BUFFALO, N.Y. -- When Week 1 of the 2022 season rolls around, the Buffalo Bills may have neither of their Week 1 starting outside corners from last year on the field.

Last season's No. 1 defense will experience it share of change this offseason and cornerback has become one of the most significant areas of need on the roster. Tre’Davious White is recovering from a torn ACL suffered on Thanksgiving and Levi Wallace -- who won the starting job opposite White last training camp -- is set to become a free agent next week.

On top of that, cornerback is one of the areas on the roster that most lacks depth -- which was evident after White went down last season in Week 12.

In an overtime loss to the Buccaneers in Week 14, Tom Brady gashed the Bills pass defense for 363 yards. And in their season-ending defeat to the Chiefs in the playoffs, Patrick Mahomes passed for 378 yards.

Help could come from a variety of areas over the next couple of months. The Bills did not address cornerback in a significant way last year, despite the need. What are the Bills’ options for approaching the position this offseason?

On the roster

White is “on schedule” with his injury recovery and has been in the Bills’ facility rehabbing. General manager Brandon Beane noted at the scouting combine that he thinks White will want to participate in offseason practices before training camp, but that they will get him out on the field when doctors and trainers say he is ready.

“We're not going to put a timestamp on it. It's really hard to do that,” Beane said. “I don't want to put the pressure on him. I've seen it where guys, they start pressing too hard to get out there when they're not ready. So, we'll follow the doctors and all of our trainers, we'll follow their advice.”

The team does not feel there will be residual impact from the torn ACL on his future play.

Dane Jackson, now entering his third NFL season, filled in while White was injured and had a mixed performance. He allowed a 78.2 quarterback rating as the nearest defender (most on the team with at least five targets) and gave up a 75% completion percentage as the nearest defender in the team’s two playoff games. Jackson did finish the regular season with six passes defensed but hasn’t shown enough to be slotted into a starting role.

“I thought [Jackson]) really did a good job in a lot of areas and came in just after midseason and played tough,” coach Sean McDermott said last week. “He played smart, added to his level of experience, and made some really good plays. Then there's some plays that I know that he wants to work on for next season, and I'm looking forward to watching him compete coming back this year.”

The team re-signed Siran Neal to a three-year deal last month, adding some depth to the position and bringing back a core special teams player. Cam Lewis, who signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2019, is also set to return.

Free agency

Luckily for the Bills, there will be plenty of cornerback options available in free agency. The possibility of re-signing Wallace also remains, but no deal appeared imminent at the scouting combine.

The market is expected to include a variety of veterans with different skill levels. While the likes of J.C. Jackson (Patriots) and Stephon Gilmore (Panthers) may be outside the Bills’ spending capability -- the Bills have just over $1 million in salary cap space, according to Roster Management -- a short-term deal with a starting-caliber corner would make sense. Depth should also be the priority here, not necessarily finding a long-term answer.

Joe Haden (Steelers), Casey Hayward Jr. (Raiders) and Rasul Douglas (Packers) are players who could fall into that category.

“We'll definitely monitor the Levi situation, and we'll look for depth free agency if we lose him,” Beane said. “But we'll look for it anyway. We're always looking for competition. And then, yeah, we're definitely going to evaluate the corners (at the scouting combine) and try and get to know them through this process.”

Draft

Since McDermott came to Buffalo in 2017, the team has used only one pick on an outside corner in the first four rounds (White, 27th overall in 2017). Beane has never invested that high of a pick in the position. Now is the time.

Cornerback is a deep position in this year’s draft with Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta noting at the scouting combine that “it looks like you can get a corner pretty much at any point throughout the draft process.” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said there is depth in the “middle to late rounds” of the draft at the position.

With the Bills picking at No. 25, the top corners such as Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr. and Trent McDuffie will likely be off the board. McDuffie’s Washington teammate Kyler Gordon is among those who met with the Bills at the combine and said he had a “fun time.”

Picking so late in the first round means the Bills may not be able to draft a Day 1 starter, but someone who will be able to compete in training camp and then develop for the long-term.

“I think there is depth (at cornerback in the draft), but if they're true starters, it's such a passing league that you gotta have guys to defend these receivers,” Beane said. “We wouldn't hesitate if there was a good one there to trade up for that we thought, 'Man, this guy's a true difference-maker or stay there at 25.”