Former Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy signs rookie contract with Buffalo Bills

The last State of Pennsylvania NFL entrants continue to take the next steps in their football careers. Former Nittany Lions cornerback Daequan Hardy was the latest when he signed his rookie contract with the Buffalo Billsthe franchise announced Tuesday.

Hardy was one of eight Penn State players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft in late April. The Bills selected him 219th overall in the sixth round of the draft.

The Bills did not disclose terms of Hardy’s deal, but he is expected to be worth $4,141,197 over four seasons with a signing bonus of $121,197, according to Spotrac.

Hardy is the latest former Nittany Lion to sign his rookie contract. Offensive lineman Caedan Wallace signed his with the New England Patriots last week, as offensive lineman Olu Fashanuwho was the No. 11 overall pick, signed with the New York Jets last month.

Hardy entered the NFL after five seasons at Penn State that saw him become a reliable cornerback and dangerous punt returner. During his redshirt senior season, Hardy earned All-Big Ten recognition at both spots.

As a defender, Hardy finished the season with 22 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and a team-high seven assists. As a punt returner, Hardy averaged 14.59 yards per return and recovered two for touchdowns in a blowout win over UMass in October. Hardy had never returned a punt in a college game until that day.

Since 2000, he has been one of only two players in the Big Ten to score on multiple punts in a single contest.

“I’m just trying to step on the gas and try to get to that white line,” Hardy said afterward of his punt return approach.

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Although concerns about his size have followed him since high school, the 5-foot-9, 178-pound Hardy displayed speed, athleticism and toughness throughout his football career. He ran the 40 in 4.38 seconds at the 2024 NFL Combine, and he added a 42.5-inch vertical jump for good measure. During his Nittany Lions career, he also wasn’t afraid to mix things up behind the line of scrimmage in run support.

Hardy entered the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2020 and largely held down the nickel spot over the next four seasons appearing in 48 career games. In 2023, Hardy began playing more outside to show off his versatility, and he found success, although he projects to play almost exclusively inside at the next level.

“He’s been our starting nickel for four years now,” cornerbacks coach Terry Smith said last season. “He continues to play that role for us. This year we’re playing him more on the outside as well, so he’s going to play corner. He had his interception (at Illinois) at the corner. We’re looking for a bigger role for him in that area… This guy has played a lot of football. He’s probably played more football than anyone, maybe anyone on the team, to be honest.”

Hardy joins a Bills defense featuring a veteran Taron Johnson like its top nickel corner. Johnson signed a contract extension through 2027 with the team this offseason after earning second-team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press following the 2023 season.

Fashanu, Wallace, defensive end Adisa Isaac (No. 93 in the general ranking, Baltimore Ravens), tight end Theo Johnson (No. 107, New York Giants), offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad (No. 159, Kansas City Chiefs), Hardy and cornerback King Kalen (No. 255, Green Bay Packers) have all signed their rookie contracts.

Defensive end Chop Robinson (No. 21, Miami Dolphins) remains unsigned.

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Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for Lions247 and 247Sports. He can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Daniel on X at @danieljtgallen and Instagram at @bydanieljtgallen.