HENDERSON, Nev. – The Las Vegas Raiders have finalized a deal to acquire veteran cornerback Taron Johnson from the Buffalo Bills, according to a source revealed on Sunday.
In the agreement, the Raiders will send a sixth-round pick to the Bills and receive a seventh-round pick in return.
The Bills announced on Friday that they would release Johnson and three other players, but they were not included on the transaction list, which opened the possibility of a trade.
The Bills decided to release Johnson, their starting cornerback in the ‘nickel’ position, as they adapt to a different defensive philosophy, moving from a 4-3 base to a 3-4, under the direction of new coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Johnson, 29, was selected in the fourth round in 2018. Since 2020, no team has used the ‘nickel’ formation more frequently than the Bills (83.4%), in part due to Johnson’s performance.
He will likely be remembered in Buffalo for his 101-yard play and touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 postseason.
In his career, Johnson has achieved eight interceptions, 48 passes defended, eight forced fumbles, and 572 tackles.
With the acquisition of Johnson, the Raiders seek to strengthen their need at the cornerback position, a group that lacked talent and depth last season. Kyu Blu Kelly struggled, allowing the most yards on the team, and Darien Porter, the team’s third-round pick in 2025, appeared in 17 games but is still developing. Decamerion Richardson played primarily on special teams.
Eric Stokes, an unrestricted free agent, was a bright spot in high school. He accumulated 53 tackles and five passes defended. He was targeted 55 times, allowing 338 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Raiders are considering bringing Stokes back. At the scouting combine last month, Raiders general manager John Spytek said he had a “good dialogue” with Stokes about a possible reunion and that he would love for the 27-year-old defensive player to return.
