Bills' Meeting With Well-Built Cornerback Points to Buffalo's Draft Vision at Key Spot

There’s no question about it, the Buffalo Bills must add depth at cornerback before taking the field for training camp this summer.

The 2026 NFL Draft would be a good place to start, and following one of the team’s predraft meetings, it seems more reasonable that the Bills will find at least one player to add to their current group before the selection process is through.

Buffalo met with South Carolina State cornerback Jarod Washington during his pro day, according to Justin Melo of Draft OnSI, providing the team with a late-round or post-draft target to help provide additional pieces to a unit that is lacking capable options.

Washington will likely either be selected on Day 3 of the draft or a team will wait to see if he lands as an undrafted free agent. Bills OnSI previously wrote about Buffalo meeting with a few other cornerbacks before the draft, including Texas' Malik Muhammad and LSU's A.J. Haulcy.

Join the team

South Florida Bulls wide receiver Chas Nimrod (2) jumps over South Carolina State Bulldogs defensive back Jarod Washington (12) during the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

A season ago, the Bills spent a first-round pick on Maxwell Hairston, one of the team’s expected starters for the upcoming campaign. Hairston’s injury-riddled rookie year ended with him on the mend, but he appears ready to seize control of the starting job at the start of the team’s offseason workout program.

Elsewhere at the position is fellow starter Christian Benford, a 2022 sixth-round pick. His development is proof that a player found in Rounds 6 or 7 can eventually become a key contributor.

The Bills also have 2025 sixth-rounder Dorian Strong on the roster, but after undergoing an offseason procedure to repair a neck injury, it remains uncertain if he will be able to continue his playing career. Otherwise, there isn’t much to speak of at cornerback for Buffalo.

New faces

New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is expected to pursue attacking, havoc-creating defensive backs to fit his new defense, which should feature plenty of nickel coverage. Washington fits that bill, as the 6-foot-2, 188-pound cornerback finished his final season at SC State with 22 passes defensed, two interceptions and an HBCU championship.

“I’m very competitive at the catch point,” Washington told Draft OnSI.

He added, “I’m used to playing the ball in the air. I understand route concepts and how receivers want to attack the ball. I’ve always played on time and on schedule.”

Polarizing position

Since the first-round selection of Kaiir Elam in 2022, five rounds before the team brought in a future star in Benford, the cornerback position has been widely discussed and debated amongst Bills fans. While Washington isn’t a surefire fix or someone who would be a shoo-in to even make the roster in 2026, the former Bulldogs defensive back is well-built, which may provide added versatility to whichever team drafts him.

One thing is for sure about Washington: he is not lacking confidence.

“I’m the best cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft,” he added. “I’m looking forward to getting my opportunity.”

He may get it with the Bills.

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