The Bills’ latest late-round cornerback story has taken a hard turn.
Dorian Strong, Buffalo’s sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, flashed enough early to earn a starting job right out of the gate. He was on the field for the opener against the Baltimore Ravens, then spent the next few weeks mostly working on special teams before a neck injury against the New Orleans Saints in Week Four ended his season. Now, after neck surgery in February and a June move to the Non-Football Injury list, Strong is not expected to play in 2026.
Strong entered the league with some buzz for a sixth-rounder. The Bills took him No. 177 overall out of Virginia Tech, and he showed up in camp with a solid preseason, piling up 11 tackles across three exhibition games. In Week One, he logged two tackles while playing all 51 defensive snaps Buffalo used and adding ten snaps on special teams.
That opening stretch didn’t last long. Veteran Tre’Davious White took over the starting role opposite Christian Benford over the next three weeks, and Strong’s workload shifted heavily to special teams.
He had two tackles in wins over the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins, though he played only on special teams against Miami. Against New Orleans, he finished with four tackles before the injury shut him down for the year.
Buffalo placed him on injured reserve before the Week Five loss to the New England Patriots, and he stayed there the rest of the season.
The injury situation has only grown more serious since then. Brandon Beane called it a “serious” issue, and Strong was seen at OTAs wearing a neck brace. The Bills waived him with an injury designation in June as a procedural step to move him to NFI, which is where he landed.
For now, Strong is one of nine cornerbacks on Buffalo’s roster, alongside Maxwell Hairston, Christian Benford, Dee Alford, Toriano Pride Jr., Te’Cory Couch, Kani Walker, Jordan Dunbar, and Davison Igbinosun.
Strong is entering the second year of his four-year rookie deal, which totals $4,485,356. His 2026 cap hit is $611,339.
At this point, the outlook is straightforward: rest, rehab, and recharge. There’s even a real possibility Strong never plays again, which would be a tough outcome for a player who showed promise as a rookie and, more importantly, is dealing with an injury that could affect much more than football.
In Other News...
Bills May Have An Overlooked Defensive Draft Steal After All
The Bills spent the 2026 draft leaning into defense, using six of their 10 picks on that side after trading away seven selections before the weekend. Among that group, fifth-round safety Jalon Kilgore from South Carolina has a chance to be the kind of late pick that quietly matters, the sort of versatile defensive back who can help against both the pass and the run while fitting into multiple alignments.
Kilgore's appeal is not just about where he was taken, but how he might fit into a safety room that gives a rookie some room to grow. With C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone on short-term deals, the Bills may not have a long-term answer locked in at the position, which leaves open a path for Kilgore to begin on special teams and work his way toward a bigger role sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Why Bills Fans Suddenly Have Real Hope In This Defense
For a defense that has spent the last few seasons trying to turn promise into consistency, the Bills are suddenly being viewed through a far more optimistic lens. The buzz centers on a new defensive direction and the possibility that a few key pieces finally start to fit together, with Maxwell Hairston and Christian Benford drawing particular attention as a potential long-term answer on the outside.
The bigger question is whether that optimism can translate into something sturdier against the run and more disruptive overall. Buffalo was gashed too often last season, and the hope now is that coaching changes and player development can help the unit look less vulnerable in the trenches while the pass defense grows into one of the rosters real strengths. [Read more 🡒]