The Buffalo Bills kick off training camp on July 29 at St. John Fisher. This moves the team into the next major phase of the offseason ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Ahead of then, Bills Wire will examine every position group ahead of this pivotal time on the football calendar.
This edition will focus on the Bills' defensive backs:
At the top of the chart
Buffalo's undisputed CB1 is Christian Benford. Benford has worked his way into NFL top-10 cornerback territory. He is the Bills shutdown corner.
Max Hairston, the Bills 2025 first-round pick, will have the first crack at operating opposite Benford. The Bills signed veteran Tre'Davious White to work with Hairston last year. The veteran presence helped slow-roll Hairston's acclimation to the NFL. Hairston also missed time
due to injuries, playing in 11 games and registering two interceptions.
Cole Bishop took a massive step last year, becoming a leader on the back end of the defense. Bishop led the Bills with 85 tackles. He added three interceptions to his ledger.
Buffalo signed two free agents to round out their secondary. Veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson will be paired with Bishop at the back of the secondary. The Bills added Dee Alford as the team's nickel cornerback to replace Taron Johnson.
Depth chart
Buffalo drafted Davison Igbinosun toward the end of the second round in this April's draft. His skill set puts him in a good spot to be the first cornerback off the bench if called upon. Kani Walker, Toriano Pride Jr., and Jordan Dunbar are challenging for the final perimeter depth spot on the roster.
The Bills also have Jordan Hancock and Te'Cory Couch as reserve options for the nickel cornerback slot.
The Bills have several options to round out the safety depth for the team. Buffalo signed Geno Stone as a veteran presence in the back end. The Bills also have Damar Hamlin, Sam Franklin, Wande Owens, and 2026 fifth-round pick Jalon Kilgore to fill out the safety group.
Who needs a great camp?
The spot across from Benford is somewhat unsettled. Hairston has the best chance at being the starter. He showed glimpses of what made General Manager Brandon Beane select him in the first round only a year ago. However, the new coaching staff invested a second-round pick in Igbinosun to challenge Hairston. If Igbinosun fits defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard's scheme better than Hairston, the rookie could take control of the position.
Battles to watch
The aforementioned CB2 position will be the most interesting one to watch among this group. Both Igbinosun and Hairston are young players, and it's not out of the realm of possibilities that they both see substantial time in the starting roles this year.
The depth of the safety room will be interesting to observe. Hamlin has been a core player on special teams and a solid spot starter for the last few years. However, Stone and Kilgore are skilled enough to possibly push the long-time Bill off the roster.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 2026 Buffalo Bills training camp preview: Defensive backs
