🧨 “He’s Still THAT Guy” — Early Sean McDermott Draft Pick Stuns NFL by Cracking Top 10 List
Buffalo, NY — While much of the NFL world is fixated on the new stars rising up draft boards and highlight reels, a familiar face from the early days of the Sean McDermott era just made a massive statement.
In a recent ESPN poll of NFL executives, scouts, and coaches, one of McDermott’s first-ever draft picks — cornerback Tre’Davious White — was named a Top 10 CB in the NFL, despite injury setbacks and a changing defensive landscape in Buffalo.
“He’s still elite when healthy — and people around the league know it,” one AFC scout said.
⏪ Drafted in 2017. Still Earning Respect in 2025.
Tre’Davious White was the 27th overall pick in 2017, handpicked by McDermott as the defensive cornerstone of his first full draft class.
Since then?
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2× Pro Bowl selections
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All-Pro honors in 2019
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Lockdown performances vs. elite WRs
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Leader of the secondary during Buffalo’s rise to AFC relevance
But injuries — including a torn ACL in 2021 and a torn Achilles in 2023 — threatened to derail his trajectory.
Yet even with those setbacks, NFL evaluators still see him as one of the best at his position heading into 2025.
💬 League Insiders Still Fear Him
The ESPN survey polled over 80 anonymous NFL insiders. What stood out most?
“He’s one of the smartest corners in the league.
Even when he loses a step, he beats you with anticipation.”
“Physical. Instinctual. Always where he needs to be.”
Even with Buffalo’s defense transitioning post-Leslie Frazier and welcoming a new generation of DBs, White is still seen as a stabilizing force — and possibly the key to a Super Bowl-caliber defense if he returns to form.
🧠 What This Means for the Bills in 2025
With Kaiir Elam, Christian Benford, and Taron Johnson forming a new-look DB group, White’s leadership and top-tier coverage could be the x-factor in big games.
And with McDermott now calling defensive plays himself, don’t be surprised if Tre’Davious becomes the centerpiece of a much more aggressive secondary.
The fact that he’s still earning national respect after two major injuries?
That speaks volumes — not just about his talent, but about his resilience.
✅ Final Thought:
Tre’Davious White isn’t just one of McDermott’s first draft picks —
He might still be one of his best.
As the Bills reload for another playoff push, it’s poetic that one of their original leaders is still among the league’s elite — and not done proving it.
