Most underrated Buffalo Bills: Cornerback Rasul Douglas

Sometimes, all you need is the right home in which to thrive. That was certainly the case for Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas in 2023. He started out the season with the Green Bay Packers, who traded him to Buffalo on October 31 for a 2024 third-round pick. The Bills got Douglas and a 2024 fifth-round pick in return.

It turned out to be one of the smartest moves Bills general manager Brandon Beane has made. As the Bills' defense was decimated by injuries las season, the addition of Douglas was an absolute force multiplier from the start, and once Douglas was away from Joe Barry's passive Packers defense, he could really show off his skills.

Douglas' value was apparent not only in his own coverage metrics, but in his overall effect on the Bills' defense. Per Sports Info Solutions, the Bills had a defensive passing EPA of -0.16 when Douglas was on the field, and -0.06 when he wasn't. As defensive EPA is better when it's negative, that's a pretty big deal. Buffalo's completion percentage allowed plummeted from 69.2% to 63.9% when Douglas was on the field for them, and the Bills' passing touchdown rate dropped from 3.8% to 2.8% when Douglas was in the fold.

Chances are good that Douglas can be even better for the Bills in 2024, because he's now actually had time to get into the playbook, and he understands his role in a defense that will be very different this season. Gone are safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, as well as cornerback Tre'Davious White. Douglas has the skills, as well as the veteran acumen, to be a leader now.

"Yeah, because you've got to learn everybody's position, not just what you're doing," Douglas said in June. "Like last year, I didn't know what everybody else was doing. Now I'm kind of learning what the linebackers do, what the D-line do, where I'm gonna get my help from, and things like that."