Bills year in review: cornerback grades

There were high expectations for Bills cornerbacks going into the 2022 season. It was thought that Tre White would return for the season opener and that he and first round pick Kaiir Elam would be a dominant force on the Bills already stacked defense.

Unfortunately, this did not come to fruition. White didn’t return until Week 12 and never regained his prior level of play. Elam got off to a slow start and suffered from injuries throughout the season. This led the Bills to rely on a projected career backup in Dane Jackson at one starting cornerback spot, and there was a revolving door at the other.

Here are my grades for the 2022 Bills cornerbacks:

Taron Johnson
Games Started: 17
Games Played: 18
PFF Grade: 67.8
PFF Rank: 40th of 118
Grade: B-

Analysis: The most consistent cornerback on the Buffalo Bills in 2022 was nickelback Taron Johnson. He played in all 18 games, starting in 17 of them. Johnson had some of the best coverage skills on the team and will be a welcomed return in 2023.

Dane Jackson
Games Started: 15
Games Played: 17
PFF Grade: 58.6
PFF Rank: 83rd of 118
Grade: D+

Analysis: It was never intended that Dane Jackson be a starting cornerback for the Bills. He was drafted in the 7th round in 2020 and had eight career starts in his first two seasons. He was often lined up on the opposing team’s WR1 and was exposed for what he is—a backup cornerback.

Tre’Davious White
Games Started: 8
Games Played: 8
PFF Grade: 58.9
PFF Rank: 81st of 118
Grade: C

Analysis: Tre White’s return in Week 12 coincided with the loss of Von Miller for the season. Though Bills Mafia was upset that Von’s season was through, they were excited to see the return of Tre and thought the former All-Pro’s impact could possibly neutralize the loss of Miller. It was clear that Tre White was not close to where he wanted to be performance-wise in 2022. We did see flashes of him acting like his old, true self. Let’s hope he continues to progress and be at full-strength in 2023.

Kaiir Elam
Games Started: 7
Games Played: 15
PFF Grade: 64.6
PFF Rank: 59th of 118
Grade: B-

Analysis: Kaiir Elam ended up being the best true cornerback on the Bills roster in 2022. A nagging injury and lack of trust from his coaches early on left Elam with only 7 starts, but he showed that he could make timely big plays as a rookie. He intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the endzone against the Chiefs on their opening drive in Week 6 and he grabbed a crucial interception versus Miami in the wild-card round. As long as Elam can stay healthy, he should be the starting cornerback heading into Week 1 of 2023.

Christian Benford
Games Started: 5
Games Played: 9
PFF Grade: 55.7
PFF Rank: 96th of 118
Grade: C-

Analysis: In an injury-ravaged rookie season, Christian Benford still managed to start five games for the Bills in only nine of the games he was active. The coaching staff put their trust in the 6th round pick Week 1 on primetime instead of 1st round pick Kaiir Elam. It is rumored that the Bills will look to transition Benford to safety in 2023.