Training camp at St. John Fisher University is right around the corner. The Bills have their first practice in Rochester set for Wednesday, July 23. Before camp begins, here are some of the top storylines for Buffalo's defense.
1. Who will win the starting job at CB2?
With former Bills starting cornerback Rasul Douglas no longer on the roster, one of the biggest questions of the offseason has been who will win the CB2 job?
According to defensive coordinator Bobby Babich, that's not the only job players will be battling for.
"I know you think I'm silly, but every position is wide open," Babich said. "Every position is wide open."
There will be plenty to watch on the defensive side of the football during training camp with multiple position battles. If we focus on the CB2 spot, several different players will get a chance to compete for the starting spot.
One player who has been on the roster for the last few years who will get a go at the job is cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram. Ingram is no stranger to Buffalo's defense as he joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2022. The CB recorded two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, during the 2024 season.
Buffalo also brought back two familiar faces to the cornerback room in Dane Jackson and Tre'Davious White who will also get a chance at the starting cornerback job.
"I think those are two guys that would influence rookies and are influencing rookies in a positive way," Babich said of White and Jackson. "They're selfless, they want to see young guys prosper in the same way that maybe a Tre White helped a Dane Jackson or Dane Jackson helped a Christian Benford...It's great to have them back, and they are an absolute asset to that room."
Jackson was with the Panthers last year, playing in nine games and making three starts. The CB had his best year as a pro in Buffalo's system in 2022 when he made 14 starts and recorded two interceptions and 12 passes defensed.
White, a fan favorite, is in his second stint with the Bills after spending last season with the Rams and Ravens. The CB was Brandon Beane's first draft pick as Buffalo's general manager and spent seven seasons with the Bills. White had an All-Pro season in 2019 where he recorded six interceptions and 17 passes defensed.
"I feel like I'm coming back as a better player in so many different ways than just on the field," White said. "I feel like I can give my teammates more knowledge, just younger guys too. And just me, myself, is just bringing more gratefulness and appreciation to the game."
"It's just great to be around Tre'Davious again," Babich said. "His energy is infectious…But his work ethic is second to none. Right now, really what you're seeing is Tre'Davious working himself back, ingratiating himself back into the Bills system."
As White gets familiar with Buffalo's terms again, he's also making sure he's helping the rookies in the room. Buffalo drafted cornerback Maxwell Hairston with the 30th overall pick in this year's draft. Hairston will also compete for the starting cornerback job. The CB played for Kentucky and led the SEC with five interceptions in 2023.
Hairston turned plenty of heads at the NFL Scouting Combine when he ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the event. The CB ran a blazing 4.28 40-yard dash.
"I think what we're starting to see is Max playing faster and utilizing his speed because his processing is starting to slow down a little bit in the event that he's grasping what we are throwing at him," Babich said. "…So, there's some flashes here and there…Max is blessed with a lot of speed. And we'll see if that can show up consistently on the field."
"The guy has some abilities that a lot of guys just don't have coming out the womb," White said of his teammate. "So when you mix that with the coaching that we have here and just all the resources that he has to be successful, it's going to come. It's only a matter of time before he's one of the best corners in the league."
Even though White is competing with Hairston, he wants to be a source of information for the newest Bill.
"I just let him know, anything he needs, any questions, I'm here to be a resource for sure," White said. "…Competition brings the best out of everybody, and it's just going to make our team so much better."
Head coach Sean McDermott wasn't surprised by these comments from White because he knows his players well. McDermott was very proud to hear a player who's been in his system for so long express how he plans to be a good teammate to others.
"Incredibly impressed by Tre and his willingness to serve, willingness to share, willingness to impart the wisdom he's gained in this league for however many years he's now been in the league and share that with those young players," McDermott said. "It's incredible, especially when they're battling for potentially the same position. I think that really says a lot about who Tre is as a person."
There are more than a few talented players who will compete for the starting CB2 job. In just a few weeks, training camp will be the perfect place to watch the group battle it out.
2. How the defensive line will gel with plenty of new faces
As it stands ahead of training camp, Buffalo welcomed 19 new players to the defense this offseason. Ten of those new faces play on the defensive line.
It's not just the new players who will bring a different perspective to the group, but the coaches will too. That's because the defense has a new senior defensive assistant in Ryan Nielsen and the defensive line has a new assistant coach in Jason Rebrovich.
The defensive line has been tasked with building chemistry with one another and getting on the same page before Week 1. It's not an easy assignment because several new players are also rookies, but the returners are loving the new energy so far.
"All the rookies in the D-line room caught my eye," defensive end Greg Rousseau said. "Just the way they've come in eager to learn. You can tell they're just ready for the moment and ready to contribute anything they can."
Buffalo added three defensive linemen to the roster via the draft in defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (second round), defensive end Landon Jackson (third round) and defensive tackle Deone Walker (fourth round).
"We're really excited about those young guys," head coach Sean McDermott added. "And it's not just them. They're integrating into a veteran group in some ways and some of the newer players are actually veterans. So, kind of hitting it from three different angles and been fun to watch those guys work with the coaches and work on their techniques.
"As I've said before we're going to go with as the D-line goes on the defensive side, so having some young players in there and adding some new players."
One of those new veterans is defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. The DT spent the last three seasons in Pittsburgh and believes this defense fits the way he loves to play. Ogunjobi is building chemistry by spending quality time with his new teammates.
"Getting some one-on-one time and quality time with them is very important," Ogunjobi said of his unit. "They're as advertised. Ed (Oliver) is who he is. DaQuan (Jones), AJ (Epenesa), these guys have been doing it for a long time, and they've been doing it at high level, so it's been good to get around them."
"I think the coolest thing about our room, no matter how good the guys are, how many plays they made, how much money they make, there's no egos," second-year defensive tackle DeWayne Carter said. "Everybody welcomes you, open arms and teaches you everything you need know."
There's been a lot of teaching throughout OTAs and mandatory minicamp as the new players are getting accustomed to the playbook. The challenge for training camp is figuring out how it all fits together.
"I think the biggest challenge is finding the right mix while also getting the guys the right repetition," defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said of the defensive line. "There's a lot of pieces; there's a lot of competition…There's so much that goes into it."
3. DC Bobby Babich ready for Year 2
Bobby Babich is gearing up for his second season as Buffalo's defensive coordinator. In his first season, Babich coached a defense whose identity was all about taking away the football. The Bills forced 32 turnovers, which was the third most in the NFL.
One player who's seen Babich coach in several different roles but hasn't yet experienced him as a DC is Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White. The CB couldn't be more excited to have Babich as his defensive coordinator this season.
"Nobody in this building can say, Bobby Babich didn't earn that," White said of his DC. "He's up all night. The only thing he does is eat, sleep and just dream about ball. That's all he wants to talk about is ball. And you can tell by the way this defense performed last year, there was no drop off."
With Babich's first year as DC in the rearview, he's looking forward to feeling more comfortable in year two.
"For anybody going through something the first time, everything's a first time," Babich said reflecting on his first season as Buffalo's DC. "So now you've been in those situations…You're a little bit more weathered based on the situations and how fast those things can come up. So those are some of the things that I think I learned and looking forward to year two."
It's good to know that Babich is feeling at ease for his second season because there is plenty of newness to the defense this year. While Buffalo's offense looks very similar to last year, the defense saw an overhaul this offseason. The Bills added nearly 20 new players to the defense.
What Babich is looking for out of his returners and new players is consistency.
"I think the biggest thing is the consistency," Babich said of what needs to be improved. "We talked a lot about that last year. I think the overall consistency in our approach, in our execution, and really making sure that no matter who we're playing, certain things stay the same. I need to make sure I do that first and foremost as the leader of the defense."
In 2024, Buffalo's defense had six games where they allowed less than 15 points. In others, the group sometimes struggled to affect the quarterback and get off the field on third down. Babich wants the group to improve in all areas so they can continue giving the ball back to their MVP quarterback in Josh Allen in 2025.
