Buffalo Bills Schedule Top-30 Visit With Kentucky Wildcats CB

The Buffalo Bills saw their secondary fall apart in free agency. Could late-round NFL Draft target Andru Phillips help rebuild the unit?

Sep 30, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Andru Phillips (23) / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills will likely take to the NFL Draft to replenish a secondary that saw heavy losses in free agency. Stalwart defensive backs Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer have found new homes and Micah Hyde followed them into free agency. The unit’s depth took a blow, too, when Siran Neal signed with the Miami Dolphins.

The Bills can feel good about their prospects in the slot, having extended star Taron Johnson, and a Day 1 cornerback isn’t an exceedingly pressing need – returning starters Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford give the secondary a high floor.

Even so, further depth (and long-term upside) could be acquired in the coming weeks, and the team’s plan at safety feels incomplete. Taking on the elite passing offenses of the AFC figures to be much harder with the current cast of characters on the back end, a natural consequence of continuity leaving the organization.

A pass intended for Tennessee wide receiver Squirrel White (10) falls incomplete while under / Jamar Coach/News Sentinel / USA TODAY

Subsequently, Buffalo has taken an interest in defensive backs in this year’s class.

According to Ryan Fowler, the team has scheduled a visit with Kentucky cornerback Andru Phillips.

Player comparisons can be misleading at times, and Phillips doesn’t profile too similarly to any Bills corner from last year’s roster, but his role may be most emblematic of Neal’s at least early on.

Like Neal, Phillips has the potential to be a special teams ace at the next level, and it’s easy to see why. His elite marks in the vertical (42 inches) and broad (11-foot-3) jumps showcase strong explosiveness, both being in the 99th percentile for the position. And while he’s fairly inexperienced, he seemingly hasn’t learned that cornerbacks aren’t supposed to like hitting people.

Phillips is a strong tackler for his undersized self and plays with a relentless motor, helping him find his way to ball carriers and make an impact against the run. This may ultimately lend itself to more usage in the slot.

However, his current coverage profile has some kinks to iron out. He struggled in coverage down the stretch this past season and didn’t have the ball production to show for it. He lacks elite recovery speed and when those inconsistencies turn into technical mistakes, he becomes harder to trust.

Phillips is better in man coverage but has enough tools to earn optimism as a developmental starter. Sitting behind Douglas and Benford as Buffalo finds the best spot for his growth – while allowing him to flourish on special teams – makes for a solid late-round selection.