The Buffalo Bills had a fullback, Reggie Gilliam, whose main use was on special teams for the duration. of his time with the club. Gilliam entered the league as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft, and while he played both fullback and tight end at points, his main use came in the game’s third phase.
With Gilliam gone to the worst possible place he could have gone, at least from this fan’s perspective, Buffalo has to find his replacement. Should they look for someone who, like Gilliam,
is a special teams player first and a fullback second? Or, will they make a move for a player who could possibly play a greater role on offense?
In today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we discuss someone who might be able to fill Gilliam’s shoes and then some.
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Name: Jackson Acker
Number: 40
Position: FB
Height/Weight: 6’1” 247 lbs.
Age: 23 (24 on 11/15/2026)
Experience/Draft: R; signed with Buffalo following the 2026 NFL Draft
College: Wisconsin
Acquired: UDFA signing
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Acker’s three-year UDFA deal is worth $3.117 million in total. For the 2026 season, he carries a cap hit of $890,666 if he makes the 53-man roster. If he’s released, Buffalo will carry a dead cap charge equal to the total guarantees on his contract, which comes out to just $17,000.
2025 Recap: Acker’s final year with the Badgers was another one spent toiling mostly in anonymity, as he was used mostly as a lead blocker for a three-headed rushing attack. He did carry 15 times for 55 yards—both totals were equal to the second-most for a single season in his NCAA career—including eight carries on third or fourth down. He converted all eight of those attempts into first downs. Acker also added eight catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. He was not invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, but he put up some good numbers at Wisconsin’s Pro Day. He ran the forty-yard dash in 4.69 seconds, did the twenty-yard shuttle in 4.43 seconds, did the three-cone drill in 7.34 seconds, put up 20 reps of 225 lbs. in the bench press, and leapt 32.5” in the vertical leap and 9’7” in the broad jump.
Positional outlook: Acker is one of two fullbacks on Buffalo’s roster, with Ben VanSumeran the other. James Cook III, Ray Davis, Ty Johnon, Ian Wheeler, and Frank Gore Jr. are the running backs on the current roster.
2026 Offseason: Acker is healthy and he has participated in OTAs.
2026 Season outlook: Acker may not have the NFL experience or the special teams pedigree of a VanSumeran, who entered the league as a linebacker, but what he does have is some untapped potential as a runner to go with solid overall athleticism. In his sophomore year at Wisconsin, Acker was really the backup to Braelon Allen, currently with the New York Jets. Acker carried 72 times for 322 yards and two scores that season, adding 19 catches for 108 yards and another touchdown as a receiver. Obviously, the Bills wouldn’t want to lean on Acker for that much production, and given that those totals make up almost the entirety of Acker’s NCAA output, it’s fair to assume that Wisconsin didn’t even want to rely on him for that much offense, either.
What’s going to determine whether Acker makes the 53-man roster or not will be his success or failure on special teams. If he proves that he can be a reliable force covering kicks and setting up blocks for Buffalo’s returners, then I think he’ll likely be the fullback when Buffalo opens against the Houston Texans on September 13. If he sn’t good on special teams, then the Bills will go with the veteran VanSumeran, who doesn’t have the same offensive potential, but is definitely an adept special teams player.
Another plus to keeping Acker would be something that the Bills probably don’t want to say out loud, but it’s going to become a reality sooner than we think: The team needs a better short-yardage option than Josh Allen, who at 30 years old should not continue to be a battering ram week in and week out. Sure, Allen is a unicorn who has been wildly successful in short-yardage situations throughout his career; however, all it takes is one play for his career—and with it, Buffalo’s outlook—to change dramatically. The team can’t take away every situation where Allen is going to take contact, but if they can find some ways to limit it, they should. Adding a battering ram who is successful in short-yardage situations is one way they can limit the shots their franchise quarterback takes.
There are many ways for Jackson Acker to make the Bills’ roster, but there are two that stand out. First, be a dog on special teams. Second, be a plus in short-yardage situations. If he can do those two things, he will likely stick with the club this season.
