Don't poke the bear.

Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde have been important pieces to one of the very best defenses in the entire league since their arrival in Buffalo.

However, last season the unit just wasn't able to stay healthy. Poyer battled with injuries throughout the season, which actually started before the season began, and Hyde was out for the year after the Bills' home opener.

Now, in a recent ESPN article, Hyde and Poyer were just disrespected on a national level, and it's actually a good thing. 

Jeremy Fowler, senior NFL national reporter, has been putting out his list of top ten players across all positions as training camp inches closer. Executives, coaches, and scouts all helped with his list and the most recent one was that of safeties across the league.

Fowler, along with those who helped vote on the list, kept Poyer and Hyde outside of the top ten. Despite that, they still managed a shoutout in the honorable mentions category.

Poyer has tallied 706 tackles, 11 sacks and 24 interceptions in his 10-year career. "You started to see some of the athleticism start to go last year, so maybe he's lost some of his ability to cover the field, but really instinctive and smart player, does everything right," an AFC scout said.

Hyde tied for the team lead in interceptions (five) and fumble recoveries (two) in 2021. "I have no idea what to expect [coming off the neck injury]," a veteran AFC scout said. "But he's always been a really good safety and a good athlete, just older and on the decline."

You may be wondering, why is Fowler's decision to have Hyde and Poyer outside of the top ten a good thing, and why is it considered a victory for the team before they play a single snap?

Confidence, and a chip on their shoulder. Despite it being in 2019, Hyde outright commented on this very topic and how it drives the unit to do even better.

"You know, I still feel we don’t get enough credit for what we’ve been able to do, we still have a chip on our shoulder" 

Plain and simple, this is going to drive the unit to push themselves to do even more on the defensive side of the ball. Hyde is back and healthy, and Poyer is here to stay after signing a new contract this season.

The pair have discussed in the past what they are able to do with a chip on their shoulder and this gives them exactly that. Buffalo loves being the underdog, but the past few seasons of dominance have taken away from the scrappy, underdog-type mentality that this team used to thrive on.

Count these men out, put them outside of the top ten, and watch them dominate this season to show the world that they both are still "him."

Bills are already being disrespected before the 2023 season starts

After yet another dominant regular season, followed by a premature exit from the postseason, the Buffalo Bills will once again have to prove doubters wrong in 2023. Although Super Bowl LVII concluded on Sunday with the Kansas City Chiefs hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, sportsbooks have already released odds for next season’s Super Bowl LVIII. The […]

Featured image via Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports