A hybrid defensive back, Williamson looks to make the roster this season
The Buffalo Bills have a history of developing unheralded defensive backs into useful players. Of late, Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson come to mind as players who found their footing with Buffalo before cashing in with sizable free-agent contracts, but even some lesser-known players have found versions of their best selves with the Bills.
Through excellent coaching in the secondary, the Bills have been able to find role players to fit their roster. However, those role players weren’t often asked to do too much, as the team also had a handful of bona fide stars like Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, and Tre’Davious White playing most of the snaps. Now that those household names are gone, however, it’s time for some of that coaching wizardry to pay even greater dividends.
In today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we discuss a former seventh-round draft choice trying to make the roster as either a corner or a safety — or perhaps both.
Kendall Williamson
- Number: 36
- Position: DB
- Height/Weight: 6’, 203 pounds
- Age: 23 (24 on 8/24/2024)
- Experience/Draft: 1; selected by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round (No. 258 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft
- College: Stanford
- Acquired: Signed reserve/futures contract with Buffalo on 1/24/2024
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Williamson signed a two-year deal with Buffalo. It’s worth a total of $1.76 million. If he makes the roster, Williamson will carry a cap hit of $797,500 for the season. If he’s released, Buffalo will carry the total amount of the guarantees on his contract ($5,000) in the form of a dead-cap charge.
2023 Recap: At his Pro Day, Williamson ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash, benched 225 pounds a total of 17 times, and leapt 38.5” in the vertical jump and 10’4” in the broad jump. After Chicago selected him with the second-to-last pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Williams spent his rookie season with the Bears, but his only in-game action came during the preseason.
Williamson played in all three of Chicago’s preseason contests, including a 24-21 loss in the preseason finale to Buffalo. Williamson was released after that contest, and after going unclaimed on waivers, he re-signed with the Bears’ practice squad. He didn’t earn a call-up during the season, and he wasn’t offered a reserve/futures contract by the team at season’s end.
Positional outlook: Williamson mostly played safety with the Cardinal, so he’d be going up against Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin, Mike Edwards, and Taylor Rapp at the least as it relates to earning a roster spot. Cam Lewis is a hybrid CB/S, as well.
2024 Offseason: Williamson has participated in offseason work, and he’s ready for training camp, which begins today.
2024 Season outlook: Williamson is a very long shot to make the roster, as I’d assume he slots in as the last safety on the roster. There’s some long-term potential, but he had a pretty nondescript college career (212 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 13 pass breakups in five seasons) and was unable to break through with the Bears last season when that squad was capital-T Terrible against the pass. Williamson is likely fighting for a spot on Buffalo’s practice squad this summer.