Bills' Cornerback Concerns Quietly Percolating, Will Be Hot-Button Issue By July

The Buffalo Bills certainly paid plenty of attention to the highly important position this offseason.

With cornerbacks Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston returning, the Bills dealt away longtime nickel Taron Johnson while adding free agent Dee Alford as the presumed replacement.

Then, in the NFL Draft, Buffalo moved up to select Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun at No. 62 overall and subsequently used a seventh-rounder on Missouri speedster Toriano Pride.

"We needed [cornerback] depth, and I firmly believe you have to be able to rush the passer, [and] you have to be able to cover. And we needed more depth in the room in order to do that," said Bills' first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who played 10 NFL seasons as a safety.

Even after the aforementioned additions, however, the Bills aren't as deep as Leonhard seemingly wants them to be at cornerback.

In terms of full-time outside cornerbacks, Buffalo has Benford, Hairston and Igbinosun. Ideally, they would carry at least one more capable starter on the bench to guard against injury.

"We need more depth. You need more starters in a secondary. You can never have enough guys who can cover," said Leonhard during his OTAs press conference.

Although it's not a glaring problem heading into training camp, it has the potential to quickly become one. One early injury could force the Bills to make a summertime addition.

Should Benford, Hairston or Igbinosun ever become unavailable at any point, the quality of the cornerback depth will suddenly look thin. Buffalo already lost one potential reserve when 2025 draft pick Dorian Strong was declared out for 2026 due to a neck injury.

Max Hairston — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass for a touchdown under coverage from Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (31) in the second quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Don't let it happen again

In today's pass-happy NFL where the injury rate is high, the teams that are healthy enough to cover and pressure the passer are usually the ones who advance furthest.

Above all, the Bills need reliable reserves when the postseason rolls around.

In last January's loss to the Denver Broncos, Buffalo was playing without Hairston. As it turned out, Dane Jackson was forced to fill in for a play and promptly surrendered a touchdown in the eventual overtime loss.

One year earlier, in the 2024 AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Benford went out early with a concussion. Patrick Mahomes proceeded to exploit the overmatched Kaiir Elam. The Bills lost by three points.

Tre'Davious White is the easy answer

Veteran Tre'Davious White remains unsigned on the free agent market after proving himself during a 2025 comeback season. We recently wrote about the 31-year-old's availability with many in Bills Mafia wondering if the fan favorite will return for another ride.

White, the Bills' 2017 first-round draft pick, returned to the organization after one year away, showing that he was finally fully healthy again after his career was sidetracked by ACL and Achilles tears.

With a training camp injury sidelining Hairston for the first six weeks of his rookie season, White stepped up and seized the starting role opposite Benford. He made 16 regular season starts, providing sufficient pass coverage. He limited opposing receivers to 5.3 yards per target, and quarterbacks completed only 51.1 percent against him.

Rationally speaking, the Bills would be wise to bring back White and prevent cornerback depth from becoming a problem.

Tre'Davious White — Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'davious White (27) celebrates the game-deciding interception during the fourth quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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