The Bills have one lockdown cornerback on the outside, one lockdown player on the inside, and a whole lot of questions elsewhere
For the duration of head coach Sean McDermott’s tenure with the Buffalo Bills, the team has had strong play in the defensive secondary. Whether it was the fantastic safety duo of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde or the lockdown status of cornerback Tre’Davious White, the Bills have had excellent work in the back end to execute the team’s complex coverage disguises.
However, you may have noticed something about the three names listed above: none of them are with the team anymore. It’s a new era in Buffalo Bills defensive football, and while the 2024 season ended in the same frustrating fashion as so many seasons before, the moves on the coaching staff this offseason signal a new direction for the club.
In today’s examination of the state of the Buffalo Bills roster, we discuss the cornerbacks, a positional group with two players locked into major roles, but with plenty of questions moving forward this offseason.
Christian Benford
Contract Status for 2025: Signed; final year of four-year rookie contract worth $3,854,276 overall ($3,262,569 cap hit; $48,569 dead cap hit if released; 1.19% of total team cap)
Age: 24 (25 on 9/21/2025)
Playing Time: 15 games (15 starts), 933 defensive snaps (84.51% of team total), 34 special teams snaps (7.62% of team total)
Key Statistics: 64 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 INTs, 10 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 sack, 1 QB hit
Buffalo’s best corner was elite, and while he didn’t earn a Pro Bowl nod or an All-Pro designation, he did earn a vote for Defensive Player of the Year. Benford has far outplayed his rookie contract, as the sixth-round pick from Villanova has outshined another player who was picked by the Bills in the same draft as the team’s first-round choice (more on him later). Benford is in line for a big pay raise, and the Bills would be wise to find a way to ensure that he doesn’t end up elsewhere. While we can’t say for sure that Benford’s concussion against the Kansas City Chiefs—his second in as many weeks—led to the Bills’ elimination from contention, it’s clear that the drop-off from Benford to any other corner on the current roster is tremendous. He’s the best player in Buffalo’s defensive secondary right now.
Te’Cory Couch
Contract Status for 2025: Signed reserve/future contract (two-year deal worth $1,853,500 overall; $844,250 cap hit; $8,500 dead cap hit if released; .31% of total team cap)
Age: 25 (26 on 9/6/2025)
Playing Time: N/A
Key Statistics: N/A
Couch joined the Bills after going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. In the preseason, he appeared in three games, totaling 12 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass breakup, and 1 sack. At 5’10” and 175 pounds, the undersized Miami grad is likely vying for a spot on the practice squad once again next season.
Rasul Douglas
Contract Status for 2025: Unsigned; UFA
Age: 30 (31 on 8/29/2025)
Playing Time: 15 games (15 starts), 830 defensive snaps (75.18% of team total), 4 special teams snaps (.9% of team total)
Key Statistics: 58 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 5 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble
Douglas was healthy for the playoffs this season, which was tremendously important after he played on one good leg last season. However, just like for much of the regular season, Douglas played average ball at best. As Buffalo started to trend more man-heavy on defense, Douglas struggled, as his strength is a zone defense where he can keep his eyes in the backfield and break in on the ball. For the regular season, he allowed a completion rate of 72.9% when he was the closest defender, according to Pro Football Reference. He allowed four touchdowns, 518 yards, and a passer rating of 122 on 59 attempts. During the playoffs, he allowed just six of the twelve passes thrown at him in coverage to be completed; however, those six completions went for 150 yards and a score. Douglas was a great addition at the 2023 trade deadline, but the Bills need to find a younger, more athletic player to pair with Benford for next season. They should allow Douglas to go elsewhere.
Kaiir Elam
Contract Status for 2025: Signed; final year of four-year rookie contract worth $13,690,809 overall ($4,356,167 cap hit; $4,356,167 dead cap hit if released; 1.58% of total team cap)
Age: 23 (24 on 5/5/2025)
Playing Time: 13 games (4 starts), 305 defensive snaps (27.63% of team total), 65 special teams snaps (14.57% of team total)
Key Statistics: 26 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, 1 fumble recovery
I’ve been on team Elam since the beginning, assuming that if he were given a larger role in a man-to-man defense, his talent would eventually shine through. Well, I’ve seen enough, and you can count me out on Buffalo’s 2022 first-round choice. Elam is not very good in run support, he’s often lost in zone coverages, and his supposed strength—press-man coverage—continues to show that he is woefully inadequate. There have been many who have called for Elam’s release, and while his lack of production certainly warrants that call, the lack of salary cap relief that would come with such a move leads me to believe that wouldn’t be a good move. The only positive to a straight release of Elam would be that the coaching staff could no longer consider him an option at all. Look for the Bills to find a trade partner in a late-round pick-swap that allows the team to cut bait on a first-round bust while allowing the player a chance at a fresh start elsewhere.
Daequan Hardy
Contract Status for 2025: Signed reserve/future contract (two-year deal worth $1,853,500 overall; $844,250 cap hit; $8,500 dead cap hit if released; .31% of total team cap)
Age: 23 (24 on 6/13/2025)
Playing Time: N/A
Key Statistics: N/A
The Bills selected Hardy in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and the Penn State product had a decent preseason. He made 7 tackles and 1 tackle for loss, adding 3 pass breakups. His main role was expected to be as the team’s kickoff and punt returner, as he totaled 41 kickoff return yards on two returns and 63 punt return yards on five returns. Ultimately, the team decided to go in a different direction, trading for fellow rookie Brandon Codrington to serve as the primary returner. Hardy is a slot-only player at 5’9,” and given how much success Taron Johnson has had inside, it’s unlikely that the Bills move on any time soon. Hardy could push for a spot at the back of the roster, but he would have to be superb on special teams. It’s likely he’s looking at the practice squad again next year.
Ja’Marcus Ingram
Contract Status for 2025: Signed; final year of two-year rookie deal worth $1,952,500 overall ($$1,033,750 cap hit; $3,750 dead cap if released; .38% of total team cap)
Age: 27 (28 on 9/2/2025)
Playing Time: 17 games (1 start), 297 special teams snaps (66.59% of team total), 211 defensive snaps (19.11% of team total)
Key Statistics: 24 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 1 QB hit, 4 pass breakups
If you watched just one Buffalo game this year, and that game happened to be the second game of the regular season, then you saw Ingram have the best game of his career. He intercepted Tua Tagovailoa twice, returning the second pick for a score in the Bills’ 31-10 romp. Ingram was a more-than-adequate fill-in throughout the season both as an outside corner and a slot player, and he played an important role on special teams, as well. He’s almost certain to be back next season, though I wouldn’t look for him to expand his role by much, if at all.
Taron Johnson
Contract Status for 2025: Signed; first year of three-year contract worth $30.75 million overall ($8.01 million cap hit; $15.25 million dead cap if released; 2.91% of total team cap)
Age: 28 (29 on 7/27/2025)
Playing Time: 12 games (12 starts), 646 defensive snaps (58.51% of team total), 6 special teams snaps (1.355 of team total)
Key Statistics: 65 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 5 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 fumble return TD, 1 INT TD
Buffalo’s All-Pro slot corner had another strong season, even as he missed a month’s worth of games thanks to a fractured forearm. He suffered that injury early in the season opener, but after he returned, he played well all throughout the season. Johnson found himself as the odd man out at times against run-heavy teams, as he played just 61% of the defensive snaps in Buffalo’s 27-25 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round playoff game. That was his lowest percentage in any game that was close, as the Bills chose to match Baltimore’s heavy personnel with a third linebacker, Dorian Williams. Johnson carries the twelfth-highest cap hit on the team next season, but in spite of that and his status as the oldest player under contract in the secondary, he’s in no danger of being released. Johnson is an excellent player in both run support and the passing game. He’ll remain an important part of the defense next season.
Brandon Codrington
Contract Status for 2025: Signed; second year of three-year rookie contract worth $2.83 million overall ($960,000 cap hit; .35% of total team cap)
Age: 24 (25 on 11/17/2025)
Playing Time: 17 games, 126 special teams snaps (28.25% of team total), 69 defensive snaps (6.25% of team total)
Key Statistics: 27 punt returns, 313 punt return yards, 11.6 yards per punt return, 11 kickoff returns, 306 kickoff return yards, 27.8 yards per kickoff return, 2 fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass breakup, 9 tackles
Thank you, New York Jets! The Bills traded for Codrington at the end of the preseason, sending a seventh-round draft choice to their divisional rival for the rookie returner. While Codrington struggled mightily every time he was asked to play defense, he only did that in blowouts. He was great as a return man all season. He did not play in the playoffs, as he injured his hamstring in the regular-season finale and was then inactive in the postseason. I think that was less because of injury and more about head coach Sean McDermott trusting veterans Ty Johnson and Khalil Shakir to handle kick return and punt return duties, respectively. I expect Codrington to reprise his role as the primary return man next season, and perhaps he’ll even break one for that elusive touchdown that I thought would come on more than one occasion this year.
Cornerback is one of the positions I wouldn’t be surprised to see addressed in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. While my preference would be for a defensive tackle or an edge rusher at No. 30 overall—if the Bills keep that pick, that is—there is certainly a chance that the positional value leads the team to take a corner in that spot if they believe that corner is the best player available.
There are a few players who project to be available in the later part of the first round who could be interesting adds to the Buffalo defense. East Carolina’s Shavon Revel, Ole Miss’ Trey Amos, Texas’ Jahdae Barron (who could be a slot corner, could be a safety, and could be an outside corner), and Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas would all give the Bills what they need, which is a young, athletic corner with good size who is capable of playing both man and zone coverage. They could also wait until later in the draft for someone like Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston, LSU’s Zy Alexander, Ohio State’s Denzel Burke, California’s Nohl Williams—really, there are plenty of options if they want to go the route of the lottery-ticket. The team looks to be trending more towards players who can handle man-to-man defense, and I applaud that decision.
For too long, the Bills have been content to watch elite quarterbacks pick their zone-heavy scheme apart in playoff games. In this year’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bills were faced with two options: watch Patrick Mahomes pick apart their zone, or watch him mercilessly target Kaiir Elam in man coverage, thereby picking apart the defense anyway. They could have blitzed, but that doesn’t work well against Mahomes, either.
Buffalo would be wise to allow veteran Rasul Douglas to sign elsewhere. He’s a good player, but made little impact this season in terms of big plays, and he was a straight-up liability in man coverage. Ja’Marcus Ingram is nice depth and a good special teams player, but he isn’t someone upon whom the team should rely to start across from Christian Benford. Ingram is great for the role he plays.
As for Kaiir Elam, the team needs to find a way to move on from the young player sooner rather than later. Elam has proven time and again that he isn’t what the team thought he’d be when they made him a first-round choice in the 2022 NFL Draft. Whether the Bills pulled the panic lever after the Chiefs jumped them to land Trent McDuffie, rumored to have been the Bills’ actual target, we’ll never know for sure, but what we do know is that Elam has repeatedly fallen on his face when given time to prove himself. To release him is to eat the entire amount of his contract. Trading him saves nearly $3 million on the salary cap. Even if it’s as part of a pick swap, the Bills should be looking for a trade partner this spring.
Buffalo is solid in the slot. Taron Johnson is still excellent, and Cam Lewis—who we’ll discuss with the safeties later—is a fine backup. The team also has Daequan Hardy, a rookie last season, who can continue to hone his craft. If the team can keep him around on the practice squad again, I’m sure they will. If he makes a push for the 53-man roster, then even better, as it would be a positive sign for the scouting department if he were able to develop into a contributor.
Should the Bills look to add a corner via free agency rather than looking to the draft? D.J. Reed has been a popular name, but would we want the Bills to sign him at the expense of adding a premium player on the defensive line? The Bills could go the reclamation project route in trying to coach up a player like C.J. Henderson, who has flamed out with the Jacksonville Jaguars (who picked him No. 9 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft) and the Carolina Panthers before landing on injured reserve with the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. There are some other young players I’m intrigued by, as well, like Benjamin St. Juste, Paulson Adebo, and Elijah Molden. The free agent route is always more expensive, so the Bills would have to weigh the value of the player moving forward against the value of extending contract offers to some of their own young players.
In short, the team needs to add at least one player whom they intend to have start, and at least a player or three to compete for a spot as a backup. There will be at least one corner drafted, and it’s highly likely that they sign one, as well. Either way, this is a position where some change is coming.