Why CB Christian Benford Is Fourth-Most Important Player to Bills' 2026 Success

As the team enjoys its summer break, Bills On SI will unveil its Top 25 Player Rankings (based upon expected impact) for the 2026 season. The ranking methodology is based on positional value, past performance and expectations for any player. CB Christian Benford's emergence as Buffalo's best defensive player lands him at No. 4.

The Buffalo Bills' secondary houses one of the most underrated players in the league at one of the most important defensive positions in football.

Christian Benford was initially considered an afterthought as a sixth-round pick out of Villanova in 2022, especially with the selection of fellow cornerback Kaiir Elam in the first round that same year. Benford was given the chance to start in Week 1 that season, and he has not looked back.

The 25-year-old received Defensive Player of the Year votes in 2024 and followed that up with an even better 2025, and he will look to build on his resume with an even better 2026 campaign under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

Christian Benford's 2025 season

Christian Benford makes an incredible play to intercept Joe Burrow for a 67-yard Pick-6!

CINvsBUF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/3G3cXuY7Fs
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025

Benford finished 2025 with 43 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 passes defended, 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries, and he produced arguably Buffalo's two biggest defensive plays of the season with two of his takeaways.

In Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Benford returned a fumble forced by Joey Bosa for a touchdown. The following week, he had a go-ahead pick-six of Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, helping him earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Having as empty a stat sheet in coverage as possible is another good sign for defensive backs, and Benford was no exception. He allowed zero yards to opposing receivers in five games in 2025, the most for any defender playing at least 20 coverage snaps per game, according to NFL Pro.

Stats like that hide Benford among the stars at cornerback in the NFL, but they suggest he isn't as far off from the likes of Pat Surtain II and Christian Gonzalez as scouts, executives and coaches make him to be.

Disrespected defensive alpha

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) reacts after losing an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"He’s a very talented player," Leonhard said of Benford back in February. "He's had opportunities in the past to travel and track No. 1 receivers. It's something we will consider as we go on."

Benford did not receive a single vote from league higher-ups in a survey about the NFL's best cornerbacks, despite having the eighth-best coverage EPA at -18.9 according to Next Gen Stats.

Further pushing the narrative that Benford is a highly disrespected player is that he has not been named to a single All-Pro or Pro Bowl team. That's right, even the fans value him less than players who have worse stats than Benford, such as Deommodore Lenoir and Kool-Aid McKinstry.

Benford will have to take on a bigger leadership role with Tre'Davious White and Matt Milano departing in free agency, but his past performance suggests he is up for the challenge.

The rest of the Top 25 so far:

25. RB Ty Johnson, June 16
24. CB Maxwell Hairston, June 17
23. K Tyler Bass, June 18
22. CB Dee Alford, June 19
21. LB Dorian Williams, June 20
20. RB Ray Davis, June 22
19. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, June 23
18. G Alec Anderson, June 24
17. TE Dawson Knox, June 25
16. DT Deone Walker, June 27
15. TE Dalton Kincaid, June 28
14. G O'Cyrus Torrence, June 29
13. LB Terrel Bernard, July 1
12. C Connor McGovern, June 30
11. LB Greg Rousseau, July 2
10. WR Khalil Shakir, July 3
9. LB Bradley Chubb, July 7
8. S Cole Bishop, July 8
7. OT Spencer Brown, July 14
6. DT Ed Oliver, July 15
5. WR DJ Moore, July 16

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