Buffalo Bills Safeties: A Look at the Top and Bottom of the Draft

Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, Safety
Buffalo Bills Safeties: A Look at the Top and Bottom of the Draft | The Wandering Buffalo

The safety position at One Bills Drive has taken shape over the last week without much change from last year. Taylor Rapp will remain in the starting role while injury concerns will remain. He missed two games last year including the AFC Championship game and while the Bills like his aggressive, hard hitting style of play, it caused him to miss some time and also put teammates out with some friendly fire hits. The Bills expect 2nd round draft pick in 2024 Cole Bishop to step up into the starting role. Though Bills fans didn’t love him starting in the AFC Championship game, Bishop recorded 10 tackles, including 9 solo tackles. The Bills see him as an upgrade to Damar Hamlin and a similar player who can come down into the box and make plays at the line of scrimmage.

The Bills re-signed Damar Hamlin on a 1 year contract. The expectation is that he is the next man up for the Bills and is a fine backup as he already knows the system. Brandon Beane did go out in free agency and add some depth to the position by signing 25 year old Darrick Forrest to the roster on a 1 year deal. A former 5th round pick by Washington where he made 17 starts over the last 4 years, he is a fine player that will add depth to the room. Where no one is going to be excited about the pick, he does have veteran experience and is overall a middle of the road safety. With 4 safeties on the roster, I believe that the Bills are comfortable with what they have in the room for this season, though I do expect them to add at this position later in the draft.

As we begin to breakdown the safety prospects in the draft, we are going to take a little bit of a different approach. Three players really stand out at the top of the draft. Though I don’t think Beane will address this position early, many AFC teams are looking for safety help, including AFC East rival the Miami Dolphins, which I expect them to take one of these guys with their first round pick. It's interesting though because while many teams would have safety listed as a need, it tends to not be a priority need for many teams.

These first three players are players you should know and will be big name players in the NFL.

Nick Emmanwori - South Carolina
6’-3” 220 lbs
Hands - 9”, Arms - 32 ½”, 40 Time - 4.38
21 Years Old (Turned 21 in February)
Projection - Mid 1st round

As someone who lives in South Carolina, I have watched this player a lot over the last three years and he is going to be an absolute stud at the next level. A three-star recruit out of Irmo, SC, Emmanwori chose to stay home for college. His freshman year an injury on the first defensive series put him into the game and he never looked back. Over three seasons, Emmanwori had 244 tackles and 6 interceptions, adding ball hawk to his resume last year with 4 interceptions, two which went to the house. This earned him First-Team All SEC honors, but all showed off in the classroom as well by earning his way onto the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He has freakish speed with size that would make some linebackers jealous. This combination allows him to play both close to the LOS and in the secondary. He has exceptional skills in man coverage and his high football IQ allows him to see plays develop before they happen and get to the right spot. He is a sure tackler and has the size to lay hits on running backs and tight ends.

As he loves to bring physicality to his game and set the tone. His size also allows him to matchup against linebackers and bring that physical element to knock them off routes and out of rhythm.

His size is great, but this can cause him to get beat by shiftier receivers as he struggles to turn his hips and to keep up with their movements. Though he is a fast straight line runner, he doesn’t excel in small space agility. He can also get caught coming too downhill aggressively and leave himself exposed to getting beat over the top. He is a much better man coverage player than a zone coverage player who can get caught with his eyes on the quarterback causing him to lose players in his zone.

This is the hybrid player that so many NFL teams would want. He can play your free safety, slot/big nickel corner, and has the size to leave him in on heavier sets at the goal line. His size, speed, and physical elements will make him a day 1 contributor. With physical gifts and high football IQ his ceiling is one of the best in the NFL and he will go in the top 20 of the draft. I have seen multiple mocks put this player in Miami and if he does go there, we need to pay attention, Bills fans.

Malaki Starks - Georgia
6’-1” 197 lbs
Hands - 9 ½”, Arms - 35 ⅝”, 40 Time - 4.50
21 Years Old (Turns 22 in November)
Projection - Late 1st round

A former five-star recruit who won a state championship in the long jump, Starks walked into Athens and took over the starting safety job as a true freshman, racking up 198 tackles in his collegiate career, including 77 his senior season. His elite speed and high football IQ makes him a menace in both a run and pass game. He can diagnose run plays quickly and get to the line to make a stop and has the maneuverability to run with shifty receivers. He is an excellent tackler with an aggressive nature to leave his mark on players. That physicality also helps him to shed blockers and assist in the run defense which amounted to 4 tackles for a loss in 2024. He is good in zone coverage as well with a good feel of what is going on around him.

He needs work on press coverage where he can often get beat off the line and rely on his elite speed to make up for it. This trust in speed can also cause him to take poor angles to the football which can result in extra yards on the ground or missed opportunities to make plays at the catch point. He has a tendency to get over aggressive in play action, opening up space behind him.

Starks will make an immediate impact wherever he goes. His ability to play free safety, nickel corner, deep middle, or in the box is going to intrigue many GMs. Now I don’t expect the Bills to be looking to add to this position in the first round, but it doesn't mean I haven't seen him mocked to the Bills. Where Beane may think he has his depth players, he may not fully trust Rapp can stay healthy for a full season. He may also see a player like Starks as Rapp’s future replacement and look to address it early. I don’t fully expect him to be there at 30, but if it is I am sure it is a conversation inside the Bills war room.

Xavier Watts - Notre Dame
6’-0” 204 lbs
Hands - 8 ⅝”, Arms - 31 ¼”, 40 Time - 4.49
23 Years Old (Turns 24 in November)
Projection - Mid 2nd round

Now I am going to do my best as a journalist to leave my bias at the door, but the only thing I love more than Notre Dame football is Buffalo Bills football (hopefully my wife doesn’t read this, but I love you too!). Watts arrived in South Bend as a wide receiver and was basically told he will not play wide receiver at Notre Dame. So instead of transferring to a school that would play him on offense, he switched to the other side of the ball and became one of the most feared players in the country, finishing his senior year with 83 tackles, 6 Interceptions (one of which went 100 yards to the house against USC). His background on offense allows him to diagnose plays quickly and jump routes while baiting quarterbacks into mistakes. His receiver background shows up on tape as has an elite ability to high point the ball and he still loves catching the ball with 13 Interceptions over his last two years at Notre Dame. He plays with an edge and looks like he is shot out of a cannon as he runs downhill to meet receivers at the mesh point. He has strong hands and gets aggressive with players at the line of scrimmage when he comes down to defend against the run, often shedding blocks on players bigger than him.

He needs to develop better as a zone defender, often losing his place in the coverage. He has a tendency to over pursue plays and sometimes takes bad angles. He also needs to work on becoming a better form tackler. He also is much better coming towards the line and not as good when running away from the line.

His development curve has been crazy, becoming an elite safety in four years will make GMs think that his ceiling may be endless. Selfishly I would love this player, but I do see him going early in the second and Beane may have to move up to get him. The Bills defense relied heavily on takeaways last year, so Babich will see Watts as a player that will only help in this area. If safeties fall though and a player like Starks is there in the second round then maybe that trend continues and Beane may not be able to help himself.

I expect Beane to draft a safety, but I think he will do it in the later rounds. This franchise trusts their ability to develop late round picks, especially on the defensive side of the ball and I expect Beane to trust in this development. I expect the top end of the draft to focus on defensive line, cornerback, and wide receiver, so who are some late round picks that could be household names on the Bills roster in the not so distant future?

Billy Bowman Jr. - Oklahoma
5’-10” 192 lbs
Hands - 8 ⅝”,, Arms - 28 ½”, 40 Time - 4.42
22 Years Old (Turned 22 in January)
Projection - 4th or 5th round

A former four-star recruit, Bowman Jr. made an immediate impact starting 41 of 47 career games over four years for the Sooners. He made his reputation as a ball hawk, recording 11 interceptions, 3 of which he returned for touchdowns in his junior season. He has incredible speed and good instincts which he uses to jump routes and close on receivers quickly. He has great agility and can change directions fluidly when breaking on underneath routes. He can play as a deep safety, but is aggressive even with his smaller frame to play nickel corner as well as offering value as a special teams player.

He needs to become a better tackler, often showing poor technique and missing tackles. His smaller frame is not ideal for a safety position and can get bullied by bigger tight ends, especially when trying to high point the ball. Because of his speed, he has a tendency to over commit to lanes and is susceptible to creating cutback lanes for ball carriers.

Bills love to play zone defense and Bowman Jr’s instincts will make him a great fit in a zone scheme. He knows how to bait the quarterback and breaks on the ball so quickly. His speed is track star level and aggressive for a player of his size. His development will require him to become a more technical player as he learns how to clog up holes in the run game and learn better tackling technique. The natural instincts are there so this could definitely be a player that Beane sees as another late round future starter in this Bills defense.

R.J. Mickens - Clemson
6’-0” 199 lbs
Hands - 8 ⅞’, Arms - 32 ¼”, 40 Time - 4.49
23 Years Old (Turns 24 in July)
Projection - 5th or 6th round

The son of Ray Mickens Sr., an eight year NFL veteran, he developed steadily through his 5 years at Clemson, eventually breaking out last season with 76 tackles and 2 interceptions. His high football IQ, no doubt curated with his father's tutelage, allows him to diagnose plays quickly and process route combinations when in zone coverage. He has good size to match up against tight ends and works his way downhill quickly and plays physically at the line of scrimmage. He has good agility to stay with receivers and shows incredible balance to maintain properleverage. He can be deployed in multiple positions and is comfortable as a single high man or playing in the box.

He tends to take poor angles, especially when coming towards the play. He also needs to work on his technique as a tackler and develop better form when attacking players at or near the line of scrimmage. He is quick, but lacks consistent speed to cover the full field as a single high player. He is aggressive with receivers and likes to use his hands, which could draw some unwanted attention.

He is a smart player and McDermott will love his pedigree. A player that plays very well in zone will also make the Bills take notice. His size and instincts will make him a great chess piece for defensive coordinators. Beane will notice his steady development over his time at Clemson and I think be comfortable with his floor as a solid piece in the safety room with a ceiling as a reliable starter in the league.

Kitan Crawford - Nevada
5’-11” 202 lbs
Hands - 9 ½”, Arms - 31”, 40 Time - 4.41
Projection - 6th or 7th round

A two way player in high school, Crawford excelled at running back and cornerback, rushing for 12 touchdowns and over 1,000 yards and adding 33 tackles and 3 interceptions his senior season. He started his collegiate career at Texas before transferring to Nevada in his final season where he had a breakout year registering 76 tackles and two interceptions, one of which went for a 52 yard touchdown. Crawford has an elite mix of speed and agility, using his speed to cover vertical routes and using his running back experience to showcase exceptional footwork, balance, and quick change of direction. He plays aggressive, hitting the hole quickly on runs and screens while using his speed to disrupt the quarterback on blitzes. He locates and high points the ball well and uses his high football IQ to excel in zone coverage.

He needs to develop better tackling technique, especially in the open field if he is going to be a reliable safety at the next level. He can get himself in trouble by taking poor angles and not maintaining his space in run defense. He also needs to develop as a man to man defender as he can get caught ball watching and lose track of his responsibility.

His movement skills and athleticism will definitely catch the eye of McDermott. He has a smoothness to his movement that will show promise at the next level as a player who can excel in coverage. I think Beane will see a lot of promise in this player who may not necessarily be part of the immediate plan, but has a day 3 selection, and has the potential to develop into an important starter for the Bills.

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