Dorian Strong

Cornerback · Virginia Tech

A five-year Virginia Tech starter, Dorian Strong became the lowest-drafted defensive player to start Week 1 of the 2025 season for Buffalo.

Dorian Strong arrived in Buffalo as a sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech and immediately won a starting cornerback job opposite Christian Benford. The Upper Marlboro, Maryland native built his game on press coverage and instincts over five college seasons, and he carried that skill set straight into the Bills' secondary as a rookie.

★ All-ACC Third Team, Virginia Tech, 2023

★ Sixth-round pick, 2025 NFL Draft (No. 177 overall)

★ Opened the 2025 season as Buffalo's Week 1 starting boundary cornerback

★ 112 tackles and seven interceptions across five seasons at Virginia Tech

Path to the league

Strong spent five seasons as a starting cornerback at Virginia Tech, earning All-ACC Third Team honors in 2023 and an honorable mention nod in 2024. He finished his college career with 112 tackles and seven interceptions across 53 games. The Buffalo Bills selected him in the sixth round, 177th overall, of the 2025 NFL Draft, a pick acquired via trade with the New York Giants.

Career highlights

One of Strong's Virginia Tech position coaches called him the best press-man corner he had coached, and that trait translated quickly to the pro game. Strong beat out more experienced options to start at boundary cornerback for Buffalo to open the 2025 season, a notable feat for a sixth-round rookie in a veteran-laden secondary.

2025 season recap

Strong started Week 1 for the Bills and held his own in coverage, allowing just four catches on five targets for 54 yards before missing Week 3. He posted 10 tackles across four games, including two-tackle outings against the Jets and Dolphins and a four-tackle game against the Saints in Week 4, which proved to be his final appearance of the season.