The Bills defense will have a new No.2 cornerback in 2020, Josh Norman.
Or will they?
Norman will have to wrestle that job away from incumbent Levi Wallace, who’s started across from lockdown corner Tre’Davious White for parts of the past two seasons. But because some are assuming that the Bills will hand the keys over to Norman, Bleacher Report decided to pump some brakes.
B/R named a sleeper player for each NFL team heading into training camp. Wallace was Buffalo’s pick.
Here’s why:
Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace was a 16-game starter last year, but he qualifies for this list because he’s not widely expected to keep that job with veteran Josh Norman joining star Tre’Davious White atop the cornerback depth chart.
Norman is obviously much more accomplished than Wallace, but watch for the undrafted 25-year-old to wrestle back his outside starting gig from the 2015 All-Pro. He has just two career interceptions, but in his first full season as a starter, he surrendered just 6.5 yards per target and a passer rating of 85.5. Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Norman gave up 9.7 yards per target and a 129.0 passer rating with Washington last year.
With vet E.J. Gaines also back in the mix, Wallace—who is coming off shoulder surgery—isn’t getting a lot of attention. And while he’s far from polished and it’s concerning that his playing time decreased as the 2019 season wore on, his impressive coverage and those roster dynamics make him a sleeper.
There’s always training camp battles to watch, but few and fair between will be like the Bills’ No.2 battle with Wallace, Norman and Gaines. All three have had their varying degrees of good play in Sean McDermott’s defense. But there’s some cases to make for Wallace over the pack.
Norman was previously at an All-Pro level in McDermott’s scheme while with the Panthers. But Wallace wasn’t so bad himself just last season. He defended nine passes and notched his first two career interceptions. And while Pro Football Focus isn’t the end all be all, he was the 41st ranked best corner in the entire NFL last year. That’s pretty good for a 32-team league.
Now, does that mean he’ll beat out Norman? Maybe not. But for various reasons, Wallace could, at minimum, make multiple starts next year. At 32, has Norman lost a step? It’s a storyline to pay attention to throughout next season.
In regard to the AFC East, here’s a few sleepers to watch on other rosters in 2020, as decided by B/R:
- Dolphins: S Steven Parker
- Patriots: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley
- Jets: DB Ashtyn Davis
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