Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills run a nickel defense as their base look against most opponents. With a modern NFL game that’s skewed towards passing, it makes sense to have lighter, faster players on the field to counter spread offensive looks. But, what happens when teams decide to run out of those spread formations? If you have corners on the field who can’t tackle, you’re in trouble.
Enter Buffalo’s nickel corner, a smaller player who plays the run like someone 50 pounds heavier than he actually is, yet can run with most wideouts in the current NFL. He’s a weapon on defense in so many ways, capable of playing man or zone, blitzing off the edge or containing the run. It’s because of him that so many of Buffalo’s defensive calls work, as he allows them to run multiple defenses out of the same personnel grouping.
In our latest look at the Bills’ roster, we profile the team’s nickel corner.
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Name: Taron Johnson
Number: 7
Position: CB
Height/Weight: 5’11”, 192 pounds
Age: 29 (30 on 7/29/2026)
Experience/Draft: 8; selected by Buffalo in the fourth round (No. 121 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft
College: Weber State
Acquired: Fourth-round draft choice
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Johnson enters the first year of the three-year contract extension he signed last March. The total value of the extension is $30.75 million. For the 2025 season, Johnson carries a cap hit of $8.01 million, and the Bills would carry a dead-cap charge of $15.35 million if they were to release him.
2024 Recap: Johnson reprised his role as the Bills’ starting nickel corner last season, but a broken forearm early in the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals sidelined him for four weeks. He returned in the Bills’ 23-20 victory over the New York Jets, and he made his presence known immediately, totaling eight tackles, an interception, and a pass breakup in the game.
Johnson started every regular season game but one for the remainder of the year, sitting out in the Bills’ meaningless Week 18 contest with the New England Patriots. He started all three of the Bills’ playoff games, as well, though he played only 61% of the snaps in the Divisional Round against the Baltimore Ravens with the Bills using three linebackers more frequently to match Baltimore’s heavy personnel.
Johnson finished the season with a career-high two interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown against Joe Flacco and the Indianapolis Colts. He scored a second touchdown, as well, returning a fumble for a touchdown in Buffalo’s first meeting with New England. He had 65 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, one quarterback hit, and five pass breakups on the year while allowing 70% of the passes thrown his way to be completed for 374 yards and a touchdown.
In three playoff games, Johnson totaled 11 tackles and one pass breakup. Opposing quarterbacks completed 69% of the passes thrown his way in the postseason for 144 yards and...
