Some of the notable top cornerbacks in the game include players like Patrick Surtain (Denver Broncos), Derek Stingley (Houston Texans), Devon Witherspoon (Seattle Seahawks), and Christian Gonzalez (New England Patriots). While these four players would typically be considered among the best, the Buffalo Bills have their CB1 that has been severely overlooked throughout his career.
In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills drafted two cornerbacks; Kaiir Elam in the first round, and then Christian Benford in the sixth round. Elam turned out to be one of the worst draft picks in the Brandon Beane era while Benford ended up being one of the four players from that Bills draft class that got contract extensions last offseason.
In 2023, Benford became an official starter for the Bills and he has since been one of the top corners in the game overall. In 2024, he only allowed a career-best 8.5 yards per target and he finished that year with some Defensive Player of the Year award votes, per Pro Football Reference. Then last season, Benford only allowed a 54.4% completion rate when completed which was the best he has had in his career.
Bills have one of the best CBs in Christian Benford (but it's still getting overlooked)
Dalton Wasserman from Pro Football Focus (PFF) put together a cornerback power rankings list heading into the 2026 season and Benford was ranked at No. 12, which is nowhere near the worst but it truly should make Bills fans wonder what more Benford has to do to get some respect.
"Benford endured a turbulent 2025 in which he played to a career-low 53.9 PFF coverage grade. Across the two prior seasons, he recorded an 87.1 coverage grade that was the fourth-best mark among qualified cornerbacks, so there is reason to think he can bounce back. On the bright side, Benford tied for the NFL lead among cornerbacks with a 90.1 PFF run-defense grade last season." said Wasserman.
We know that Benford was great against the run last year, while the Bills overall were not. However, the coverage grade going down drastically is obviously a bit concerning, but that’s no reason to think that he can’t bounce back. He isn’t just the clear-cut No. 1 corner on the Bills, but there have been plenty of times where he has played better than some of the top guys in the league.
When it comes to Benford, it truly does feel like that he is one of those players that just doesn’t seem to get the more well-deserved recognition that he deserves. Bills fans know how great he is, and his teammates have always talked about how impactful he is. I guess he will just need to prove it once again to the rest of the league.
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