Christian Benford burst onto the scene during the 2024 NFL season, turning into one of the best defenders on the Buffalo Bills defense.
Benford, 24, was a sixth-round pick of the team in 2022. Buffalo’s top selection was another cornerback in Kaiir Elam but Benford has since turned into the Bills’ No. 1 corner.
While Benford did mostly go under radar nationally in 2024, he did receive one vote for Defensive Player of the Year.
Now Pro Football Focus has added to that.
The football analytics outlet named their top-101 players in the NFL last year and Benford clocked in a No. 67 overall:
Top 101 NFL players from the 2024 season:
#67: CB Christian Benford
0.51 yards per coverage snap allowed (1st among CBs) pic.twitter.com/BctCjwl4YJ
— PFF (@PFF) February 19, 2025
In 15 games played, Benford had two interceptions, 10 passes defended, and a sack with 64 tackles including three for loss.
Along with his No. 67 placement, PFF reflected well on Benford in regard to his overall grade in their metrics from last season. Benford earned a 79.3 mark, good for PF’s sixth-best cornerback in the NFL in 2024.
PFF’s full breakdown on Benford from their top-101 players can be found below:
Benford was the biggest positive development in an otherwise woeful Bills secondary. He finished the regular season with the fourth-best coverage grade among qualified cornerbacks with an 82.8 mark. He also missed just two tackles all year. The only cornerback who played at least 400 snaps and bested Benford’s 2.8% missed tackle rate was NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner Patrick Surtain II.