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This stat illustrates Bills CB Christian Benford's elite start to 2024 season

Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford has been one of the best in the league at his position to start the 2024 season.

Kyle Silagyi

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The Buffalo Bills have a knack for finding overlooked defensive backs and placing them in auspicious positions to succeed, something the team has done time and time again since Sean McDermott took its reins in 2017.

Christian Benford is the latest example of Buffalo’s ability to identify and get the most out of unnoticed defenders, as he’s been a standout ever since the team selected the Villanova cornerback in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He immediately exceeded expectations in Orchard Park, usurping first-round pick Kaiir Elam on the depth chart ahead of Week 1 before starting five games as a rookie. He cemented himself as not only a starting-caliber player, but a potential defensive cornerstone in the 2023 season, recording 54 tackles, 10 pass deflections, and two interceptions in 14 starts.

He’s not only carried over his excellent sophomore play into his third professional season—he’s improved upon it, sticking out as one of the league’s premier cornerbacks through four weeks. Pro Football Focus recently posted a statistic that proves his early-season excellence: the 24-year-old is one of just four starting cornerbacks to have not allowed a reception of 15 or more yards at this point in the season.

The only other cornerbacks to have accomplished this feat are Seattle Seahawks defensive back Riq Woolen, three-time Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey, and former New England Patriots first-round pick Christian Gonzalez; in laymen’s terms, Benford is in elite company.

Further delving into Benford’s statistics paints an effective picture of just how reliable he’s been. He’s recorded 18 tackles and two pass deflections thus far, which, in and of itself, is impressive through four games; his individual numbers are even more imposing, as per Pro Football Focus, he’s allowed receptions on just 35.7% of his targets this season. That’s the lowest reception percentage of all cornerbacks with at least 100 coverage snaps, according to PFF.

Christian Benford
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He’s allowed just five receptions for 26 total yards, with quarterbacks having a passer rating of just 14.6 when targeting him; he also leads the league in that stat, per PFF. He’s matching his lockdown coverage ability with ‘splash’ plays, perhaps most notably in Week 2 when he broke up a pass that fell into the hands of fellow Buffalo defensive back Ja’Marcus Ingram. He recorded an interception of his own later in the contest, an errant Tua Tagovailoa pass that Benford nabbed thanks to his strong positioning.

Benford wasn’t expected to be an elite cornerback—no team selects an FCS player in the sixth round with expectations that they’ll develop into one of the best players in the league at their position—but that’s exactly what he’s done. He’s a tailor-made fit for a McDermott defense and is one of the team’s most reliable defenders; with just one year remaining on his rookie deal after this season, don’t be surprised if Buffalo’s brass backs the Brink’s truck into the defender’s driveway next spring.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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