Stud Bills linebacker gets bounced from the Pro Bowl

When did the NFL announce? Professional Bowlers 2025 earlier that morning, two Buffalo Bills players were included in the lineup: QB Josh Allen and Lt. Dion Dawkins. Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, was who didn’t make it.

The biggest snubs were CB Christian Benford and RB James Cook. Unlike Cook, Benford was not only left out of the squad, he didn’t even make it named deputy. The third-year corner is playing one of the best games of his career this season, and yet he continues to go unnoticed.

IN 15 games this seasonBenford managed just 316 yards on 58 targets. His allowed completion percentage when targeted is 63.8%, while his passing grade allowed when targeted is 86.6. His overall PFF grade of 82.6 ranks fourth out of 219 defenders ranked, and his coverage grade (82.8) also ranks fourth.

In addition, Benford only missed two tackles this season. His 64 total tackles were enough for a 3.0 tackle miss percentage. In other aspects of his game, his two interceptions rank 14th and his two forced fumbles rank fourth out of 219.

It’s almost as if Benford was such a closed corner that his name was forgotten; Quarterbacks just don’t want to get in his way. (For comparison, fellow starting CB Rasul Douglas has a 72.9 allowed completion percentage and a 122.0 passing grade when targeted this season.)

The 2022 sixth-round draft pick always went under the radar, even going back to his college days at Villanova. According to Villanova websiteIn just 36 college games, Benford recorded 137 tackles, 14 interceptions and 47 passes defensed. His senior season, his passer rating allowed was just 25.2.

But hey, the longer the rest of the league sleeps with Christian Benford, the better off the Buffalo Bills will be.