I think it would have been hard for anyone to look at the players we were about to roll out in the secondary and say it was going to be a strength. Micah Hyde had been relatively successful but not a household name, Poyer a seventh-round pick in 2013 with ten career starts coming off an injury, EJ Gaines a 2014 sixth-round pick who did well in his rookie year but had injury problems since and Tre White, a polished rookie but not a name anyone was really excited about before the draft. Oh and Leonard Johson, a UDFA who only played half a season with McD.
But they are clicking and playing really well. And most of them are already locked in on team-friendly deals for the next few years! Now let's do the same with the LBs and DL.