Ronald Darby IN - Who's OUT?
- Aishik Lala
- Jun 1, 2015
- 3 min read
Photo: LionHeartDms
We all heard Jim Kelly say it: “With the 50th pick in the 2015 NFL draft, WE, the Buffalo Bills, select… Ronald Darby, defensive back, Florida State.” Some fans were excited about the pick. Other fans not so much. It’s easy to say that the Buffalo Bills surprised us once again by going with a rather unexpected selection. But as we know it, GM Doug Whaley has done a solid job drafting in recent years.
Some things that really stand out about Darby are his blazing speed (4.38 40 yard dash) and his athleticism. The 5’11 193 lb corner also has decent measurables and returning ability. Who does this remind us of? That’s right : Leodis McKelvin. The former 2008 first round pick’s first years in the NFL weren’t too memorable, but he was much more successful as a returner than a defensive back. He was an extremely raw athlete coming out of college, and opposing offenses took advantage of that. All signs pointed McKelvin to the bust category, when all of a sudden, late in the 2012-2013 season, he started finding his game. Now, entering his 8th NFL season, McKelvin has become one of the better corners in the league, making the Bills’ secondary with opposing lockdown cornerback Stephon Gilmore a combination to fear. McKelvin’s drastic improvement through the years is certainly something to note. Am I trying to say that the exact same thing will happen to Darby? Not necessarily. As of now it is hard to tell exactly where Darby will fit in the Bills’ cornerback rotation, but we can safely say that it’ll be behind outside corners McKelvin and Gilmore.
WIth both Corey Graham and Aaron Williams moved to safety, Darby’s potential role opens up quite a bit. So who is Darby competing with? The answer is Nickell Robey. Although only 5’8 and 23 years of age, Robey has established himself as a top 10 nickel cornerback in the league. Robey will be entering his 3rd year in the NFL which means that he still has lots of room for improvement. Expect Robey and Darby to battle it out for the nickel cornerback position along with corner Ron Brooks somewhat in the mix. Brooks will get some snaps as well, but expect his number of snaps to be significantly less than Darby’s and Robey’s. Personally, I believe that Robey still has an advantage over Darby and will be the starting nickel corner week one against Indianapolis.
If Darby won’t be starting, then why did the Bills select him with their first pick? Darby likely won’t take the starting job week one, but by no means does that mean that Darby will not have a significant role in the defense in years to come. However, Darby will need to polish up his game in the coming seasons before he is ready to take it to the next level. NFL analyst, Mike Mayock pointed out that Darby “struggled to find the ball with his back to the quarterback”, something that many defensive backs fail to do. Darby also seems to lack consistency, as he shows flashes of an elite cornerback at times, but also gets beat by the receiver quite often. Putting that aside, Darby has all the tools to become a great outside cornerback in the future given some time and proper coaching. He won’t be taking anyone’s job just yet.
Aishik Lala @DirtyShik809
Link to: Bills Fanatics FB Group
Comments