Bills Most Important Position Battle Could Set Tone For Jim Leonhard's Secondary

The most critical position battle for the Buffalo Bills will see multiple young players vying for snaps.

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun celebrates after defeating the Michigan Wolverines. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Overall, the Buffalo Bills' defense was fine in 2025. They finished seventh in yardage and 12th in points surrendered. While they would have liked to have seen their scoring defense improve, it was good enough to win 12 games thanks to their top-five offense led by Josh Allen and James Cook.

In the playoffs, however, the defense struggled as they gave up 33 points in an overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. That was one of the reasons they made several changes this offseason, which included moving on from head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich.

McDermott was replaced by offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Jim Leonhard was hired to replace Babich. While Babich helped run McDermott's defense, Leonhard will have full control of his unit and the first step was adding players who fit his scheme.

In the secondary, that included signing cornerback Dee Alford and safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone. They continued adding talent in the NFL draft, selecting Davison Igbinosun out of Ohio State in the second round and South Carolina's Jalon Kilgore in the fifth.

Cornerback battle takes center stage

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun celebrates an interception against the Indiana Hoosiers. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The second step started during OTAs as players began fighting for their spot in the defense. According to Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, the most important battle will take place in the secondary as Buffalo looks for the right CB2 across from Christian Benford as well as their next slot corner.

“Christian Benford will man one perimeter spot. 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston and rookie second-round pick Davison Igbinosun should compete for the other. The loser of the battle should see playing time in subpackages, which Jim Leonhard uses frequently,” Knox wrote.

“Following the trade of Taron Johnson, Dee Alford, Jordan Hancock, and Jalon Kilgore should also be in the mix for the nickel role.”

Alford is coming off the best season of his career and is the favorite for the slot role. That said, no one should sleep on Jalon Kilgore, who played all over the Gamecocks secondary and could be a factor due to his impressive play strength.

Jim Leonhard has faith in Maxwell Hairston

Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston warms up before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

There were concerns that Leonhard wanted the Bills to select Igbinosun as a potential replacement for 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston. As Bills On SI's Ralph Ventre wrote, Leonhard stated that their decision to go after the Ohio State defensive back had nothing to do with Hairston.

Leonhard believes in the second-year player, and their decision to add more depth in the secondary had more to do with their desire to add talent throughout the depth chart. As we saw in 2025, injuries will force the Bills to go deep, and having as many starting-caliber players as possible is a smart strategy.

As for Hairston, he's also a fan of Leonhard's. I recently wrote about Hairston's comfort in the new scheme, with the cornerback saying he can play with more freedom in this scheme. Now, he just needs to prove he can hold off the rookie during this crucial battle.