As the prepare for the 2026 NFL season, will take a look at the most important contributors on their roster. The team has some cornerstone players who will be returning for another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo, and they'll have help from some new additions as well.
Leading up to the season, we will be counting down the top-30 most important players on the roster. We'll recap their 2025 season, look ahead to what they'll offer in 2026, and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding them this coming year.
Next on the countdown is .
Background
Position: CornerbackAge at start of season: 25
Experience: fifth year
2026 cap hit: $7,397,020
2025 recap
2026 outlookBenford is again locked in as the Bills' CB1 for 2026, leading the way for young guns in the cornerback room like Max Hairston and Davison Igbinousun. His leadership in the room will be relied upon even more than in year's past, as the Bills are transitioning to a new defense under coordinator Jim Leonhard. The new system is supposed to be more aggressive, so he'll be able to showcase his man coverage skills more often, while still being a reliable zone defender when called upon. Benford proving to be a lockdown defender on one half of the field puts him high up on this countdown.Biggest question: Who will be his running mate at CB2?
The Bills are starting the year off with Hairston (first-round pick in 2024) penciled in as the starter opposite of Benford, but he also has this year's eager to get an opportunity. Dee Alford has also shown the capability of playing on the outside. While Benford will be an anchor on his side of the field, the real question will be who is across the field from him. Due to Benford's respect from opposing offenses, there will be a lot of attention on whoever is slotted in at CB2, and there should be a lot of passes heading their way.30 most important Bills of 2026
Check back as we continue the countdown on our list of the 30 most important Bills ahead of the 2026 season.This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: