Has Bills Rookie Davison Igbinosun Taken Over Max Hairston's Starting Role?

The Buffalo Bills may have a changing situation at cornerback, as rookie Davison Igbinosun saw significantly more defensive playing time than Maxwell Hairston during Monday night's 37-34 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Igbinosun played 84% of Buffalo's defensive snaps against Los Angeles, while Hairston was on the field for just 21%. The difference in playing time raises questions about whether Igbinosun is beginning to move ahead of Hairston in the Bills' cornerback rotation.

Christian Benford remained Buffalo's primary option at cornerback, playing 94% of the defensive snaps in his return from injury that kept him out against New England last week. But Igbinosun's workload stood out, particularly when compared with Hairston's limited defensive involvement.

Hairston played just 17 of a possible 82 defensive snaps against the Rams. He also participated in 21% of Buffalo's special teams snaps, while Igbinosun did not play on special teams at all.

That distinction matters. Buffalo wasn't simply giving Igbinosun a larger role across all phases of the game. The rookie was being used heavily on defense, while Hairston's contributions were much more limited on that side of the ball.

And while he did give up a few big plays, including a touchdown to Puka Nacua, his usage seems to indicate how Buffalo's coaches feel about the 2026 2nd-round pick out of Ohio State.

Hairston has been under fire for his play, especially against the Patriots, and the leash appears to be short. Just look back three weeks. Against the Chargers, Hairston played 81% of the defensive snaps while Igbinosun played just 44%. 

Two weeks later, and things have switched in a big way. 

Of course, Monday's game doesn't necessarily mean the Bills have officially changed their depth chart, but the snap counts offer a reason to wonder whether the coaching staff is becoming more comfortable with Igbinosun in a significant defensive role.

The Bills entered the season with questions about their outside cornerback depth behind Benford. Hairston, a first-round pick in 2025, was expected to be a key part of the team's plans after an injury-affected rookie season. Igbinosun, meanwhile, arrived as a 2026 rookie with an opportunity to compete for playing time.

They still have questions, but they appear to be heading towards trying to find an answer.

The next step will be seeing whether Igbinosun's workload carries over into Buffalo's Week 6 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. One game doesn't confirm a permanent change, and playing time can be affected by individual matchups and in-game decisions. Still, an 84% defensive snap share for Igbinosun compared with 21% for Hairston is difficult to ignore.

If that gap continues, the Bills could be moving toward a different pecking order at cornerback than the one they envisioned entering the season.