Bills' CB duo seen as only 'adequate' in disrespectful NFL rankings

The Buffalo Bills were recognized by Bleacher Report's Moe Moton as having one of the better cornerback duos in the NFL, but not good enough to reach the top tier.

The duo of Christian Benford and Taron Johnson was an honorable mention on the cusp of Moton's Top 10 list.

Moton writes, "Benford and Johnson earn an honorable mention as a steady duo, though they're more solid than special in their cornerback duties."

While the Bills duo just missed his Top 10, Moton seemed to undervalue the talent of Benford and reliability of Johnson in Sean McDermott's defense. He continues, "Buffalo has no stars at cornerback, but Benford and Johnson are adequate on the boundary and in the slot, respectively."

Bills cornerback Taron Johnson returns a Joe Flacco interception for a touchdown in Sunday's 30-20 win over the Colts. | Grace Smith / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Moton's Top 4 CB duos all play in the AFC, with New England's duo of Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis just missing the top three. Pittsburgh's Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr ranked third, while Baltimore's Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins ranked second (prior to the signing of Jaire Alexander). Houston's duo of Derek Stingley Jr and Kamari Lassiter took home the top spot.

Johnson's strong play in the slot and unique ability to defend the run allows the Bills to run a base nickel defense the majority of the time, with Johnson playing a minimum of 84 percent of defensive snaps in each of his last four seasons. His 76.8 PFF run defense grade allows the Bills to keep an extra DB on the field, even during early downs when opposing offenses have a higher chance of running the football.

Calling Benford "solid" or "adequate" is an understatement at this point in the young star's career. He received a fifth place Defensive Player of the Year vote, ranked second among CBs in Impact Rating, and first among DBs in Field Vision's Havoc Rating. He had the fifth-highest overall PFF grade among CBs, sixth-highest PFF coverage grade for his position, and was ranked the eighth-best CB heading into 2025 by PFF. Benford also received a first team All Pro vote, and nine second team votes in 2024.

Buffalo's CB1 will likely need more accolades in order to receive national recognition. It doesn't help that the corner signed a below-market contract extension this offseason, making only $17.25 million AAV, the 18th-highest CB contract in the NFL. A Pro Bowl or All Pro selection could go a long way towards Benford being solidified in the public eye as a top cornerback in the NFL.

Dec 29, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) enters the field before a game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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