The Buffalo Bills traded a second-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for safety Amani Hooker, receiving a fifth-round pick in return. The move adds an experienced defender to a secondary the team had been expected to reinforce.
Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said Buffalo plans to take advantage of Hooker’s versatility. The safety can contribute in coverage, near the line of scrimmage and in run support—a range of skills Leonhard believes can strengthen the defense alongside Cole Bishop.
“He can play in space, he can play down by the box, he covers, he tackles, you know, he finds a football,” Leonhard said. “So I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. I think he makes his defense better.”
Leonhard said he had followed Hooker since their overlapping years in the Big Ten, where their teams were rivals, and had continued to watch his development in the NFL. He described Hooker as a complete safety.
Hooker’s arrival could help bring together a Bills defense that has playmakers at multiple levels. Buffalo has generated quarterback pressure on slightly more than 40% of opposing dropbacks. The Vikings’ rate was 48.2%, while the Jaguars ranked next at 44%.
Hooker said he expected to be ready for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. He noted that the defensive concepts are largely familiar and that he can learn the team’s specific details. Buffalo had been starting Damar Hamlin after parting ways with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Hamlin could continue to see playing time while Hooker gets up to speed.
