There may only be a few teams across the NFL that have a better safety tandem than that of Buffalo Bills. The duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer has been instrumental in head coach Sean McDermott's defense becoming one of the best units in the league over the last three seasons.
This is, however, a team without many starting jobs available. It is also a pass-heavy league that now sees defenses use five or six defensive backs on the field a majority of the time.
The Bills could certainly upgrade many backup jobs across the lineup, but adding another safety would add a player with a legitimate role in 2020.
At 54th overall in the second round of this week's NFL Draft, there are a wide variety of safeties Bills general manager Brandon Beane could target:
Dugger was a standout on the Division-II level. In his senior season, playing in just seven games due to injury, he was still given the Cliff Harris Award, which goes to the NCAA's best D-II defensive player every season. Concerned about the competition he faced? Dugger was a standout at the Reese's Senior Bowl in January, a week of practice and exhibition that features some of the best prospects in all of college football.
There aren't a lot of defensive back prospects with more upside than Dugger. He has an impressive combination of size and athleticism. Dugger stands at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds with a long wingspan. He can also flat-out fly. The way Dugger can close the gap on a wide receiver, tight end, or running back in the open field going downhill or sideline-to-sideline is unique. He isn't just fast for his position. Lenoir-Rhyne featured Dugger as their punt returner. In one game last season, he brought back two punt returns for touchdowns.
Dugger is the exact prototype for what modern NFL defenses want. With so many versatile weapons developing around the NFL, defenses have called for "positionless players" to replace the traditional linebackers and safeties of the past. Players like Hyde, Poyer, New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, and Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James are not only asked to play safety, but they need to be able to play cornerback and linebacker too.
It is why players like Clemson's Isaiah Simmons, Southern Illinois's Jeremy Chinn, and Dugger get the hype they have during the pre-draft process. They have the potential to be that player.
Dugger is certainly more raw than those other prospects. He can play anywhere across the formation, but there still needs to be more development in every area of his game. Jack of all trades, but a master of none. The Bills have the personnel right now where they won't need Dugger to step in right away as a starting linebacker or safety. Let him rotate in as your Swiss Army Knife during nickel and dime looks, while working out the kinks so he can reach his full potential.
When you watch Winfield Jr. on the field, you can tell who he learned from when it comes to playing the safety position. Like his dad, Winfield Jr. had a knack for getting turnovers at the University of Minnesota, while also becoming a legitimate threat to get to the quarterback on blitzes.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pound safety dealt with injuries throughout his career, but when he put it all together in 2019, the results were impressive. Winfield Jr. finished his final collegiate season with 85 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and seven interceptions in 2019.
He thrives in coverage as a deep safety, but Winfield Jr. did well lining up in the slot as well. He has a combination of speed, quick change of direction, and instincts for making plays on the ball. According to Pro Football Focus, Winfield Jr. had an 89.2 coverage grade last season. Quarterbacks only had a passer rating of 45.5 when targeting him.
This is a potential game-changing safety that always seems to be at the right place at the right time. If he can clean up some of the missed tackles and stay healthy, Winfield Jr. could be a star. A trio of Hyde, Poyer, and Winfield Jr. in 2020 could make this secondary even better.
A look at where Wallace lined up in 2019 showed just what kind of versatile player the Bills could be getting if they took him in the second round.
He would fit right in with Hyde and Poyer. Both are among the most underrated defensive players in the league.
They'd be adding a safety that can do everything, and do it at a high level from Day 1. Since 2017, Wallace has the highest coverage grade among all draft-eligible safeties.
Add the cornerback prospects into the conversation and Wallace is still one of the best players in the draft at covering in the slot.
