NFL
By: Randall Slifer
Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills completed a deal before the deadline to land Amani Hooker from the Tennessee Titans. The free safety is playing in his 8th season and was the 116th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Buffalo Bills sent a 2nd-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft for Amani Hooker and a 5th-round pick. The trade market over the past two years has been more random, so discussing the value of this trade is moot.
Buffalo needed a free safety next to Cole Bishop. It was an addition by subtraction: cutting Chris Gardner-Johnson elevated Cole Bishop’s play on the field. Damar Hamlin grounded Cole Bishop, but there is room for improvement past Damar Hamlin. His role will not be cut, as Buffalo is one of the highest dime coverage rates in the NFL. Cover 3 will be used frequently so Damar gets his reps. Amani Hooker is the smart free safety who can allow Cole Bishop to play near the line of scrimmage.
Let’s take a look at Amani Hooker and what impact he can make on this team:
Amani Hooker – Iowa Hawkeyes – Tennessee Titans – Buffalo Bills
5’11 210lb
4.48 forty-yard dash – 1.54 10-yard split
37″ vertical, 10’03” broad jump, 4.10 shuttle, 6.81 3-cone
9.10/10.00 Relative Athletic Score
Tied for 1st in INT (5) – 5 solo tackles per game with a 12% missed tackle rate
Brandon Beane mentioned that Amani Hooker is that Micah Hyde type role back in Buffalo. The Jordan Poyer-and-Micah Hyde connection is something Bills Mafia has been looking for since they split. Both Bishop and Hooker play well all over the field, except Bishop does best in the box while Hooker plays well in centerfield.
Jim Leonhard now has two safeties, which lets him open his playbook. When a defensive coordinator knows he has the last line of defense grounded, you can take risks elsewhere. Jim Leonhard played safety in the NFL (and for Buffalo), and Leonhard was more of an Amani Hooker style than a Cole Bishop. Leonhard can implement his strategies based on his experience, while letting Cole Bishop be the hard-hitting, athletic safety he can be in the NFL.
Does this move solidify the defense? I believe it does. The linebackers have caught up to the system, and the missing link was the safety next to Bishop. The Buffalo Defense is now in the middle of the pack in terms of rankings after playing the Ravens and Vikings. They took advantage of playing Fagnano and Wentz, but it was questionable whether they could stay in the middle while facing better quarterbacks. Amani Hooker is that ticket to stay a 12th-15th-ranked defense while having the best offense in the NFL. That is capable of winning a Super Bowl. As always, Go Bills.
