What is the story about?
The Buffalo Bills host the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, August 15 for the first preseason game inside the new Highmark Stadium, and now that the team is well into its week of preparation, they’ve released the first depth chart of the summer.
Remember, this depth chart isn’t necessarily directly from the coaching staff. And there’s nothing truly official about it. However, it does give some indication of where specific players are in positional battles.
Takeaways from Bills first depth chart
- Alec Anderson with the early nod over Austin Corbett for the starting left guard role. This is mostly as expected, as Anderson took most of the initial reps with the first-team offense at training camp. This is one battle I don’t believe has much chance to change ahead of Week 1 against the Texans.
- Despite the spectacular summer from Kaleb Elarms-Orr, he’s still listed behind incumbent starters Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard at inside linebacker. I’d assume with a few plays made this August, and serious conversations will be had about how to get him onto the field, if they haven’t started already.
- Nice to see 2025 second-round pick T.J. Sanders in a starting defensive line role. While there’s not much hitting in camp, Sanders had a strong summer in Pittsford. If he emerges in Year 2, it’d go a long way in stabilizing the Bills new defensive front.
- Kyle Allen still ahead of Shane Buechele despite a seemingly close battle for QB2 this summer. This one is likely to be settled on the field in the preseason.
- Undrafted rookie Kani Walker finds himself as either the CB3 or CB4 — on the boundary — right now, which is a testament to the steady albeit unspectacular camp the longer defensive back had.
- Jalon Kilgore listed with the third team is surprising, given how frequently he made plays at camp, and how much of the Bills staff raved about his play at St. John Fisher University in a variety of roles.
- Another surprise — Joe Andreessen ahead of Keonta Jenkins at inside linebacker. It’s not that Jenkins thoroughly outplayed Buffalo Joe at camp, it’s just that Jenkins took more snaps with the second team throughout the Bills time in Rochester.
What stands out to you about this first released
depth chart?
