Draft Coverage

'I feel like I'm living a dream' | CB Davison Igbinosun arrives in Buffalo ready to compete

Apr 26, 2026 at 08:52 PM

Content Manager

2026 NFL Draft Day 3, April 25, 2026 at the Kaleida Health Performance Center.

It was only a 45-minute flight from Jersey, but for cornerback Davison Igbinosun, Saturday felt like a trip of a lifetime.

The Bills' second-round pick — No. 62 overall out of Ohio State — touched down in Buffalo for his first official day as a member of the organization, and from the moment he stepped inside the facility, the cornerback made clear he belongs here.

"Right now, this moment, I feel like I'm living a dream," Igbinosun said. "I'm sitting up here getting interviewed by a bunch of media personnel. I feel like I'm in a video game right now, seriously. I'm just blessed."

The feeling was earned. Igbinosun, who goes by the nickname "IGB", grew up in Union, N.J., grinding through a path that didn't come with the automatic spotlight that follows blue-chip recruits. He mentioned how recruiters and scouts often overlook parts of the state and kids in the public school system.

"A lot of kids are often just not seen. They have the talent, but are just not found," he said.

In recent memory, New Jersey has produced a handful of talented NFL defensive backs, including former Bill Rasul Douglas and current Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

New Jersey doesn't always get its due but the state has a way of producing tough players, ones that play with an edge. Igbinosun is no exception.

"Yeah, it's Jersey versus the world," he said. "Growing up in New Jersey, you got to be tough, and me growing up in New Jersey has allowed me to just be here and be in this moment, and just has prepared me for a competitive environment like the NFL."

That chip on his shoulder has been a constant companion. After getting his start at Ole Miss, Igbinosun transferred to Ohio State in 2023. He wanted competition. He wanted to go against the best.

"It prepared me completely to be in an environment like the NFL. A place like Ohio State, you're recruiting five star after five star every year, so your job is on the line every practice," Igbinosun said.

At the time, the Buckeyes had wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on the roster, the consensus top receiver in college football. Igbinosun looked at that and saw opportunity, not a reason to look elsewhere.

"That was the whole point of me going to Ohio State," he said. "I wanted to go to Ohio State, at that time they had Marvin up here. He was the best receiver in college football. Why would I not go against Marvin every single day, like if I'm having a good day or a bad day, still got to line up against him. Iron sharpens iron as another man sharpens another man."

That mentality carried him through three seasons in Columbus, where he started all 43 games he played in and finished with 194 career tackles, four interceptions and 27 pass breakups, moving into a tie for 11th in school history in that category. He made Second Team All-Big Ten and led the Buckeyes in INTs and PBUs.

The biggest area of growth heading into draft season was also the most scrutinized. Igbinosun totaled 16 penalties in 2024, a number that popped on every scouting report. So he did what any film-obsessed cornerback with something to prove would do: he studied himself.

"I had to watch what I was doing wrong," he said. "I realized 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 and made plays on the football."

The result? That 16-penalty season was reduced to just four coverage infractions in 2025. Bills GM Brandon Beane took notice.

"Very aware, football smart, young man, football savvy," Beane said Saturday. "He passed all the tests for us."

Beane made the trip to Ohio State's pro day in March specifically to see how Igbinosun handled snaps outside of his press-man comfort zone. He checked the box. The people around the program raved about his football character, his competitiveness and his love of the game. When Igbinosun visited Buffalo during the pre-draft process, he stayed with former Buckeye teammate Jordan Hancock, got lunch with the players and got a feel for the locker room culture firsthand.

"I'm like, 'Man, I wouldn't be mad if the Bills drafted me, like I could see myself here,'" he said.

Now he's here and jersey No. 21 is already on his back.

"I didn't even tell them what number I wanted. I thought they was going to give me some crazy number," he said with a laugh. "They blessed me with that, so I'm grateful."

When it comes to the cornerback room, Igbinosun isn't arriving with any illusions about the competition that awaits him alongside Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston. He welcomes the chance to play alongside and compete with them.

"Those are great players, but I would say my mindset is to be the best cornerback in the NFL, so I'm coming here to compete," Igbinosun shared.

As for the newly constructed Highmark Stadium, which he caught a glimpse of during his 30 visit, the reality of it all is still settling in.

"I am actually going to be one of the first guys, first people to play in that stadium," he said. "It's just a blessing."