Buffalo Bills Training Camp Battles: CB2
After touching on the linebacker battle in Part I, Part II of the Training Camp Battles Series is about who will line up opposite Christian Benford. Tre'Davious White is not currently on the roster, and first-year DC Jim Leonhard is expected to run a much heavier man-to-man coverage style than we have seen in years past. The depth chart is missing the familiar names we’ve grown accustomed to, with the trade of Taron Johnson and the release and recent retirement of Dane Jackson this offseason, along with the departure of Cam Lewis. Will it be a 2nd-year player coming in healthy, looking to build off of some promising moments in 2025? Or is there a rookie on the roster that is ready to take a starting spot?
The Obvious Competition
Maxwell Hairston vs Davison Igbinosun. Hairston showed flashes last year but missed 6 games to start the regular season due to an injury suffered in training camp. Igbinosun was a bit of a surprise when the Bills moved up 4 spots in this Spring’s draft back into the second round to select IGB when most thought there were more pressing roster needs at the time of the selection. As of right now, both are healthy, and it sounds like Hairston is in the driver’s seat for the CB2 spot.
The biggest positive out of this competition is that the loser will still see a good amount of playing time and be on the field often, from the sounds of the defensive approach under the new regime. Another positive is that the days of seeing Dane Jackson, Levi Wallace, and Kaiir Elam marching out onto the field in crucial moments due to an injury are behind us. I don’t mean for that to be disrespectful, but the cornerback depth on this team has been an issue for quite some time, and it was addressed this offseason.
The Dark Horse Opportunity
A reunion with Tre White. White’s name came up during Brandon Beane’s press conference last week, and he mentioned they keep in contact and was quoted as saying, “We love Tre. We constantly keep in contact with guys like Tre.” I think White had a great year last year. He really looked like a different player compared to what we saw with the Rams and Ravens. I just didn’t expect to see White return once McDermott was fired.
This is a true darkhorse candidate for the reasons above, and because I sense that the new defense may not be a good fit for White; it would be more of a comfort re-signing on both sides and not a move forward. I love Tre White and everything he did for the organization, but the cornerback position is one that I think needs to be decided internally, barring a wave of injuries.
My Prediction
Hairston stays healthy and is the starting CB2 this year. Leonhard has spoken pretty positively about the 2nd-year corner since coming to the Bills and made it clear that drafting IGB was not a statement about Hairston but more about their depth at the position overall. I believe that more now with his recent praise during training camp regarding Hairston’s speed and man-to-man coverage skills. I believe that if Hairston is healthy, he will be the CB2, and Leonhard will utilize his skill set.
There are going to be a lot of 1-on-1 matchups on the outside from the sounds of things, and he will be leaning on Hairston to keep up with the receiver while also keeping his eye on the quarterback.
Tuesday: Buffalo Bills Training Camp Battles: Who Starts Alongside Ed Oliver?
