Levi Wallace ends season as highest graded rookie CB by PFF

[cle23]

My only question is do they factor in who the cornerback was covering? A second or third corner should have a higher rating because they're covering lesser receivers. Knowing how intricate Pro Football Focus is I'm assuming they took that into account. Great year either way.

Edited January 2, 2019 by cle23

[starrymessenger]

I'm a little surprised he went undrafted. To me he deserved a closer look considering the circumstances, despite his borderline size/strength and 4.63 combine 40 (Denzel Ward ran in the low 3.3s). He was a zero rated recruit because he lost interest in football for awhile following a family tragedy (death of his father). He walked on at Bama and earned a scholarship while developing into a starter and their most technically sound corner (15 pass breakups his final year). I have to admit the pro football evaluators know more than I do but if the 2017 draft were held today I'm pretty confident he would not go undrafted (though I'm not sure how high he would go - 3rd? I mean there is room for improvement as far as defending the run is concerned).

[Coach Tuesday]

1 hour ago, The Bills Blog said:

You're just saying that because he was undrafted. Is Denzel Ward a solution in Cleveland?

 

Just not true.  I don't know how PFF came up with its ranking but Denzel Ward was an incredible player for Cleveland this year - when he was healthy he was borderline dominant.  Levi was a nice add but his unwillingness to tackle was a serious problem for long stretches of multiple games.  I would be saying the same thing if he was drafted in Round 1, it doesn't matter to me, I saw a guy playing with very little functional strength and horrible tackling technique.  

[costrovs]

1 hour ago, boco357 said:

I wonder how much influence Daboll had with picking him and Foster up.

 

A lot I'm sure. Wallace was a walk on at Alabama, and I'm sure most NFL coaches see that and automatically dismiss him as not being good enough. Foster only had 14 catches his senior season, and he was buried on the depth chart at Alabama. 

 

I'm sure he's giving McBeane input on whether or not to draft Jonah Williams too. Williams @ LT, Dawkins @ RT or G.

[FeelingOnYouboty]

Walked on at Alabama and made it his job. Walked on with the Bills and made it his job?

[Doc]

30 minutes ago, starrymessenger said:

I'm a little surprised he went undrafted. To me he deserved a closer look considering the circumstances, despite his borderline size/strength and 4.63 combine 40 (Denzel Ward ran in the low 3.3s). He was a zero rated recruit because he lost interest in football for awhile following a family tragedy (death of his father). He walked on at Bama and earned a scholarship while developing into a starter and their most technically sound corner (15 pass breakups his final year). I have to admit the pro football evaluators know more than I do but if the 2017 draft were held today I'm pretty confident he would not go undrafted (though I'm not sure how high he would go - 3rd? I mean there is room for improvement as far as defending the run is concerned).

 

Ward ran a 3.3!  Dang!

 

Just kidding.  Wallace ran a 4.45 40 his first run at the Combine but injured his heel and that's why he ran slower the next 2 times. 

[Foxx]

Vontae who?

[LABILLBACKER]

2 hours ago, ndirish1978 said:

He can absolutely be a viable #2 CB

Guess we don't need to be Greedy this april....

[Juice_32]

1 hour ago, whatdrought said:

I'm okay going into training camp with T. White, T. Johnson, and L. Wallace as our top 3. Bring in a vet to provide insurance (Ej Gaines back would be awesome) and we're good to go. 

 

I know he is always hurt but I'd have no issue at all putting EJ Gaines back in the mix. Even if he is a 4th or 5th guy, you could do a lot worse.

[starrymessenger]

24 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Ward ran a 3.3!  Dang!

 

Just kidding.  Wallace ran a 4.45 40 his first run at the Combine but injured his heel and that's why he ran slower the next 2 times. 

 

Yeah. 4.32. Thanks. 4.45 makes me feel a lot better. And 180lbs/6' is fine if a corner is skilled like he is. His run support must have been pretty suspect for him to go undrafted.

Edited January 2, 2019 by starrymessenger

[whatdrought]

16 minutes ago, Juice_32 said:

 

I know he is always hurt but I'd have no issue at all putting EJ Gaines back in the mix. Even if he is a 4th or 5th guy, you could do a lot worse.

 

I think it would be good for us and for him. He gets to be somewhere that isn’t relying on him, where he knows the system and has had success, and we get a good vet presence for cheap who can rotate/be a reserve. 

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

I keep seeing people saying we need another corner. I just can’t understand that. We have a great corner that is in year 2 and 2 of the 5 best rookie corners in the nfl. We might be set there for 10 years.

[Big Turk]

3 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

Both UDFA's from Alabama had great finishes to the season...Foster led all rookie WR's in receiving yards after week 10, and finished 15th out of ALL WR's(rookie or not) during that timeframe despite the fact that some had played in 8 games due to us having a late bye.

 

Moral of the story?  If you are going to sign UDFA's, make sure they are from Alabama.

 

 

[BuffaloBill]

3 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

 

Impressive

[YoloinOhio]

 

 

3) Levi Wallace was the best player on the field
- If the Bills were looking for some of their young players to give them a reason not to go chasing after a potential starter at their position, they had to be happy while watching undrafted rookie cornerback Levi Wallace. For the young, former practice squad cornerback, Wallace made a statement with his performance against the Dolphins. He didn't have just a good game; the rookie cornerback had a dominant one. Wallace ticked every box on Sunday as he was outstanding in run support, he was smooth in pass coverage and made Tannehill look for another target several times, and he even broke up a pair of passes in high-pressure areas. The best rep from Wallace that I saw in pass coverage was on his first pass breakup near the end zone, where the receiver tried to get the rookie to bite on a fake curl route. All the cornerback did was read the receiver like a book, and he didn't even come close to hesitating in running with him the rest of the way and finished the play by batting it down to the turf. In seven games, Wallace has been as pleasant a surprise as wide receiver Robert Foster. With his statement performance on Sunday, I think there's a chance the Bills might feel fairly content about the state of their top three cornerbacks in Wallace, Tre'Davious White, and Taron Johnson heading into next season. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bills added a veteran cornerback to keep Wallace honest in the spring and summer, but the undrafted rookie flashed long-term potential in all of his starts. If he gets a little stronger, he has every opportunity to be an outright steal of an undrafted player -- just as he was as a walk-on at Alabama.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

McDermott is a witch when it comes to maximizing the play of DBs.

 

[JerseyBills]

8 hours ago, WMDman said:

What a find by Beane

And Taron . That secondary is young and can grow to be super elite. Hyde/Poyer are as good a S tandem as you can get. That's how u rebuild baby

[Beast]

I love our CB’s and hope we continue to add a good one this spring. The Bills are going to be tough as hell to pass the ball on for years to come as these young CB’s and LBers gain experience.

Edited January 3, 2019 by Binghamton Beast

[PolishDave]

Did you guys forget that first Miami game?   They ran his way often which contributed a lot to MIami's rushing stats.   Cornerbacks shouldn't be trying to catch running backs from behind when the ball is ran at them.

 

And that wasn't the only bad game he had.      My sense is - if the entire defense was kept in place as it is right now - Wallace would be the weakest link on it.

 

This guy was often responsible for big plays given up on defense.    I suspect the Bills will add talent here and make him earn a starting spot next year.    

 

Right now the dude is flat out - not good enough.  Just my opinion.   One of many holes to fill.

[Bfanlc]

22 minutes ago, PolishDave said:

Did you guys forget that first Miami game?   They ran his way often which contributed a lot to MIami's rushing stats.   Cornerbacks shouldn't be trying to catch running backs from behind when the ball is ran at them.

 

And that wasn't the only bad game he had.      My sense is - if the entire defense was kept in place as it is right now - Wallace would be the weakest link on it.

 

This guy was often responsible for big plays given up on defense.    I suspect the Bills will add talent here and make him earn a starting spot next year.    

 

Right now the dude is flat out - not good enough.  Just my opinion.   One of many holes to fill.

Do you think perhaps that maybe it was just a rookie getting his feet under him so to speak? You look at the first Miami game to make your points but don't want to use the second one to give him any credit. 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

10 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

McD is the CB whisperer

 

 

[JerseyBills]

It was only in July of 2017 that we thought we'd have one of the worse secondaries in the league. Amazing work by this staff

#TrustTheProcess

[34-78-83]

those that think hes a poor tackler should be very encouraged by his game vs. Miami. Surely a good sign.

[MJS]

Great to see. Heck of an undrafted class we had this year.

 

We still need to bring in a corner or two in free agency or the draft. We need depth.

 

But there are definitely bigger fish to fry on this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

[GunnerBill]

18 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

He had a much better game in Week 17 - finally displayed a willingness to get his hands dirty and tackle.  Same with Edmunds for that matter.  Still need to upgrade the position in 2019.  Wallace is a nice, capable reserve but not yet a solution at the #2 CB spot.

 

So I'm kind of here.... in that I don't think he should be handed the #2 CB job next year. They should bring in legitimate competition (not a guy verging on retirement and Philip freaking Gaines) and let them battle it out. But if Wallace legitimately wins that competition I have no problem him being a starter in 2019. His understanding of route concepts and break points is absolutely excellent from a rookie CB in this league let alone an UDFA who has a legitimate deficiency in terms of speed. Probably shouldn't be a surprise though..... Nick Saban is at heart a frustrated defensive backs coach acting as a Head Coach. His guys always come out prepared.

[BobbyC81]

18 hours ago, Magox said:

 

 

Another great find from Beane and co.   

 

Foster and Wallace appear to be staples of this organization moving forward.

 

Playing for Alabama didn’t hurt 

[GunnerBill]

16 minutes ago, LittleJoeCartwright said:

 

Playing for Alabama didn’t hurt 

 

And also before we give Beane too much credit for Wallace and Foster can we remember he risked losing them both to select his buddy's son in the 7th? On his third practice squad now bless him.  ?

[BigBuff423]

Between Wallace and T. Johnson, I'd say the Bills scouts and coaching staff are nailing this DB thing. Additionally, Foster just put it all together and it adds credence to Beane's ability, with a tremendous amount of help from his scouting staff and personnel people, to unearth talent that goes unnoticed by many. Btw, for those who say, "Who cares about 4th and 5th Round Draft picks, they don't mean anything", please review Milano and T. Johnson (before their injuries) - in consecutive years folks, and try to convince me that the right FO and staff can't find talent ANYWHERE in the Draft. 

 

Add in Wallace and Foster, and you could make the argument that it can be found eve AFTER the Draft when scouted and coached properly.

[Doc]

6 hours ago, MJS said:

Great to see. Heck of an undrafted class we had this year.

 

We still need to bring in a corner or two in free agency or the draft. We need depth.

 

But there are definitely bigger fish to fry on this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

 

They'll be able to find depth at CB.  Not a concern.

 

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

So I'm kind of here.... in that I don't think he should be handed the #2 CB job next year. They should bring in legitimate competition (not a guy verging on retirement and Philip freaking Gaines) and let them battle it out. But if Wallace legitimately wins that competition I have no problem him being a starter in 2019. His understanding of route concepts and break points is absolutely excellent from a rookie CB in this league let alone an UDFA who has a legitimate deficiency in terms of speed. Probably shouldn't be a surprise though..... Nick Saban is at heart a frustrated defensive backs coach acting as a Head Coach. His guys always come out prepared.

 

Seeing as how Wallace was given nothing and worked his way into the starting lineup, he's earned the right to be the #2 CB going into the off-season and unless/until he loses it.  It's up to him to work hard in the off-season but I wouldn't spend money in FA or a high draft pick on a CB.

[NewEraBills]

19 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

Just not true.  I don't know how PFF came up with its ranking but Denzel Ward was an incredible player for Cleveland this year - when he was healthy he was borderline dominant.  Levi was a nice add but his unwillingness to tackle was a serious problem for long stretches of multiple games.  I would be saying the same thing if he was drafted in Round 1, it doesn't matter to me, I saw a guy playing with very little functional strength and horrible tackling technique.  

 

While I agree on the tackling, my argument would be he showed 1) He has good coverage skills; 2) he knows how to use his length to disrupt passes.  3)  He showed good press technique at the line of scrimmage; 4)  He showed he can track the football while staying with the WR; 5)  He showed understanding of the scheme.  Now with all of that, to me, that's the making of a starting CB.  You are right on what you've pointed out.  With so many positives though, I'd hesitate to throw the kid out of there for someone else.  To me, what you point out is something he has to grow into.  If that's all he has to grow in to, why would I be in a hurry to get rid of him or to have him on the bench?  I certainly think we should take a corner at some point in the draft just for the sake of competition and the fact that you can never have too many DBs in a passing league.  Your indictment though seems to not even consider the positive dimensions of the guys game.  Functional strength can be gathered in the offseason, eating, lifting and training program.  He can also work on his tackling technique.

[GunnerBill]

5 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Seeing as how Wallace was given nothing and worked his way into the starting lineup, he's earned the right to be the #2 CB going into the off-season and unless/until he loses it.  It's up to him to work hard in the off-season but I wouldn't spend money in FA or a high draft pick on a CB.

 

I'm not suggesting a big FA deal by any means - someone in that $2.5m a year for 2 years type range. We need depth at the position in any event. So you sign someone of that ilk, you make he and Wallace compete, winner of the competition starts and the loser is your primary outside corner depth. I am perfectly fine with Wallace starting if he wins out, and he would start with an edge because he has been in the scheme a year and has chemistry with the other starters. I just don't think as yet he has done enough to make me want to hand him the job on a plate.

40 minutes ago, NewEraBills said:

 

While I agree on the tackling, my argument would be he showed 1) He has good coverage skills; 2) he knows how to use his length to disrupt passes.  3)  He showed good press technique at the line of scrimmage; 4)  He showed he can track the football while staying with the WR; 5)  He showed understanding of the scheme.  Now with all of that, to me, that's the making of a starting CB.  You are right on what you've pointed out.  With so many positives though, I'd hesitate to throw the kid out of there for someone else.  To me, what you point out is something he has to grow into.  If that's all he has to grow in to, why would I be in a hurry to get rid of him or to have him on the bench?  I certainly think we should take a corner at some point in the draft just for the sake of competition and the fact that you can never have too many DBs in a passing league.  Your indictment though seems to not even consider the positive dimensions of the guys game.  Functional strength can be gathered in the offseason, eating, lifting and training program.  He can also work on his tackling technique.

 

Completely agree with you that there are plenty of positives to outweigh some areas for development.

[Doc]

15 minutes ago, NewEraBills said:

While I agree on the tackling, my argument would be he showed 1) He has good coverage skills; 2) he knows how to use his length to disrupt passes.  3)  He showed good press technique at the line of scrimmage; 4)  He showed he can track the football while staying with the WR; 5)  He showed understanding of the scheme.  Now with all of that, to me, that's the making of a starting CB.  You are right on what you've pointed out.  With so many positives though, I'd hesitate to throw the kid out of there for someone else.  To me, what you point out is something he has to grow into.  If that's all he has to grow in to, why would I be in a hurry to get rid of him or to have him on the bench?  I certainly think we should take a corner at some point in the draft just for the sake of competition and the fact that you can never have too many DBs in a passing league.  Your indictment though seems to not even consider the positive dimensions of the guys game.  Functional strength can be gathered in the offseason, eating, lifting and training program.  He can also work on his tackling technique.

 

Whether Wallace is #1, 2 or 3 according to PFF doesn't matter to me so much as the fact that he played well.  Just like I don't care that Tre didn't make the Pro Bowl. 

6 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

I'm not suggesting a big FA deal by any means - someone in that $2.5m a year for 2 years type range. We need depth at the position in any event. So you sign someone of that ilk, you make he and Wallace compete, winner of the competition starts and the loser is your primary outside corner depth. I am perfectly fine with Wallace starting if he wins out, and he would start with an edge because he has been in the scheme a year and has chemistry with the other starters. I just don't think as yet he has done enough to make me want to hand him the job on a plate.

 

I have no problem trying to improve depth and competition.  And if they can bring in a guy for $2.5M/year and he can beat-out Wallace, so much the better.

[SCBills]

Sooo.... this past Draft/UDFA produced as follows:

 

Josh Allen

Tremaine Edmunds

Taron Johnson

Wyatt Teller

Levi Wallace

Robert Foster

 

My goodness....

[YoloinOhio]

FYI... 

McCourty is a FA. Not sure if pats will bring back though his brother is there. Also, congrats Gilly (see how classy I am)

 

 

[Magox]

3 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

FYI... 

McCourty is a FA. Not sure if pats will bring back though his brother is there. Also, congrats Gilly (see how classy I am)

 

 

Stephon had a great year.

 

Always has been a good DB.  I think the dislike from him comes that he comes off as if he is disinterested at times and rarely owns up to any mistakes that he commits.  When you combine that with a franchise that loses often, the two just dont mix well.

[BringBackFlutie]

On 1/2/2019 at 1:13 PM, Logic said:

Fully agree. Take a corner every year. EVERY YEAR. No matter what.

But boy, it sure is nice to go into the offseason with one less PRESSING need. Lord knows there's lots of work to do on offense without having to worry about finding a bona fide #2 corner.

 

Yes.  Every year.  For all of his failings, Buddy had some really solid fundamental views of building a team.

 

And I totally agree- the need for a second corner was sort of a damper when we have so many other holes to fill on the O-line.  It was particularly demotivating to realize that corner position was one of those classic Billsy glass-with-a-hole-in-the-bottom situations.  I think we really got lucky with Wallace.  

Edited January 3, 2019 by BringBackFlutie

[BisonMan]

Somebody ask Dion Sanders how important “good tackling technique” is for an NFL cornerback. He couldn’t tackle a guy who fell down in front of him! 

[2003Contenders]

3 hours ago, SCBills said:

Sooo.... this past Draft/UDFA produced as follows:

 

Josh Allen

Tremaine Edmunds

Taron Johnson

Wyatt Teller

Levi Wallace

Robert Foster

 

My goodness....

 

And this doesn't even count H. Phillips, whom I think (hope) will improve in his 2nd season.

[BADOLBILZ]

On 1/2/2019 at 11:52 AM, Coach Tuesday said:

He had a much better game in Week 17 - finally displayed a willingness to get his hands dirty and tackle.  Same with Edmunds for that matter.  Still need to upgrade the position in 2019.  Wallace is a nice, capable reserve but not yet a solution at the #2 CB spot.

 

 

Actually it was like someone cussed him out at halftime of the New England game and he came out mad as hell against the run and sustained it all game versus Miami.

 

His coverage has always been good but he'd been getting outmuscled by receivers on contested throws and trounced in the run game. 

 

Looking forward to what he can do with an offseason of NFL strength and conditioning............but I agree it's a mistake to ink he......or Foster.......in as starters.   Gotta' bring in competition at those positions.

 

It was great to finish on such a high note but we've seen STRONG finishes time and again that didn't accurately portend things to come............like the home finales of 2015 and 2016 where the Bills knocked the talented Jets out of the playoffs with Tyrod/Sammy closing Revis island for good and then the setting of a franchise record for offensive yardage against Miami(that Dan Carpenter cost them) the following season.

 

The combination of one teams elation and the others despair/indifference leads to these crazy lopsided finale finishes.    

[Punching Bag]

On 1/2/2019 at 1:08 PM, YoloinOhio said:

I’m pretty sure UDFAs do get bonuses at the end of the year based on playing time and performance. Part of the CBA I believe. I recall Seantrel Henderson getting a nice check after his rookie year here. 

 

That is out of a pool for entire NFL and how much you are being paid is a factor.