By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White will probably admit himself that his 2018 season wasn’t as exciting or productive as his rookie year.
White’s rookie season saw 69 tackles, 18 passes defended and four interceptions. Those all dropped to 54 – 8- 2, respectively, during his sophomore year.
But wait, there’s more.
Pro Football Focus routinely defended White during his rookie season, naming him their Defensive Rookie of the Year. In 2018, he featured in their top-101 (No. 21) players of the year, too. He wasn’t beat up by the analytics outlet, but he wasn’t listed at all this year.
Maybe there’s reason for that.
According to another analytics outlet, NFL Next Gen Stats, offensive units in the NFL would tell you that White’s still on his game. The 24-year-old defender was one of the NFL’s least-targeted cornerbacks in the NFL at 12.9 percent of coverage the Bills defended this season.
White was the fifth-lowest targeted cornerback in the entire NFL at that figure. Tough to notch an interception or two when quarterbacks aren’t throwing the ball your way.
While White’s stats might’ve been down last season, there isn’t any reason to fret. Along with White’s talents, the Bills had awful play across from him at times. Vontae Davis, Ryan Lewis, and Phillip Gaines all rotated around in the Bills’ No. 2 corner position across from White this season.
Finally the savior came in the form of an undrafted rookie in Levi Wallace, who, like White, graded out as the NFL’s best rookie cornerback last season via PFF’s grading scale.
Sure, White did provide a few moments where one might’ve worried about him. White even left the locker room at one point without speaking to reporters following a loss to the Jets this season. Not your usual expectations of him.
But there were plenty more plays that made one wonder what the heck the rest of the NFL missed when they didn’t pick him at the 2017 NFL Draft.
White said in December he’s not letting any doubters get to him though, if you were concerned.
“It’s the NFL and I play the most scrutinized position besides quarterback,” White said. “People watch it on TV, they don’t see the actual game film, the whole nine yards. But that’s what I play professional sports for.”
“I can live with giving up some plays. As long as I come back, bounce back and respond well, I’ll be fine,” White added.
The Bills’ top-overall secondary in 2018 will be fine with White, too.