The Buffalo Bills are moving into their next major offseason phase in due time: Training camp.
The Bills will kick off their 2025 training camp on July 23 at St. John Fisher University. As with every offseason, Bills Wire will examine each position group ahead of this pivotal time on the football calendar.
Our 2025 cornerbacks preview can be found below:
At the top
Christian Benford takes the helm as Buffalo’s CB1 entering this season. Benford’s development has been remarkable. It was early on that the Bills recognized they got a steal in Benford when they selected him in the sixth round of the 2022 draft. Benford has consistently improved, now moving into the top shutdown role for the Bills. Benford earned a massive four-year, $76 million contract, keeping him in Western New York through the 2029 season.
The Bills drafted Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston with their first pick in this April’s draft. Hairston is one of the fastest players in the draft. He will give the Bills a new option to play man coverage against some of the fastest receivers in the league.
Taron Johnson is arguably one of the best slot cornerbacks in the game. Johnson just does everything right when matching up against opposing receivers and tight ends. In addition, Johnson is strong in run coverage.
Depth chart
Buffalo brought back former All-Pro Tre’Davious White as a mentor to Hairston. In addition, White understands McDermott’s defensive system well, so the LSU standout can be a plug-and-play option when called upon. White may not be the same player as earlier in his career, but he can still be effective if he fills in for Hairston or Benford.
Ja’Marcus Ingram, Dane Jackson, Dorian Strong, Daequan Hardy, and Daryl Porter round out the boundary options.
Cam Lewis, Brandon Codrington, and Te’Cory Couch will battle for slot corner depth snaps.
In 2025…
Buffalo’s secondary has always been the most essential piece of Buffalo’s defense since head coach Sean McDermott arrived in 2017. The unit has found players who overachieve and produce impressive results.
Benford should continue the consistency and production that we’ve seen from him since he was drafted. There may be times when it becomes a bit of a roller coaster, as this will be Benford’s first long-term opportunity as the team’s top cornerback. However, we see him coming out on top more often than not.
We are high on Hairston having a strong rookie campaign. Expect him to match up with some of the fastest receivers in the league. If Hairston can win in man coverage against some of these top-tier receivers, it will give the Bills more options and flexibility with playcalling. Hairston should earn the trust of the coaching staff quickly. It would not be surprising for Hairston to earn votes as the defensive rookie of the year.
Johnson should continue to be one of the best slot cornerbacks in the game. With a full season of health, Johnson will return to his All-Pro caliber play.
We see a strong season from this unit for the Bills in 2025. This group might be a bit underrated on the national scene, but they will be known by the end of this campaign.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Previewing the Buffalo Bills’ cornerbacks ahead of 2025 training camp