The Buffalo Bills are home in Orchard Park after a short but active training camp at St. John Fisher University, which means it’s time for a 53-man roster projection.
While there weren’t a litany of enormous personnel developments during the team’s time in Pittsford, some alterations from my post-draft projection are needed…
Quarterback (2)
- Josh Allen
- Shane Buechele
Kyle Allen underwhelmed at training camp almost every day. Buechele came on strong late. I think we have a serious QB2 battle on our hands this preseason.
Running
Back (3)
- James Cook
- Ray Davis
- Ty Johnson
Johnson hurt his leg in the Return of the Blue and Red Scrimmage, but it shouldn’t change the numbers game at the running back position for the start of the season.
Wide Receiver (7)
- D.J. Moore
- Khalil Shakir
- Josh Palmer
- Keon Coleman
- Skyler Bell
- Mecole Hardman
- Trent Sherfield
Going with seven — instead of what was the traditional six — because this is Joe Brady’s team now, and I assume he’s going to want to pass it and pass it often. Hardman looked as spry as ever at camp, made some plays down the field, and can serve as the club’s primary returner. Sherfield makes it on special teams availability.
Tight End (3)
- Dalton Kincaid
- Dawson Knox
- Jackson Hawes
I’ll focus on Hawes here — he played 43% of the offensive snaps as a rookie and turned in a damn good first season in the NFL, particularly for a fifth-round pick. There’s untapped receiving potential in Hawes, and he absolutely has the game to be the stand-in for the departed Reggie Gilliam as a lead-blocking fullback when needed.
Offensive Line (9)
- Dion Dawkins
- Alec Anderson
- Connor McGovern
- O’Cyrus Torrence
- Spencer Brown
- Austin Corbett
- Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
- Tylan Grable
- Jude Bowry
Notable-ish cuts are to Lloyd Cushenberry and 2025 seventh-round pick Chase Lundt. While it’s not particularly easy to glean observations from the sidelines at camp, I did not notice nor talk to anyone who mentioned noteworthy positives from either of those two at St. John Fisher. Corbett and SVPG are the two swing interior blockers. Grable steps into the old Alec Anderson/David Edwards swing tackle role.
Defensive Line (7)
- Ed Oliver
- Deone Walker
- T.J. Sanders
- Phidarian Mathis
- DeWayne Carter
- Landon Jackson
- Zane Durant
Pretty cut and dry here — and Carter showed a glimmer of promise at times during training camp, even at his beefed up size.
Inside Linebacker (4)
- Terrel Bernard
- Kaleb Elarms-Orr
- Dorian Williams
- Keonta Jenkins
I, personally, don’t believe Sean McDermott was a big Dorian Williams guy. But we don’t know how Jim Leonard views him. He may love his fiery style on the field. Having said that, I believe KEO did enough at camp to earn a Week 1 starting role. Run defense, screen IDing, downfield coverage. It was all there. Joe Andreessen is the odd-man out as of now, although he should get plenty of run in the preseason to work his magic like he’s done in August each of the last two years.
Rush Linebacker (5)
- Greg Rousseau
- Bradley Chubb
- Michael Hoecht
- T.J. Parker
- Javon Solomon
One more rush linebacker from my post-draft projection, as Hoecht has made a magnificently fast return to the field after his early November injury. He was explosive, and reasonably disruptive at camp. The same goes for Solomon, who sneaks onto the roster as a player Leonhard may grow to love as a situation stand-up rusher.
Defensive Backs (10)*
- Christian Benford
- Maxwell Hairston
- Dee Alford
- Davison Igbinosun
- Cole Bishop
- CJ Gardner-Johnson
- Jordan Hancock
- Damar Hamlin
- Jalon Kilgore
- Sam Franklin Jr.
The only change here that represents any semblance of surpise would be Hamlin over Geno Stone. I saw a reinvigorated Hamlin at camp. Simply more plays out of him there, heading into the preseason. Franklin Jr. even had practices with the first-team group during CJGJ’s short injury absence, and he’s an animal as a gunner on the punt team.
Also, don’t be surprised if Kilgore is on the field in sub packages as a rookie. If it weren’t for the sensational camp from KEO, the former South Carolina safety would be drawing all the headlines as the most impressive Bills rookie in Rochester. And no Kani Walker… yet.
Specialists (3)
- Reid Ferguson
- Tommy Doman Jr.
- Tyler Bass
I can’t say Doman Jr. clearly won the punter battle in camp, but he gets the nod as a draft pick over the veteran
