The Buffalo Bills lost plenty of defensive backs during the 2024 offseason.
Safety Jordan Poyer is now on the Miami Dolphins. Cornerback Tre’Davious White jumped cross-country to the Los Angeles Rams. Micah Hyde could very well not return to the safety position, either.
But they’ve got Christian Benford and NFL.com likes that.
The league’s website named every team’s most-underrated player. For the Bills, Benford was the pick.
With Rasul Douglas as the presumed top cornerback on the Buffalo defense, Benford often appears to be overlooked. Realistically, Benford’s skill likely made the Bills feel like releasing White wouldn’t be the end of the world. Benford can play.
Here’s NFL.com’s breakdown on Benford:
In the 2022 NFL Draft, Buffalo spent its first-round pick on pedigreed Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam. Two days, five rounds and 162 picks later, the Bills went back to the corner well, this time selecting a far less heralded prospect out of FCS program Villanova. Shockingly, Benford promptly proceeded to beat out Elam for a starting CB spot in Year 1, though injuries abbreviated his rookie campaign. In Year 2, Benford fully broke out, starting 14 games and posting a top-10 PFF grade among qualified cornerbacks. With offseason attrition across Buffalo’s secondary, the Bills will rely on this former Day 3 steal to play a critical role in Sean McDermott’s defense.