Surprise option emerges as Bills' top punt returner for Week 1

The Buffalo Bills spent all summer looking for a punt returner.

Dee Alford is listed atop the punt-returner spot on Buffalo's first unofficial depth chart ahead of Sunday's season opener against the Houston Texans .

Ray Davis is listed second and Khalil Shakir third.

It's the clearest indication yet of where Buffalo's wide-open competition stands after the Bills spent training camp and the preseason cycling through options.

At various points during training camp, Keon Coleman , Mecole Hardman , Dante Pettis and Skyler Bell were among the other players fielding punts.

Davis made the Pro Bowl as a return specialist last season after taking over kickoff-return duties midway through the year. He led the NFL with 30.4 yards per kickoff return and remains listed as Buffalo's No. 1 kick returner.

But Davis' audition on punts included a costly mistake.

He muffed a punt in Buffalo's preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers , and the Steelers recovered it at the Bills' 13-yard line. Pittsburgh capitalized off the turnover, scoring a touchdown one play later. General manager Brandon Beane acknowledged the mistake when discussing the unsettled job after roster cuts.

"I can't tell you who's going to line up Week 1 yet," Beane said Sept. 1.

The veteran cornerback isn't new to returning punts. Alford handled 20 of them for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023.

Shakir also has experience. He returned 16 punts for 124 yards last season, averaging 7.8 yards per return.

There's another intriguing option who isn't listed on the depth chart.

Buffalo signed veteran return specialist Greg Dortch to its practice squad Aug. 31. Dortch averaged 11.6 yards on 16 punt returns for the Arizona Cardinals last season, ranking 11th in the NFL.

That would represent a significant improvement for Buffalo. The Bills averaged only 6.5 yards on 30 punt returns last season, ranking 28th in the NFL.

Dortch isn't on the 53-man roster and therefore isn't listed on the depth chart. But Buffalo could elevate him from the practice squad on game day or sign him to the active roster if the Bills eventually decide he's their best option.

Alford could already have plenty on his plate.

The free-agent addition is listed as Buffalo's starting nickel cornerback and the backup to Christian Benford at one of the outside cornerback spots.

The Bills haven't necessarily answered who will be standing underneath Houston's first punt Sunday. But after an entire summer of auditions, they've provided their clearest answer yet.