Bills HC thinks intriguing rookie CB has taken 'a step' as a returner (2024)

The Buffalo Bills have been in near constant search of a consistent special teams returner since the departure of multi-time Pro Bowler Andre Roberts following the 2020 NFL season, their solutions a carousel of, in theory, solid options who, for one reason or another, simply haven’t produced.

They deployed wide receivers Isaiah McKenzie and Marquez Stevenson in the role in 2021, with neither supplementing their respective deficiencies in the role with upside. Kick and punt return duties were split between McKenzie, Nyheim Hines, Jamison Crowder, and Khalil Shakir in 2022, and though Hines showed occasional flashes, an offseason injury caused him to miss the entire 2023 season. The team relied on free agent signee Deonte Harty to return punts and a combination of Shakir and Ty Johnson to return kicks last year, with, again, none of these players looking exceptionally dynamic.

Buffalo made a concerted effort to secure a long-term answer at returner in the 2024 offseason, selecting Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Though the team likes his defensive upside, general manager Brandon Beane told reporters following the conclusion of the draft that the prospect was drafted thanks to his returning prowess, joking that the team was set to go from “Harty to Hardy.” The former Nittany Lion was a productive returner in 2023, returning 17 punts for 248 yards and two scores in State College.

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Hardy returned one kickoff for 17 yards in the Bills’ preseason opener before being handed the proverbial ball in their recent preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, returning five punts for 63 yards. He looked like a rookie partaking in his second career game—he showed flashes of ability (breaking a second-quarter punt off for a 31-yard return) while also having occasional lapses in judgment. Head coach Sean McDermott was generally pleased with Hardy’s outing, telling reporters on Monday that there are obvious areas of his game that require improvement, but that he’s heading in the right direction.

“Daequan’s a young player, so the decision-making needs work,” McDermott said. “He knows that, I know that, so we’ve got to be intentional about exposing him to some of those situations where he has to make a tough decision under pressure, I’ll call it. I think we can improve a lot in that area, but overall, I thought he took a step in terms of, he had one good one in there, he hit it pretty good. The week before, I thought he was a little hesitant, this week, a little bit better.

“That returner piece for us on our roster is something we’ve been looking at for a few years in terms of, who can really lock that thing down? A big part of it is, who is a good decision maker who can track the ball, in particular, in our stadium where the wind tends to blow a little bit? He’ll get another opportunity this weekend, and we’re looking forward to him taking another step for us.”

Hardy being the sole returner to field a punt in the second week of the preseason perhaps suggests he has a leg up in the competition; though he didn’t return a kickoff in Week 2, he did line up as a returner on two separate kicks, suggesting that the team is confident in his ability in that area of the game, as well. Hardy is complementing his flashes as a returner with surprisingly promising defensive play; he tallied three tackles and two pass deflections against the Steelers, looking comfortable in zone coverage as he tallied 43 snaps as a wide cornerback. The 23-year-old primarily played as a nickel at Penn State, indicating that he possesses some of the positional versatility that Buffalo’s brass demonstrably values.

McDermott’s praise of the rookie wasn’t necessarily glowing, but he’s already seeing signs of growth, which is really all you can ask of a player in their debut preseason. As the sideline boss alluded to, Hardy will again have the opportunity to flash in the Bills’ preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers this Saturday.

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