The Buffalo Bills are set to lose a significant portion of their secondary when safety Micah Hyde leaves in free agency, and the team may look for a versatile prospect in the NFL Draft to fill the void.
Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News reported that the Bills met with Fresno State and Oregon safety Evan Williams at the Senior Bowl. Though Williams is likely to be a Day 3 choice in the 2017 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald believes his versatility will be a good fit for the Bills and allow him to develop into the eventual replacement for Hyde.
Big Season for Ducks Star
Williams spent four years at Fresno State before ending his undergraduate career with the Oregon Ducks, where he had a breakout season in 2023. Williams, who is 6-foot-1, recorded 82 total stops, including 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Williams informed Fitzgerald that he was allowed to meet with the Bills’ coaching staff, though it was a brief session.
“I was able to talk to their scout – a couple of those scouts – on Monday, when I first came and so that was a good little conversation I got to have,” Williams told reporters. “It is quick. It’s only a 10-minute interview before moving on to the next, but having that time to sit down and have a face-to-face conversation is quite valuable.”
Williams said that his versatility made him a good match in Buffalo. As Fitzgerald mentioned, the Bills place a great emphasis on defensive backs who can play several spots.
“Being able to, if they need me, when I’ll go down in the box, make plays, or they needed me to be a single high safety, having that range to cover the field,” Williams went on to say. “I think that versatility really serves to my advantage, being able to kind of just stick me in any position and have me execute.”
Micah Hyde’s Uncertain Future In Buffalo
Hyde has been a significant part of Buffalo’s comeback, joining the team in 2017 and helping to end a 17-year postseason drought in his first season. He signed at the same time as teammate safety Jordan Poyer, forming an All-Pro combo that helped the Bills’ defense become one of the best in the NFL.
After the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs by the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round, Hyde expressed uncertainty about his future and hinted at retirement.
“Every year when you lose, you wake up the next day and you’re filled with so much frustration because you weren’t able to get it done,” Hyde told the Buffalo News. “I woke up this morning and thought, ‘Wow, that was a run.'” We had an incredible run. I will be eternally grateful to this crew for their dedication, hard work, and resilience. I really don’t know what the future holds right now. I’m going to sit down, maybe in a few weeks, and talk to the wife and the family. But we shall see. I’m in no haste at all.”
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