Sean McDermott 'fully confident' in his first-ever Bills' draft pick 'moving forward'

Despite a one-week delay, the former first-round draft pick's return to the Buffalo Bills' lineup seemingly went as planned.

A groin injury, lingering since August 21, kept cornerback Tre'Davious White sidelined during Week 1, but he was back up to a speed in time for the AFC East road test.

Lining up for the Bills for the first time since the 2023 season, veteran cornerback White started opposite of Christian Benford in the 30-10 win over the New York Jets on September 14. He was not beaten in pass coverage, and one of his three tackles dropped Jets' running back Breece Hall for a five-yard loss.

“It felt good. I was happy for Tre. He worked extremely hard to get himself back," said head coach Sean McDermott. "Felt like he was in a good spot to go, and he went out there and played well, so it was good to see."

The 30-year-old White has a special history with McDermott as the Bills' first draft choice following the head coach's hire. As a rookie, White started all 16 games for the 2017 team that ended the franchise's 17-year postseason drought.

After two devastating injuries, the Bills made White a salary cap casualty following the 2023 season. He spent the 2024 campaign with the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens before re-signing with Buffalo on a prove-it contract this past spring.

Tre White — Sep 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) reacts against the New York Jets during the first half | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In his first game back, White logged 26 defensive reps. With the Bills in complete control, he was summoned for only 55 percent of snaps, but that is likely the right approach with a Thursday Night Football game next on the docket. In another positive development, the grizzled veteran no longer appeared on the injury report when it was released Monday afternoon.

"We look forward to seeing how that goes moving forward and fully confident in Tre," said McDermott as White will continue to lock down the CB2 spot when the Miami Dolphins visit Highmark Stadium on September 18.

With first-round rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston still on Injured Reserve, White looks like the starter for the foreseeable future.

While sixth-round rookie cornerback Dorian Strong showed some positives in the season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens, there's no doubt that White's experience offers a different comfort level for McDermott.

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