There is no shortage of things to criticize the front office for the Bills when it comes to drafting. They’ve made their fair share of mistakes over the last few years and it’s a wonder that they’ve been able to be this dominant despite some less-than-stellar draft classes.
But one thing Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott need credit for is their ability to draft and develop cornerbacks. They routinely find stars on Day 3 of the draft and that has kept their defense afloat. And sure feels like they’ve done it again with the selection of Dorian Strong in the sixth round.
Dorian Strong is already emerging as a draft steal
During the 2022 NFL Draft, the Bills selected Kaiir Elam in the first round at pick No. 23. But after Year 3, the Bills moved on from Elam, partially because they selected Christian Benford in Round 6, who became arguably their best defensive player. Is it too early to say that history is already repeating itself in Buffalo?
The Bills used the No. 30 pick on Maxwell Hairston, a cornerback from Kentucky, in the 2025 NFL Draft. But a training camp injury has forced him to miss the first four games of the season, and that has opened up a spot for Dorian Strong, a sixth-round pick from Virginia Tech. And while it’s too early to make a definitive statement about a draft class or a single pick, it sure feels like the Bills have found another diamond in the rough.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus by Jim Wyman, they handed out the awards for the highest-graded rookies from Week 4. And this week, it was none other than Strong, who made the list. He recorded an overall grade of 86.7, and he is now one of the highest-graded rookie defenders in the league after four weeks. Here is a snippet of what the site had to say about him this week:
"While former first-rounder Maxwell Hairston was the rookie corner the Bills were hoping to count on, his preseason injury has opened the door for sixth-rounder Dorian Strong to pick up the slack. Considering this is his second time in four weeks on this list, he has done just that. In Buffalo’s win over the Saints, Strong recorded an 89.5 PFF coverage grade, allowing just two receptions and four yards into his coverage — both against Alvin Kamara — as he was able to register a stop on each."Pro Football Focus, Jim Wyman
Strong played only a handful of snaps against the Saints, but he is someone who deserves a longer look after his performance in Week 4. And with Tre’Davious White not getting the job done, it only makes sense that the Bills would give Strong an extended opportunity over the next few months. Again, it’s too early to make any big statements about Strong and the rest of the draft class, but so far, so good for this Day 3 rookie.