The Buffalo Bills spent the summer searching for a punt returner, and their first unofficial depth chart offers the clearest sign yet of who’s in position to get the first shot.
Dee Alford is listed first at punt returner ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Houston Texans. Ray Davis is next, with Khalil Shakir third.
That’s where the competition stands after Buffalo spent training camp and the preseason rotating through options. Keon Coleman, Mecole Hardman, Dante Pettis and Skyler Bell all got looks at different points, but Alford appears to be the current front-runner.
Davis, meanwhile, still holds the top spot on kickoff returns after earning Pro Bowl recognition there last season. He took over midway through the year and led the NFL with 30.4 yards per kickoff return.
But his punt-return audition hit a rough patch in Buffalo’s preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he muffed a punt that Pittsburgh recovered at the Bills’ 13-yard line. The Steelers turned that giveaway into a touchdown on the very next play.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane addressed the uncertainty after roster cuts.
"I can't tell you who's going to line up Week 1 yet," Beane said Sept. 1.
Alford brings some real experience to the job. The veteran cornerback returned 20 punts for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023, so this wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory if Buffalo goes with him Sunday.
Shakir is also in the mix, and he has a decent sample size of his own. Last season, he returned 16 punts for 124 yards, a 7.8-yard average.
There’s also another name worth watching, even if he doesn’t show up on the depth chart: Greg Dortch. Buffalo signed the veteran return specialist to its practice squad Aug.
- He averaged 11.6 yards on 16 punt returns for the Arizona Cardinals last season, which ranked 11th in the league.
That kind of production would be a welcome upgrade for a Bills team that averaged just 6.5 yards on 30 punt returns last season, 28th in the NFL.
Dortch isn’t on the 53-man roster, so he’s not listed on the depth chart. But Buffalo could elevate him on game day or move him onto the active roster later if it decides he’s the best answer.
For now, though, Alford is the name at the top. And that’s especially notable because he’s already carrying a heavy load: he’s listed as Buffalo’s starting nickel cornerback and the backup to Christian Benford at one of the outside corner spots.
Buffalo still hasn’t officially solved the punt-return question. But after a summer full of auditions, it’s finally narrowed the field.
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