Bills Shooting For Deja Vu With New Rookie Defensive Additions
In 2022, the Bills drafted cornerback Kaiir Elam in the first round, and Christian Benford in one of the final rounds of the same draft. No one believed Benford would turn into a star, while many expected Elam to be an immediate impact player.
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The opposite happened. Benford has become one of the top players at his posiiton, while Elam has been shipped to the Dallas Cowboys.
It might be happening again too.
Buffalo drafted Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston in the first round and Virginia Tech corner Dorian Strong in the sixth round of the 2025 draft - almost the exact same spots they took Elam and Benford four years ago.
No, no, nobody is talking about shipping away Max.
But what about a later-round same-position guy again jumping up?
Kyle Crabbs of the 33rd Team even believes Strong will be a solid role piece for the Bills.
'He is missing the ideal mass to play in the nickel, and his lack of involvement and refinements in defending the run create more of a projection if charging him with playing matchups inside," Crabbs said. "Strong is at his best playing zone coverage with his eyes in the backfield, where he can leverage multiple routes simultaneously as a deep third defender.'
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We have a long way to go before we end up seeing truly if the Bills have done the same thing they did a few years ago. It is unlikely that lightning struck the same place twice in this regard.
It's still an interesting thing to think about as the Bills continue through their offseason workouts, though.
Related: Bills Sign Rookie With Maxx Crosby Role Model Goal
Related: Bills 'Lethal Pairing' Key To Super Bowl Success?
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