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Round 6, Pick 177
Defense, Defense, and More Defense
After loading up on defense throughout the 2025 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills added another piece, CB Dorian Strong from Virginia Tech. Strong is Buffalo’s third CB in this class after they selected Maxwell Hairston with pick 30 in the first round, and Jordan Hancock at pick 170, just seven picks before Dorian Strong. Strong is aiming for that CB4 spot on the depth chart, battling with fellow rookie Jordan Hancock and beloved Bills veteran Tre’Davious White. Likely a very competitive battle this camp, Buffalo needs a boost in their secondary depth.
Strong’s College Stats
Dorian Strong has plenty of college football experience as he heads to Buffalo, playing in 53 games. Strong started in 2023 and 2024 after being injured in 2022. He racked up an impressive 5 INTs, 14 PBUs, and 57 Tackles throughout the last two seasons he’s started. The following statistics are available via Chad Reuter, NFL Draft Researcher/Analyst with NFL Media since 2011, as linked in Strong’s draft profile below.
- 2020: Played in all 11 games with 5 starts (22 tackles, INT, 5 PBUs).
- 2021: Played in all 13 games with 10 starts (23 tackles, TFL, INT, 6 PBUs).
- 2022: Redshirted. Started 4 games (10 tackles, 3 PBUs). Then missed the end of the season due to an injury.
- 2023: Third-team All-ACC. Led team with 3 INTs, 8 PBUs. Started all 13 games (25 tackles).
- 2024: Honorable Mention All-ACC. Started 12 games (32 tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PBUs, FF). Did not play in the team’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss to Minnesota.
NFL Combine
Dorian Strong was a formidable CB for the Hokies over the past two seasons. While he has plenty of experience, he lacks the athleticism that HC Sean McDermott likes in his defenders. Ranking 28th among CBs in athleticism at the combine, Strong is seen as a project with some upside. He ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, which is average, but what had stood out to me was his vertical of 36″, which allows him to cover a wider range on the deep ball in case he has an unfavorable matchup.
Expectations
I will continue to reiterate the fact that I don’t expect much out of day 3 picks, they are dart throws at the end of the day. Now, of the three corners, veteran Tre”Davious White is the favorite to be CB4 as he knows the system, and I think it would be a disservice to have him on the bench all game. What is more likely to happen, in my opinion, is that with White’s age, he could split CB4 time with either Hancock or Strong. This scenario keeps the Bills legend on the field while allowing for one of the rookies to see some playing time as a rookie.
Dorian Strong’s projected rookie stats are as follows: 0 INTs, 4 tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 1 PBU. As it stands, I think Hancock is more likely to see playing time, and while I think splitting the CB4 role would be beneficial, it may not happen, leaving Strong as a possible CB5 or CB6. Dorian Strong could also find himself on the practice squad to open up the season if he doesn’t outperform Hancock in camp or the preseason.
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