Davison Igbinosun faces competition to earn playing time in Buffalo. But Igbinosun is no stranger to competition.
He was born in it. Molded by it. Ohio State brought in a line of talented transfer cornerbacks after he transferred there in 2023, and all it did was push him to keep getting stronger.
“It prepared me completely to be in an environment like the NFL,” Igbinosun said on April 25 after the Bills drafted him. “A place like Ohio State (is) recruiting five-star after five-star every year. So your spot, your job is on the line every practice. So I'm prepared for the NFL. At Ohio State, I was so accustomed to competing every day. That's just what I do. I expect it.”
Igbinosun must battle with two qualified cornerbacks to see the field in Buffalo. At the same time, however, the Bills drafted him with those two other players in mind: They see him as a specialist in different areas of cornerback play than their two projected starters, Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston. That’s why they traded up to take him with the No. 62 overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL draft.
“Obviously played major competition at Ohio State,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. “A year ago, did have some penalties, but this year, really cleaned it up. He’s big. He’s long. If you look at our penciled-in starters of Benford and Max right now, those are two different skill sets. I think this is a third skill set right now, a big, long (player). The best thing he does is press (coverage). Some guys are man/match, some guys are best in off. I think he gives us another added skill set.”
Igbinosun spent his freshman year starting at Ole Miss before transferring to Ohio State, his natural athleticism and 6-foot-2 frame with long arms creating early opportunities in his career. His first two years with the Buckeyes were also spent as a starter, and he posted at least 45 tackles in both seasons, with two interceptions in 2024. Penalties were the main pain point holding him back, however.
In 2024, Igbinosun was among the most penalized defenders in college football, drawing 16 flags, many of them for pass interference. He cut that number down to five penalties in 2025 and demonstrated why he was one of the nation’s best coverage corners. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed just 22 receptions for 207 yards and no touchdowns in 46 targets, a completion rate of just 47.8% and a mere 4.5 yards per target. The worst passing offense in college football last year, UMass, averaged 4.8 yards per attempt.
Igbinosun collected 53 tackles, two interceptions and eight pass breakups on his stat sheet, all told. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors.
“I just played with poise at the top of the route,” Igbinosun said of how he cut down on penalties. “I had to watch what I was doing wrong. I realized that I wasn't getting beat. People were not running past me. I was in great positions a lot of the time. Those PIs should have been PBUs and interceptions. So I just watched it in 2024, and in 2025, just relaxed when the ball was in the air, got my head around, made plays on the football.”
On day two of the draft on April 24, Buffalo sent a sixth-round pick to the Denver Broncos to trade up four spots from pick No. 66 in the third round to No. 62 in the second. There, the Bills snatched Igbinosun.
The next day, walking around Buffalo’s facilities felt surreal for Igbinosun. More than the buildings and halls themselves, it was the people who occupied them that impressed him most.
“I feel like I'm in a video game right now,” Igbinosun said. “Like, seriously. But I'm just blessed. Like, of course, as a young man, as a kid, I visualized, I dreamed for this. And the fact that everything's coming to fruition is just a blessing.”
Igbinosun will also be linking up with a former Ohio State running mate and close friend in Buffalo’s defensive backfield: Jordan Hancock. Hancock and Igbinosun competed to start at cornerback for the Buckeyes in 2023 before Hancock slid inside to nickel and settled in there for the final two years of his college career. It was pure elation between the two when Hancock called Igbinosun after the Bills selected him.
“My mom passed me the phone last night and he's yelling in my face,” Igbinosun said. “I'm yelling at him. So I didn't hear anything, but it's just mad love. Just me and Jordan's relationship, how much like we've grown at Ohio State.”
While the Bills seem intent on using all three, two Buffalo cornerbacks pose roadblocks to a starting role for Igbinosun. The first is Christian Benford, a starter for the last three seasons who’s averaged 53.7 tackles, 3.3 tackles for loss, two interceptions and eight pass breakups across those years.
The second and more viable corner Igbinosun could overtake for a starting position is second-year Maxwell Hairston. Hairston will certainly get a heavy look as a Bills first-round draft pick in 2025, but he underwhelmed as a rookie, playing 11 total games and starting just three. He had 18 tackles, two interceptions and five PBUs, but allowed 8.1 yards per target in coverage. Still, the former Kentucky Wildcat has talent and could improve in year two.
“Those are great players,” Igbinosun said of Benford and Hairston. “But I would say my mindset is to be the best cornerback in the NFL, so I'm coming here to compete. Want to play.”
The Bills also love what Igbinosun brings to the table, clearly.
“He is wired the right way,” Beane said. “I went to his pro day. I wanted to watch his movement, his off-the-ball movement versus just press, because he did so much press at Ohio State. And he checked the box. And the multitude of people I talked to there just raved about his football character, his competitiveness, his love of ball. Great teammate.”
The Bills showed that love with their upward swap to snag Igbinosun. If nothing else, that gives him confidence riding into his rookie year.
“It means the world to me, because I think highly of myself, and to see an organization think highly of me, it just validates everything that I thought about myself,” Igbinosun said. “And I would say they blessed me with the opportunity, and I'm going to do everything that I can to make sure I maximize the opportunity and just be the best version (of myself) I can for this organization that drafted me.”
