Early Surprise at Bills OTAs is Rookie Cornerback Who Could Steal Maxwell Hairston's Job

Davison Igbinosun is already impressing his teammates and coaches at Bills OTAs.

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun catches a ball during Pro Day for NFL scouts at the Woody Hayes Athletics Center on March 25, 2026. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There is one up-and-coming Buffalo Bills player who has become an early surprise at OTAS, and that’s Davison Igbinosun.

It was revealed by Igbinosun’s teammate, Maxwell Hairston, that the Bills’ 2026 second-round pick recorded an interception during this week’s session in Orchard Park, which sets the stage for a fierce competition between the two players for a starting role at cornerback. The former Ohio State Buckeye, selected with the 62nd overall pick in this year’s draft, has not only impressed his teammates but also the Bills’ new defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard.

“Number one, competitiveness,” said Leonhard regarding Igbinosun’s strengths. “He’s extremely competitive in everything he does.”

That will serve the 22-year-old well as he looks to solidify a contributing role in his first professional season.

Igbinosun is a growing talent

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun (1) celebrates an interception Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Leonhard also mentioned Igbinosun’s growth as something that has stood out to him over the years. Early in his collegiate career, Igbinosun struggled with penalties. But over his final two years with the Buckeyes, he dropped his penalty count from 12 in 2024 to just four in 2025.

“I’ve been watching him for a long time, so I saw a player early I thought had to make some adjustments in order to really maximize his potential,” added Leonhard. “And we saw him do that this last year.”

Igbinosun has been widely regarded for his physical play on the boundary, particularly in man coverage, which is something Leonhard’s new defense is expected to deploy plenty of next season. In 2025, the new Bills cornerback earned a Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 79.9, which was 94th among 896 qualified players at his position. His past success in that area bodes well for his future.

“You see young players who are willing to make adjustments and grow and you always wanna bring in that culture of competitiveness,” added Leonhard.

Cornerback competition with Hairston coming

Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (31) is interviewed after the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Hairston began this past season on the mend after a preseason knee injury forced him to give way to veteran Tre’Davious White in last year’s race for a starting job. With White remaining as a free agent, it appeared before the draft that Buffalo was set to hand the keys to Hairston as one of their two first-team cornerbacks.

However, after the team moved up to select Igbinosun in the second round, all bets are off, with signs pointing to an all-out positional battle this summer. Time will tell how things shake out, but Igbinosun has burst onto the scene even before minicamp has begun, which is a positive development in his quest to make an impact in Year 1.