite safety play of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. With two All-Pro-caliber players as the last defense of the stop unit, the Bills had a luxury that most teams did not. Hyde and Poyer could switch roles at will, another underrated value they provided. It made opponents hesitate to see which one of them would cover which spot, as they could just as easily be a deep-third player as they could cover an intermediate zone, or even come on a blitz.
Since Hyde and Poyer left the team, the Bills have struggled to find replacements. That makes sense, as elite players don’t grow on trees. The Bills have been able to find some adequate play at safety, but those moments of adequacy have also been joined by moments of inconsistency. Head coach Sean McDermott channeled Bono in a recent interview, saying that, with regard to the safety position, he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for as it relates to s starter at safety.
If you, too, are wondering who might start at safety, fear not. In today’s edition of “90 players in 90 days,” we discuss one of the players vying for a starting gig for a second straight year.
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Name: Damar Hamlin
Number: 3
Position: S
Height/Weight: 6’, 200 pounds
Age: 27 (28 on 3/24/2026)
Experience/Draft: 5; selected by the Bills in the sixth round (No. 212 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft
College: Pitt
Acquired: Sixth-round draft choice
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Hamlin re-signed this offseason, inking a one-year deal worth $2 million overall. The entire deal is guaranteed, so that number would be the dead-cap charge Buffalo would carry if Hamlin were to be released. His cap number for the season if he’s on the 53-man roster is $1,337,500
2024 Recap: Hamlin completed his miraculous return from a near-death experience, starting in 14 of Buffalo’s regular-season contests just 18 months removed from an on-field cardiac arrest that nearly cost him his life. Hamlin filled up the stat sheet, notching 89 total tackles, two interceptions, five pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and two tackles for loss in those games.
He missed three December games with injured ribs, but he was back to full health once the postseason began. In three playoff games, Hamlin totaled 15 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. In coverage, Hamlin was a liability, allowing 73% of the passes where he was the closest defender to be completed for 396 yards and two scores.
Positional outlook: Hamlin is one of five players on the roster who is a safety-only. Tre Herndon, Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop, and Darrick Forrest Jr. are the others. Wande Owens was released prior to final roster cuts. Jordan Hancock and Cam Lewis are safeties who also play slot corner.
2025 Offseason: Hamlin is healthy and participating in preseason games. He has four tackles in Buffalo’s first two exhibition tilts.
2025 Season outlook: The Bills could...
