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Bills HC praises Christian Benford as he becomes one of NFL’s best CBs

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott again spoke highly of breakout cornerback Christian Benford.

Kyle Silagyi

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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A casual football fan would’ve been forgiven for not knowing who Christian Benford was entering the 2024 campaign.

Few Buffalo Bills fans even knew that Villanova had a football team—let alone that Benford was a cornerback for the program—when the team selected him in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Buffalo wasn’t expecting to ever receive elite-level cornerback play from the defender, at one point even considering developing him as a safety.

Benford almost immediately exceeded expectations, usurping first-round pick Kaiir Elam on the depth chart ahead of their shared rookie season; he hasn’t since looked back, starting 19 games over his first two seasons as he recorded 78 tackles, 15 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions.

Related: Bills QB Josh Allen earns individual accolade after stellar Week 3 outing vs. Jaguars

The defender’s refinement in the minute and technical areas of the cornerback position has long been one of his strongest attributes, and his mastery of the small things has allowed him to get out to an incredibly strong start to the 2024 campaign, as he’s been one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks through the first three games of the season. He’s allowed just five receptions on 13 targets thus far this year, giving up an average of just 5.2 yards per reception; he ranks second in the NFL in that stat, which isn’t bad for a former FCS cornerback who few national pundits knew existed just a few weeks ago.

Benford, at this point, is more than a good story—he’s a good football player, one who is quickly becoming one of the league’s best at his position. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott spoke about the 24-year-old’s start during his Wednesday media availability, crediting his breakout to his work ethic.

“I think, more than anything, he just continues to work hard every day to try to be the best that he can be,” McDermott said. “He just does a really good job at staying on task and honing in on what his job is every week and how he wants to improve. You’re seeing the results of that.”

Christian Benford
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Benford has complemented his technical refinement with splash plays through the early part of the 2024 campaign, tallying two pass deflections and one pick through three games. He’s formed a lockdown duo with veteran Rasul Douglas, as the two have effectively eliminated each opponent’s top passing weapons from matchups thus far;  the Bills limited fourth-overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. to one reception for four yards in Week 1 before holding the dynamic Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill to 41 and 24 yards, respectively, in Week 2. The two again limited Jacksonville Jaguars wideouts Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabriel Davis to 48 and 18 yards, respectively, in Week 3, with Benford recording an impressive pass breakup on Thomas in the first quarter.

McDermott spoke about the duo’s relationship, telling reporters that they help each other both on and off the field.

“They do a good job, and those two have formed a really good relationship, which has been fun to watch [with] Rasul not even really being here a full year yet,” McDermott said. “I think they learn off of one another and the experiences that they’ve had both on and off the field, so that’s been fun to watch.”

Benford and Douglas will be tasked with defending the likes of Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers in Buffalo’s Week 4 Sunday Night Football clash with the Baltimore Ravens this weekend; it won’t be an easy task, but given their recent performances against some of the league’s better pass catchers, it’s fair to have confidence.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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