Bills' CB Dee Alford: Bills' No. 22 Player Set to Fill Big Shoes in Secondary

As the team enjoys its summer break, Bills On SI will unveil its Top 25 Player Rankings (based upon expected impact) for the 2026 season. CB Dee Alford, whom the Bills acquired in free agency, lands at No. 22.

When Taron Johnson's play declined in 2025, it was apparent the Buffalo Bills needed a replacement for him at slot cornerback.

After the Bills acquired a sixth-round pick in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders after it was initially reported that Johnson was released, they eyed free agency to find his replacement.

Buffalo inked former Atlanta Falcons corner Dee Alford to a three-year, $21 million contract on March 10, banking its hopes on him to fill the void left by Johnson. On SI's Alex Brasky believes Alford could make noise in 2026, and there are reasons to believe so.

Why is Alford so important?

I’m sad to see him go, but tip of the damn cap to former Falcons CB and new Bills CB Dee Alford. Played his ass off last year

Griffin, GA➡️Tusculum➡️CFL➡️4 years with the Falcons➡️3 year, $10M+ contract with the Bills https://t.co/ju2oh6zUZo pic.twitter.com/svELToINuF
— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) March 9, 2026

Slot cornerbacks generally face the smaller, shiftier receivers who line up on the inside of the offensive formation and traverse the middle of the field, where all the traffic is.

Alford also spent time on the boundary and in the box in 2025, a quality that will serve defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard well, especially given the attention Buffalo has given to revamping its cornerback room completely in 2026.

Alford played in 16 games with seven starts in 2025, intercepting three passes and tallying 67 tackles and six tackles for loss, highlighting his ballhawking ability and willingness to get dirty. The underlying stats also suggest he is ready for the role.

Alford allowed a 77.1 passer rating when targeted in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus, which would rank among the top 50 players in all the NFL if he were qualified, according to Pro Football Reference.

Alford's background

Oct 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) makes an interception against the Buffalo Bills during the first half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Alford was born on November 5, 1997 in Hernando, Mississippi, but raised in Griffin, Georgia, and his path to the NFL is a strange one. Coming out of Spalding High School in Griffin, he played college football at Division II Tusculum University for four seasons.

Following that, he joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL. He didn't play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when he worked overnight shifts at a FedEx before going to workouts, but would help the team win the Grey Cup title in 2021 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 33-25.

The Falcons gave Alford a shot by signing him to a futures contract in January 2022, and he made the most of his opportunity.

Alford played 64 games, starting 23 in his four seasons in Atlanta, notching 216 tackles, 37 passes defended and four interceptions, a stat line that proves he's ready to fill Johnson's shoes.

The rest of the Top 25 so far

25. RB Ty Johnson, June 16
24. CB Maxwell Hairston, June 17
23. K Tyler Bass, June 18

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