ORCHARD PARK – On the surface, it looks like the Buffalo Bills simply swapped out Taron Johnson for Dee Alford at the nickel cornerback spot, but that’s only true in that the names are different on the official 2026 depth chart.
New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is going to be using Alford a little differently, and probably less frequently, than Sean McDermott and his defensive coordinators, Bobby Babich and Leslie Frazier, used Johnson during his wonderfully effective eight-year career in Buffalo.
McDermott always wanted to play with at least five defensive backs on the field, and the fifth was Johnson who was basically a third linebacker in the even-man front scheme because the Bills trusted him so much to not only cover but to play against the run.
That meant Johnson was on the field more than most traditional nickels and from 2021 to 2024 the lowest percentage of snaps he played was 84% and that was only because he missed five games in that 2024 season with injury. And he performed those duties all of the time from the slot.
How Dee Alford’s role could look different in Buffalo
Alford’s usage will vary. In Leonhard’s odd-man front that features three down linemen, two inside linebackers and two standup edge rusher/outside linebackers, there’s no room for a slot corner until the Bills go into a sub package. In Atlanta’s defense the previous four years, the most Alford played was 69% of the snaps in 2024 and last year it was 57%, and it wasn’t always from the slot, so that would seem to line up with what Leonhard has planned in Buffalo.
Alford is considered a more versatile player than Johnson because with the Falcons he played plenty of snaps as a boundary corner. Without question, the bulk of his snaps here will be in the slot, but there could be calls where he’s moved outside depending on what the offensive formation is showing, something Johnson never did.
“We were very intentional about a guy like Dee Alford and bringing him in and his versatility to be an inside nickel and have the flexibility to play on the outside,” Leonhard said last week. “In my opinion, Dee did a great job in Atlanta. Did some similar things schematically to what we’re asking.
“One of the perks of being a versatile defense is you’re going to be playing nickel, you’re going to play base defense, you’re going to have a bunch of different packages, and having as many guys as we can move around as possible.”
Dee Alford’s path to the Bills
Alford was not drafted out of tiny Division II Tusculum University where, in 40 games he made 140 tackles and 10 interceptions while his 40 passes defended set a school record. Thus, he went north of the border to begin his pro career in the Canadian Football League.
He missed the 2020 season due to the pandemic, then was part of the 2021 Winnipeg Blue Bombers team that won the Grey Cup which is the CFL’s championship game. He caught the eye of the Falcons and joined them in 2022 as a free agent and made the team as a slot corner and special teamer. During his four seasons he started 23 of 64 games and he totaled four interceptions, two forced fumbles, three recoveries, 216 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
As soon as the Bills began showing interest when he hit the free agent market, Alford knew Buffalo’s switch to a base 3-4 would be a good fit.
“If you look at the type of defense (Leonhard) had in Denver, you’ll see they’re really a match, a lot of cover guys,” he said. “I feel like he’s going to let me come in and be a cover guy and fit right in with this system. Jim’s a great guy and a great coach who also knows what it feels like to be in the locker room as a player.”
If 2025 was an indication, Alford seems to be an ascending player. Three of his four career interceptions came last season when he also made a career-best 13 pass breakups. One of the picks came against Josh Allen in Atlanta’s 24-14 Week 6 victory over the Bills, a game where he also recorded a sack on a blitz, had four tackles and allowed just two completions on five targets.
It’s very early in the process, just starting the third week of OTAs, but Leonhard likes what he has seen so far.
“He’s killing it,” Leonhard said. “He’s a pro. He just wants to be coached, he soaks up every opportunity that you have to meet with him, and he’s a technician. So really excited about where that can go.”
Fair or not, there will be comparisons made between Johnson and Alford, and the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Alford – same height, 12 pounds less than Johnson – certainly has big cleats to fill.
Johnson, a fourth-round draft pick in 2018 out of Utah State, became one of the best value picks Brandon Beane has ever made. He ultimately started 87 of 113 regular-season games and accumulated six interceptions, eight sacks and 572 tackles, 23 for lost yardage. Further, he started 12 of 15 playoff games and in January 2021 made one of the most memorable plays in Bills history, his interception of Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and subsequent 101-yard touchdown return.
“Taron’s been great here,” Beane said. “The guy’s played nickel, but he’s also basically been half of a Will linebacker just with the way our defense was constructed. I can tell you – a lot of love and respect for him. We did get Dee Alford which is a guy we are very excited about.”
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 37 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills defense shift impacts Dee Alford role