The Buffalo Bills ended up with 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. After multiple trade-downs in the first round,, they were ready to move forward. While getting many of the positions they were looking for in the early rounds of the draft, they still had the chance to draft another cornerback with their 7th-round pick.
Toriano Pride Jr., out of Missouri, was available at No. 220, so the team grabbed him. With the addition of second-round pick Davison Igbinosun from Ohio State, this should help the team build depth at one of the key defensive positions.
How Pride Jr. will excite Bills fans with his speed and man coverage skills
After an offseason in which the Bills traded veteran cornerback Taron Johnson to the Las Vegas Raiders and signed free agent Dee Alford as a replacement, the team still needed some insurance at either the outside or nickel cornerback position. While Pride Jr. may not be a household name yet, he does have some good traits for a seventh-round corner.
He was one of the fastest corners in the draft, posting a 4.32 forty time at the NFL combine. Besides his speed, he excels in man and press coverage, but needs work in zone coverage. Also, the speedy corner stands only 5-foot-11 and weighs 188 lbs, which may be a problem when facing bigger, stronger outside receivers in the NFL.
Still, Pride Jr. fits well in the nickel position, especially when defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has to go to his big nickel look with three safeties on third and long situations. This requires the speed and man coverage skills that Toriano Jr. already possesses.
Because they have already brought more youth into the defensive side of the ball, there aren't that many impressive veterans still left in the Bills' corner room to play the nickel. So Toriano Jr. has a good chance to impress at training camp and become the next Christian Benford. That means he would be another late-round draft pick at corner to make the Bills' roster and shine in the NFL.
How Pride Jr. performed at Missouri
Pride Jr. also developed into a ball hawk while at Missouri, tallying two interceptions and batted down four passes in his last two collegiate years. He played a total of 573 defensive reps last season, with over 80% being on the outside. The Tigers also had him try out his skills at nickel cornerback and contribute on special teams.
He could find his way on the roster playing more special teams in his first year, while polishing up his skills at cornerback. He is an excellent punt returner, but where he would shine in the NFL is on kickoff returns, given the league's dynamic kickoff style.
While Pride Jr. needs time to adjust to the physicality of the game, that will come with time and practice. The team's seventh-round draft pick has a high probability of being another late-round pick in the Brandon Beane 17-game regular-season era to end up with a long NFL career, creating confidence among coaches and fans in his growth.
My NFL pro comparison for Pride Jr. is former Buffalo Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin. He played his entire career with the Bills despite developing into more of a late-round draft pick, even though he was drafted in the first round in 2008.
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