Bills CB taking on leadership role to uphold 'the standard' in reworked secondary

Buffalo Bills nickel cornerback Taron Johnson is taking on a greater leadership role in the wake of significant turnover in the secondary.

Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (7) gets ready prior to a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

It feels like just yesterday that Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde likened then-rookie nickel defender Taron Johnson to “a deer in the headlights,” something that was perhaps expected out of a former FCS cornerback who had never manned the slot before.

Fast forward to today, and Johnson is not only one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the league—he’s the most tenured member of Buffalo’s secondary.

Financial hardships prompted the Bills to move on from several stalwart defensive backs in the offseason, releasing safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback Tre’Davious White before letting Hyde depart as a free agent. The three have combined with Johnson over the past six seasons to form one of the best secondaries in the league, with Johnson oft-looking to them for guidance throughout the early portions of his career.

Related: Keon Coleman comfortable in Bills’ position-less WR corps: ‘I’m pretty confident’

He now finds himself as the one who defenders are looking to for advice, a leadership role he’s taking seriously. When speaking to reporters after Friday’s training camp practice, the seventh-year cornerback spoke about taking on a larger voice within the secondary and general locker room, hoping to become a sounding board and trusted voice for his teammates.

“I think I’m trying to make a conscious effort with [being a leader] and just being more vocal from the top guys to the lower guys, from guys who played eight years to guys who’ve been a rookie," Johnson said. "I’m just doing my best to communicate, anything that can help the team.”

Johnson feels obligated to take on a larger leadership role given the success his unit has achieved throughout his professional career. Buffalo’s defense has finished as a top-10 unit against the pass in all but one of Johnson’s seasons in Orchard Park, placing within the top five on three occasions and as the top unit twice. There’s a recent history—and expectation—of excellence within the Bills’ secondary, and Johnson doesn’t want to let that fade given the turnover.

Dec 31, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (7) against New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas (81) in the second quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

“I’ve been here a long time,” Johnson said. “We have a standard here; other guys haven’t been here that long, I have to make sure that I hold the standard with my play and just what I’m telling the other guys. Making sure that we’re staying to that high standard that we’ve had the past six years.”

Though Hyde, Poyer, and White departed One Bills Drive this spring, there’s reason to believe that Buffalo’s secondary will be stout yet again in the 2024 campaign. Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas, who notched four interceptions after being acquired by the Bills at last year’s trade deadline, figure to man the cornerback spots, while returning defender Taylor Rapp will start alongside the winner of a training camp position battle at safety. There’s turnover, but talent; the idea of another top-five finish against the pass isn’t egregious.

Regardless of the general secondary play, the Buffalo faithful can expect Johnson to deliver this fall. The reigning second-team All-Pro has been a beacon of consistency throughout his professional career, notching 450 total tackles, 188 run stops (per PFF), 39 pass deflections, and four interceptions; if he’s as good a leader as he is a nickel defender, the Bills’ secondary will be just fine.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —

More Buffalo Bills News:

• 6 takeaways from second day of Bills' 2024 training camp

• Bills OC reiterates ‘everyone eats’ offensive approach: ‘You have to respect everybody’

• Bills' DE Von Miller no longer mentally hampered nearly two years later

• Bills OC impressed by WR Keon Coleman’s training camp debut: It ‘shows who he is’

• Bills OC says star RB James Cook ‘looks different,’ isn’t worried about workload