91 Buffalo Bills Players in 91 Days: CB Daequan Hardy

The Buffalo Bills overhauled their defensive lineup this summer. They lost three veterans, all former All-Pros, in cornerback Tre’Davious White and safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. With all three players having suffered multiple injuries in recent years and being past or nearing 30, it was only a matter of time before the group broke up.

General manager Brandon Beane made the difficult decision to part ways with all three players at once, and while it may be painful in the short term, he and the Bills are counting on it paying off in the years to come. By bringing in younger players, the team can ensure they have a group on the roster that learns the system and grows together. There will likely be some mental mistakes early on, but hopefully the added athleticism and physicality of the younger players will mitigate the impact of those mistakes.

In today’s edition of “91 Players in 91 Days,” we’re going to talk about a rookie in the defensive secondary who isn’t likely to take over for any of the three veterans mentioned above. He’s someone who does, however, have the potential to make an impact in his rookie season.

Daequan Hardy

• Number: 25
• Position: CB
• Size weight: 5’9”, 178 lbs
• Age: 23 (24 on 06/13/2025)
• Experience/Draft: R; selected by the Bills in the sixth round (219th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft
• College: Pennsylvania State University
• Acquired: Sixth round draft pick

Financial situation (according to Spotrac): Hardy is entering the first year of his rookie contract, a four-year deal worth $4,158,388. For the 2024 season, Hardy will have a salary cap hit of $829,597 if he joins the team. Buffalo will assume his entire contract guarantee, $138,388, as a salary cap charge if he is released.

2023 Recap: Hardy made a huge impact for the Nittany Lions last season, both on defense and as a punt returner. He played in 11 games, including two as a starter on defense. He set a career high in tackles, finishing with 22 on the year. He also tied his career highs in tackles for loss (3), interceptions (2), sacks (1) and passes deflected (7).

As a punt returner, he averaged 14.6 yards per return on 14 attempts, scoring two touchdowns to boot. He tied the school record for most punt return touchdowns with his efforts this season alone. He was named second-team All-America as a return specialist by CBS Sports. He was also voted second-team All-Big Ten by the conference’s coaches for his efforts as a returner, but he also earned third-team All-Big Ten honors as a cornerback in the same coaches’ poll.

Hardy was invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, where he tested quite well. He ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, jumped 42.5 inches in the vertical jump, and showed off a 10’6″ broad jump. Only four corners at the combine ran a faster 40 than Hardy, and no corner beat him in the vertical jump test.

Positional perspectives: Hardy is limited by his size to being a cornerback only at this level, and the Bills have two players ahead of him in Taron Johnson and Cam Lewis who have been with the team for a while. Johnson is also among the best cornerbacks in the NFL. As a punt returner, he will likely be in the running for top reps.

Off-season 2024: Hardy is healthy and participating in off-season activities. He is in training camp.

Outlook for the 2024 season: Hardy’s role this season isn’t hard to determine: If he’s going to be on the team, he’ll have to do so as the primary punt returner. Buffalo should likely keep at least three boundary corners in addition to the two slot players mentioned above (Rasul Douglas, Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford are safe bets), and they’ll likely keep a fourth in either Ja’Marcus Ingram or Dee Delaney.

Will Hardy do enough to return punts so the team keeps seven cornerbacks on the roster? I think he will, but Hardy is by no means a guarantee of making the roster. It will be a bonus if he proves he’s worthy on defense when given some reps this preseason as well.

Johnson and Lewis will both be 30 or so when their respective contracts expire, so if the Bills view Hardy as a potential long-term option in the slot, that gives him a better chance of making the team this year. He’s a guy who’s squarely on the bubble, as I’d imagine he’s somewhere between 51st and 55th in camp in terms of “who makes the team.” How he performs throughout the summer will determine his fate.