The Bills’ defense has taken a sharp turn in the wrong direction through five games under coordinator Jim Leonhard, and the biggest problem sits in the secondary. Buffalo is actually holding up better against the run than it was at this point last season, giving up 108.2 yards per game, but the pass defense has unraveled. The Bills are allowing more than 280 yards through the air per game, including 269 yards to Drake Maye and 383 to Matthew Stafford in back-to-back outings.
That kind of breakdown is not what Buffalo has been known for in the Sean McDermott era, and the early struggles make it clear the team may need outside help. The secondary entered the year with plenty of new faces, so some growing pains were expected. Even so, the combination of Maxwell Hairston’s struggles and Christian Benford dealing with a toe injury has left the group exposed.
With the trade deadline approaching, Buffalo is being pointed toward the market for a cornerback upgrade. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report listed Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson as a name to watch if he can recover fully from a hamstring injury.
" Donte Jackson resides at the bottom of our list because of his health. He's battling a hamstring injury and missed Week 5. He's currently considered week-to-week, according to ESPN's Anthony Gharib."
" Jackson started 15 games for the Chargers last season and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 56.8 in coverage. Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have dealt Joey Porter Jr., Jackson should be a top option for cornerback-needy teams."
Jackson is worth monitoring for another reason: the Chargers’ 2026 season has gone off the rails. Buffalo got a first-hand look in Week 3 when Los Angeles forced five turnovers and still lost by eight points. If the Chargers keep sliding, they would be logical sellers, and Jackson could become available.
For the Bills, the fit makes sense if the secondary keeps leaking yardage. A move for Jackson would echo the kind of midseason fix Buffalo made in 2023 when it brought in Rasul Douglas from the Green Bay Packers. Right now, the priority is clear: the Bills need steadiness on the back end, and Jackson could be one way to get it.
In Other News...
Maxwell Hairston Faces A Defining Bills Moment In Week 6
Maxwell Hairstons rookie year has already taken a winding path for the Bills, beginning with a stint on injured reserve before he finally made his debut in Week 8. The 2025 first-round cornerback showed enough early promise to keep the conversation around his place in Buffalos future, but the margin for error at cornerback is never very large, especially for a player trying to carve out his role after missing valuable time.
The recent stretch has made the picture less comfortable. Hairston struggled in the loss to New England, where he was part of a defense that gave up two touchdown passes, and the Bills have since added more competition to the room with Davison Igbinosun in the mix. Buffalo has made it clear that the job will be earned, not assumed, and Hairston now finds himself in a spot where the next step matters as much as the first impression did. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Fans Need To See Why James Cook Drew NFL Punishment
The league office has another Bills-related note for the ledger, and it comes with a price tag attached to James Cook. Buffalos running back was fined by the NFL for unnecessary roughness tied to helmet use in the Week 5 matchup with the Rams, a reminder that even a relatively routine postgame review can turn into a costly one for a player in the middle of the weekly grind. The NFL routinely sorts through game film after the fact, hands out discipline based on what it sees, and routes the money to the NFL Foundation.
For Cook, the punishment landed in the upper tier of that weeks league discipline, trailing only the fine issued to Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby. For the Bills, it is the kind of detail that doesnt change the scoreboard but still matters, especially when one of their most important offensive pieces gets singled out in a physical game that already carried its share of heat. [Read more 🡒]
Alec Anderson Has Become A Bills Surprise Fans Cant Ignore
Buffalos 4-1 start has been built in part on the kind of stability that can go unnoticed until it becomes impossible to ignore, and Alec Anderson has fit that mold along the offensive line. With Josh Allen leading a productive offense, Anderson has settled in as a key piece up front, giving the Bills another dependable blocker in a group that has helped the quarterback stay comfortable and the attack stay on schedule.
For a team that has leaned on trench depth to keep its offense humming, Andersons rise has been one of the quieter success stories of the early season. He arrived without much fanfare, but his work has stood out enough to turn him into a surprise performer the Bills can trust, and that matters even more when the schedule starts tightening and every protection call carries more weight. [Read more 🡒]