.jpg) Johnson in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 –Buffalo Bills | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1996-07-27)July 27, 1996 (age 28) Sacramento, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Sheldon (Sacramento, California) | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | Weber State (2014–2017) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2018: 4th round, 121st pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
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Taron Johnson (born July 27, 1996) is an American professionalfootballcornerback for theBuffalo Bills of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football atWeber State[1] and was drafted by the Bills in the 4th round of the2018 NFL Draft.
Johnson primarily plays as anickelback and has therefore been an instrumental part of Bills head coachSean McDermott's basenickel defense, among one of the league's strongest units against the pass. He was named a second teamAll-Pro in 2023, namely for his play as a slot cornerback.
Johnson playedhigh school football atSheldon High School inSacramento, California. He was pulled up to the school’s varsity squad as a sophomore, one year earlier than the standard, owing to his exceptional talent. He would go on to be the school’s first everNFL draft pick.[2]
Coming out of high school,Weber State was the only college that offered Johnson a football position, so he accepted it.[2]
Johnson started five games as a freshman at Weber State, and was a full-time starter thereafter. As a sophomore, he set a school record with 12 pass break-ups, and then tied the record the following season as a junior. As a senior in 2017, he totaled three interceptions, nine pass break-ups, and 49 tackles, earning theBig Sky Defensive Player of the Year award[3] and consensus First TimeAll-American honors.[4]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft11+1⁄8 in (1.81 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 30+7⁄8 in (0.78 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.50 s | 1.54 s | 2.60 s | 4.27 s | 6.86 s | 33.0 in (0.84 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) | 17 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[5][6] | ||||||||||||
Johnson was selected by theBuffalo Bills in the fourth round of the2018 NFL draft with the 121st overall pick.[7] On May 11, 2018, he signed his rookie contract.[8] Since being drafted, Johnson has become the Bills' startingnickel cornerback, as head coachSean McDermott has utilized a basenickel defense.[9] His success as a run defender and in coverage has allowed the Bills to become one of the first teams to fully commit to the philosophy.[10]
As a rookie, Johnson recorded his first career sack and forced fumble against theGreen Bay Packers in week 4, taking down quarterbackAaron Rodgers with a strip-sack.[11] Johnson recorded his first career interception the following week against theTennessee Titans, picking offMarcus Mariota in the 13–12 victory.[12] He was placed on injured reserve on December 11, 2018, after undergoing shoulder surgery.[13]
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In Week 14 of the 2020 season against thePittsburgh Steelers onSunday Night Football, Johnson intercepted a pass thrown byBen Roethlisberger and returned it for a 51-yard touchdown during the 26–15 win.[14]
In the Divisional Round of the 2020 playoffs against theBaltimore Ravens, Johnson intercepted a pass thrown byLamar Jackson in the Bills' endzone and returned it for a 101-yardpick six during the 17–3 win.[15] This return tied the longest in NFL playoff history withGeorge Teague, and was later described as "franchise altering" by the press.[16]
On October 9, 2021, Johnson signed a three-year, $24 million contract extension with the Bills.[17]
After a second-team All-Pro season in 2023 as a slot cornerback, Johnson signed a three-year, $31 million contract extension with the Bills through the 2027 season.[18]
Johnson suffered a forearm injury just a few plays into the 2024 season opener after colliding with teammateTaylor Rapp on a tackle attempt. He missed four games due to the injury.[19] He returned in Week 6 against theNew York Jets, where he sealed the Bills' 23-20 win with an interception ofAaron Rodgers late in the fourth quarter.[20] In Week 10, Johnson returned an interception ofJoe Flacco for a 23-yard touchdown while also recording three tackles, two pass breakups, and a sack in a 30-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week.[21]
The Buffalo Bills were one of the first teams to fully commit to playing a nickel base defense. This season they are playing 90.3% of their defensive snaps with five defensive backs on the field. Taron Johnson is their designated nickel corner and has been a large part of the reason for this transition.. Since being drafted the Bills have continued to play more snaps as a nickel defense and continued to be one of the best in the NFL.
