The Buffalo Bills deployed Taron Johnson and Cam Lewis as their primary slot corners for most of this decade. Johnson, for his part, had earned a starting role as early as his rookie year in 2018, though he didn’t become a full-time starter until the following season. Lewis worked his way onto Buffalo’s roster as a scrappy undrafted rookie who became a valuable, versatile member of the defensive secondary.
Now, with Johnson and Lewis both gone, it’s time for some new blood at the slot corner spot.
The Bills have a clear plan for what they intend to do with that position, as they spent somewhat big free agent dollars on a veteran to fill the role.
In today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we discuss that newly-signed veteran.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Name: Dee Alford
Number: 23
Position: CB
Height/Weight: 5’11” 180 lbs.
Age: 28 (29 on 11/5/2026)
Experience/Draft: 5; signed a reserve/futures contract as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons on 1/10/2022
College: Tusculum
Acquired: Signed with Buffalo on 3/12/2026
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Alford’s three-year contract with Buffalo is worth a total of $15.75 million, of which $10.12 million is guaranteed. Alford’s cap hit for the 2026 season is $3.23 million. Buffalo would carry a dead cap charge of $7.875 million if they were to release him.
2025 Recap: Alford had his best professional season in 2025, setting career-highs in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (13) while playing in 16 games. He had 67 tackles, two sacks, six tackles for loss, and one forced fumble while playing 57% of Atlanta’s defensive snaps. He was the team leader in pass breakups, and only rookie safety Xavier Watts had more interceptions on Atlanta’s roster than Alford did. Alford was particularly good in Atlanta’s 24-14 victory over Buffalo in Week Six. According to Pro Football Reference, he had six tackles, a sack, three pass breakups, and an interception in the game; quarterback Josh Allen was just 3-for-6 for 25 yards when targeting Alford in that game. Overall, Alford allowed 67.1% of the passes thrown his way to be completed, allowing four touchdowns and holding opposing quarterbacks to an 89.2 QB rating when targeting him. Alford allowed 571 passing yards on 79 targets. For comparison’s sake, Buffalo’s top nickel corner last season, Taron Johnson, allowed 63.6% of the passes thrown his way to be completed for 363 yards an two touchdowns. Opposing quarterbacks had a 94.7 QB rating on 55 targets in Johnson’s 13 games.
Positional outlook: Alford is one of six players listed at cornerback on Buffalo’s current roster. Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, Davison Igbinosun, D.J. Miller, and Toriano Pride Jr. are the others. Jordan Hancock is listed at defensive back, but he plays both nickel corner and safety. Te’Cory Couch, Kani Walker, and Jordan Dunbar are all listed at defensive back, but they primarily play corner, as well.
2026 Offseason: Alford has been the top option in the slot thus far at training camp and in practice. He was shaken up during practice on August 7, but he was able to participate in the team’s first practice at Highmark Stadium, so he’s healthy at the moment, as well.
2026 Season outlook: Alford was one of the first free agents signed by the Bills back in March, so it’s clear that the team and new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard view him as an important piece of what they plan to do. The guarantees on his contract signify his hold on a roster spot, as it would cost the Bills twice as much to release him this season than it would merely for them to keep him on the team. So, it’s not a question of whether Alford is on the team, but a question of whether he can continue the string of solid play he showed last year with Atlanta.
Alford has had an interesting career, as he played in the Canadian Football League for a season after college and before joining the Falcons. Alford was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2021 after sitting out the 2020 season due to COVID-19. He was a starting corner on that Winnipeg squad, and while he did not record an interception, he did make 48 tackles for the CFL’s top-ranked defense, and he did help Winnipeg win its second-consecutive Grey Cup at the end of the 2021 season.
Alford’s raw numbers are good, and while the advanced metrics show a player who can be beaten (and we’ve seen that in some one-on-one drills in training camp, as well), he’s a scrappy player who isn’t afraid to mix it up with much larger players. He’s also the player who injured Bills’ wideout Joshua Palmer on a hip-drop tackle last season, so I do wonder if he’s bought Palmer lunch at some point this summer (I’m only half-kidding).
I expect that Alford will be Buffalo’s primary nickel corner this year, and while there may be some packages where the Bills use three safeties, I think those will come at the expense of a linebacker, not a corner. Alford is best suited for play in the slot, and he should be a fine replacement for Taron Johnson, who has long been a staple of the Bills’ defense. If Alford can continue to progress, then this could be a steal of a signing for Buffalo.
