Sep 12, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram (46) runs the ball for a touchdown after intercepting a pass from Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Bobby Babich provides details on Bills' players who could replace Tre'Davious White

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Alex Brasky | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 6:44 AM ET

If Buffalo Bills' cornerback Tre’Davious White (groin) is to miss Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, the top option to replace him remains unclear.

But rookie Dorian Strong and Ja’Marcus Ingram are at the top of the list of candidates.

White missed practice for the second straight day on Thursday, leaving his status for the Week 1 matchup against the Ravens in doubt. Before Thursday’s session, defensive coordinator Bobby Babich provided an inside look at how the team views both Strong in his first professional season and Ingram, a player who has been around the team the past few seasons.

“Dorian, the improvement over the last two weeks has been unbelievable,” said Babich.

The Bills' defensive coordinator mentioned Strong’s time on task as something that has helped him overcome some rookie jitters he may have experienced early during training camp.

“It’s a confidence thing,” said Babich. “When you first get in the league, you’re trying to fit in and see how you fit in. You’re trying to learn a new scheme, you’re trying to learn all of these things.”

Since the early days at St. John Fisher, Babich has seen Strong bloom into a player who the team feels is ready to assume a starting role if White is indeed to miss the Bills’ season opener.

“A lot of aspects of his game (have improved),” said Babich. “The talent was there. It was a little bit, if you wanna say, unstructured. But the attention to detail. Some of the fundamentals that we use, he has come a long way.”

When asked about Ingram, Babich described the fourth-year pro as an under-the-radar talent who has become valuable to the Bills over the course of his young career.

“He kind of just lays in the weeds, and then you’re like, ‘dang dude, that guy had a good practice,’” said the Bills DC on Ingram. “He does the little things right, and he’s competitive. And it’s cool to see his growth.”

Ingram appeared in all 17 games plus the playoffs last season for the Bills, who used him as a versatile piece in the secondary. Strong is more restricted to a potential role as an outside cornerback, but if White is out, that’s precisely what Buffalo may need come Sunday.

There’s a chance we may see both Ingram and Strong line up opposite Christian Benford (groin), who returned to full participation during Thursday’s practice, in some sort of rotation. Early in his career, Benford rotated in and out of the lineup with former first-round pick Kaiir Elam.

In any event, the Bills feel comfortable that they have two adequate options who are capable of stepping in and being the next men up in the case that White is out against the Ravens.