Daequan Hardy, CB, Penn State

We don’t know how the Steelers missed Hardy; the Pittsburgh native played 7-on-7 football as a child with Joey Porter Jr. and Mike Tomlin’s son, Dino. Either way, a Bills secondary that has aged overnight will benefit from Hardy’s presence. Last season for the Nittany Lions, Hardy allowed 26 catches on 48 targets for 318 yards, 164 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, five assists and an opposing passer rating of 71.4. Not bad for a player selected 219th overall in the sixth round.

At 5′ 9⅜” and 178 pounds and a wingspan that has been in the top percentile of cornerbacks since 1999, Hardy is absolutely a slot defender at the NFL level, but he has the potential to be a good one.

The Bills secondary aged very quickly, and now it’s time to start again. Sixth-round CB Daequan Hardy projects well as a slot-outside guy who is a real pest in press and game coverage. Had three assists against Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/lHc0td0bC5

– Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 1, 2024