Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
Dry the chicken legs with paper towels and evenly sprinkle the outsides of the chicken legs with the salt, smoked paprika and pepper.
Add the chicken legs to the air fryer basket, four at a time. Make sure they are not touching.
Cook the chicken legs for 10 minutes. Open the air fryer and flip the chicken legs over. Cook for an additional 8 minutes.
Open the air fryer and brush each chicken leg generously with BBQ sauce. Cook for 2 minutes. Check the temperature. If the chicken legs are at 165 degrees F they are safe to eat. If not, keep cooking.
Repeat this process with the remaining four chicken legs.