Christian Benford seizes the title of NFL's Rodney Dangerfield after getting no respect across multiple 2025 cornerback rankings
It might be time to call Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford the 'Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL'. The guy don't get no respect! ESPN's annual poll of coaches, scouts, and executives across the NFL concluded today, with insider Jeremy Fowler sharing the results from the cornerback position voting from across the league. Benford did not make […]
It might be time to call Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford the 'Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL'. The guy don't get no respect!
ESPN's annual poll of coaches, scouts, and executives across the NFL concluded today, with insider Jeremy Fowler sharing the results from the cornerback position voting from across the league. Benford did not make an appearance, but not just in the top 10. Benford failed to receive a single vote from over 70 participating league employees as a top-10 cornerback.
Benford was completely blanked by ESPN's poll of top cornerbacks entering 2025
The total omission is appalling. Benford, who was a sixth-round draft choice out of Villanova in 2022, has developed into one of the most consistent cornerbacks in football despite making the leap from a lower level of competition in college. He is an instinctive player with size and length to go along with good explosiveness and sufficient long-speed. He's not a player that's going to win a lot of footraces one on one, but he's got enough juice and plays in a system that often allows him to play overtop of routes and use his eyes to attack.
Benford lacks the name-brand pedigree of a top-10 draft choice and his ball production has been good but not elite — he's logged four interceptions over the last two seasons. But he's been one of the best tackling cornerbacks in football over the last two seasons; he's been credited with a measly three missed tackles since the start of 2023. That, by extension, makes him a reliable run defender and someone not prone to conceding extra yardage after the catch. Benford finished 20th out of 80 qualifying corners in yards allowed after the catch in 2024.
Our group at A to Z Sports recently conducted our own cornerback poll for the NFL and Benford landed 17th overall on A to Z's rankings. It's better than a total omission, but only one other colleague joined me in ranking Benford as a top 10 player at the position. I ranked Benford 7th, with votes also clocking him at 10th overall and 12th overall among participants.
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"Benford, a former 6th round pick from Villanova, immediately made his presence felt, earning the #2 spot on the CB depth chart next to Tre White, surprising the fanbase by outperforming former first-round pick Kaiir Elam. Outside of an injury that took him out for the latter part of his rookie season, Benford has shined with the Bills. Over the past few seasons, Benford has appeared in 30 games with 4 interceptions, 20 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles and even a sack to boot. Put simply, the Buffalo Bills are a much better defensive football team when Christian Benford is on the field. Brandon Beane's mantra of draft, develop, and re-sign worked in the team's favor as Benford inked a massive 4-year, $69M contract extension.
Benford has not only established himself as a fan favorite, he's secured his place as one of the very best CB's in the entire NFL, all on a team-friendly deal which sets the organization up for long-term success. From 6th round pick to one of the very best in the entire league, maybe #17 is a bit too low."
– Benford's ranking at 17 overall in the 'A to Z Sports' 2025 cornerback poll
Benford was compensated handsomely this offseason by Buffalo, signing a four-year, $69 million contract extension to keep him under contract with the Bills through the prime of his career. He'll hit free agency in 2023 as a 30 year old corner if he plays out the full terms of his extension. The $17.25 million annual average appeared to be a bargain at the time, but as it turns out the entire league simply doesn't see Benford in the same way as a top-flight corner.
Why that is should be a mystery. Your guess is as good as mine. Because the eyeball test and the numbers (other than his draft slot three years ago) suggest this is one of the league's best cornerbacks — even if ESPN's annual poll couldn't find a single person willing to vote him inside the top 10 this offseason.
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