Bills’ recent Day 3 draft pick ranked as team’s ‘most underrated player’

His absence during the Buffalo Bills’ divisional round loss was noticeable.

Starting cornerback Christian Benford was inactive during the team’s 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after a strong second year as a professional. The 2022 sixth-round pick has recorded two interceptions and forced two fumbles in 15 regular appearances, including 14 starts.

Expected to start opposite cornerback Rasul Douglas in 2024, Benford, 23, is starting to attract national media attention. Gennaro Filice of NFL Media identified the most underrated player for each of the 16 AFC teams and Benford was his pick for the Bills.

From The Most Underrated Players in the NFL:

“In the 2022 NFL Draft, Buffalo spent its first-round pick on Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam. Two days, five rounds and 162 picks later, the Bills came right back around the corner, this time selecting a much less heralded prospect among FCS Villanova program Surprisingly, Benford quickly beat out Elam for a starting spot at CB in year one, although injuries cut short his rookie campaign in year two, Benford completely broke out, starting 14 games and posting a top-10 PFF grade With offseason attrition in Buffalo’s secondary, the Bills will lean on this former Day 3 steal to play a vital role in Sean’s defense. McDermott.

Benford totaled 824 defensive snaps for Buffalo in 2023. The 6-foot-1 cornerback was part of a unit that ranked sixth among NFL team leaders in passing yards (6.05) .

Earlier in May, Pro Football Focus named him the Bills’ “most underrated player.”