Heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills addressed a lot of needs in free agency on the offensive side of the ball. And, understandably so.

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott are right in trying to and find a supporting cast to help quarterback Josh Allen after his encouraging rookie campaign.

On defense, replacing defensive tackle Kyle Williams and building a pass rush seems like a focus for many fans and pundits alike. With defensive ends Shaq Lawson and Jerry Hughes futures in doubt, it’s not a secret addressing the defensive line is high on the priority list come at the draft later this month.

In the secondary, Beane signed Kevin Johnson to compete with Levi Wallace for the other cornerback position opposite of Tre’Davious White. E.J. Gaines returns to help push Taron Johnson in the slot and provide more corner depth.

How about the safety spot?

There has been very little discussion about the position because of the Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer tandem. Both players have been consistent, durable and performing at a very high level for the club since joining the team in 2017. Poyer is set to become a UFA after next season while Hyde is signed through 2021.

The pair have done such a good job locking down the back end of the defense, questioning the position’s future may seem like a futile exercise. And for this season, maybe so.

But this is the NFL, where one year can change on a dime and good GMs need to forecast the roster makeup several years ahead.

In 2018—in terms of yards allowed—the Bills’ defense ranked second, only trailing the Baltimore Ravens, a team who spends in its secondary.

It is not crazy to declare the Bills as the team with the best value secondary in the league, especially when you consider White, Wallace, Taron Johnson are all playing on rookie contracts. Those starting players combined with the shrewd signings of Poyer and Hyde make up a solid and inexpensive secondary.

Buffalo ranks in the bottom-10 of the league (8th) of money spent in the defensive backfield. That will likely change in the very near future.

All indications are that Poyer and Hyde are happy with their contracts and roles on the team, but there are multiple scenarios Beane needs to monitor at the safety position:

1.) Poyer and/ or Hyde could suffer an injury

Knock on wood this doesn’t happen, but in this scenario one can’t be sure the team is equipped with players to step in and ensure the team doesn’t skip a beat. Dean Marlowe and Siran Neal are inexperienced. Rafael Bush, while playing decent at times last season, is not a reliable starter over the course of several games. A significant injury to either one of these players and the Bills are in trouble.

2.) Poyer and/or Hyde play at a Pro Bowl or All-Pro level

In this scenario, the Bills could very likley be a playoff team. Certainly, this is the preferred scenario. If this were to unfold, however, is the team equipped to pony up more dollars? At that point, you would have to start wondering if the contracts reflect a value and require a new deal. While Beane is likely setting aside money for White, he has to consider the safeties as well.

3. Poyer and/or Hyde regress

Both players are veterans and each season that passes wears out more tread on their tires. You would expect both to play at a high level, but in the event one or both take a step back in performance, is it time for the Bills in this draft to start working on a contingency plan sooner rather than later? Drafting Neal a year ago may have been the start, but he’s still an unproven flier.

On the surface, and in the short-term, the starting safety positions appear to be in good shape for 2018—but it’s a position to watch and a potential sneaky need in this draft.

Safety depth isn’t one to write home about nor is worrying about Poyer and Hyde’s ability to maintain this level of durability and performance.

But all good things eventually come to an end (or at least change), so when and how will Beane mold that position going forward is anyone’s guess.