Buffalo Rumblings
I make, and rest, my case
The 2025 NFL Draft is about one month away and all of the major dust regarding free agency has settled. That means there’s a good chance that the Buffalo Bills’ roster we see today is pretty much it until the rookies start flying off the board.
If you ask me, One Bills Drive needs to draft a safety early on in the process, even if they selected one in last year’s draft.
The Bills need to draft a safety next month because the Sean McDermott-led defense won’t be able to peak without top talent at the position. When I hear the phrase “McDermott defense” it’s usually used in reference to a specific scheme, and specifically I see it paired with assertions of “rigidity.”
Well that isn’t true from my vantage point. Buffalo’s defense has shifted considerably year to year, with many variations dependent on available personnel. I believe the last truly elite unit was on the field during the 2019 season. What was so special about the 2019 season? Lorenzo Alexander.
Alexander — aka “Zo” or “Lorax” — was a starter-level player at linebacker, defensive end, and defensive tackle. So what does this have to do with 2025? In March, the Bills signed a similar Jack of all trades in defensive lineman Michael Hoecht (my film breakdown of Hoecht can be found here).
My prediction is that McDermott’s banking on Hoecht to fill a similar role and bring back the 2018-2019 defensive strategies — but he’s going to have to wait a bit to see the results. Based on chaos and shifting personnel, these defenses mitigated their lack of size by confusing opponents.
In addition to the hesitation caused by trying to figure out where the Lorax/Hoecht player will go after the snap, the 2018-2019 Chaos Defense leveraged Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer’s elite capabilities to create further confusion in the secondary. With the right players in the Chaos Defense, “alignment,” “personnel groupings,” and “scheme” became amorphous concepts.
The Bills are returning their primary trio of Damar Hamlin (contract details here), Cole Bishop, and Taylor Rapp. Being candid, I might be higher on these players than many reading this. That said, I want to see the return of the Chaos Defense. That means the standard of excellence is Hyde/Poyer. I like Hamlin/Bishop/Rapp but...
The Bills have a great track record of coaching up defensive backs or at least helping them find their groove to make the most of what each person brings to the table. It’s possible this year that one of the current trio will take the next step I believe many of us would desire.
I can’t bank on two or more doing so, though. That’s why Buffalo needs to take a swing on one more safety to let chaos reign. The question is whether that gem is found early in Rounds 1-3, or later during Rounds 4-7. The Bills shouldn’t feel compelled to select a...
