The Buffalo Bills are at a peaceful point in the offseason following a chaotic spring of change.
Soon enough, the Bills will take the field for training camp at St. John Fisher, and the quiet will be replaced by the sounds of 90 bodies trying to work their way onto the final roster in September.
Buffalo seemingly shocked the NFL by firing long-time head coach Sean McDermott and replacing him with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The Bills then filled their defensive coordinator vacancy by naming Jim Leonhard to the coaching staff.
The offseason changing-of-the-guard leaves the Bills in a bit of flux with respect to their roster. Buffalo added several players to fit the mold of the new coaching staff. The new faces will undoubtedly push some incumbents for snaps in the fall.
Here are Bills Wire’s four young players who could unseat veterans the roster for the 2026 season:
WR Skyler Bell
The Bills selected Bell in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He is an intriguing prospect for the Bills, with speed to stretch the field for Buffalo’s offense. Bell broke out during his final season in Storrs, recording 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns. Beyond catching the deep ball, the Bills hope Bell’s speed will help open up space for complementary receivers in the intermediate passing game.
Bell could ascend to starting duty with a strong preseason. Realistically, only Joshua Palmer and Keon Coleman can block Bell from getting on the field. However, Palmer struggled in his first season in Buffalo, not meeting the expectations of the three-year, $30 million contract he signed in 2025. Injuries and lack of chemistry equated to only 22 catches for 303 yards. This season looks to be Coleman’s final chance to stick with the Bills. Coleman’s inconsistency and maturity issues have opened the door for the Bills to find his replacement during Coleman’s rookie contract period.
LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr
Elarms-Orr was another one of Buffalo’s fourth-round selections in the most recent NFL Draft. He earned All-Big 12 First-Team honors last year, recording 130 tackles and four sacks for TCU.
Elarms-Orr’s path to starting snaps in an interesting one. The Bills will move to a base 3-4 (for the most part) under Leonard. Buffalo lacks depth at inside linebacker. Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams are at the top of the depth chart at this time, while Joe Andreessen provides solid depth and special teams play.
Bernard and Williams have had injury concerns in the past. Elarms-Orr has the athleticism, skill set, and game IQ to challenge for starting snaps this year. Most recently, Williams suffered an injury during Bills minicamp. This gave Elarms-Orr the opportunity to gain first-team reps, and early indications show he handled the workload well.
P Tommy Doman
It’s always exciting venturing into the realm of special teams when evaluating roster spots. Buffalo spent a seventh-round draft pick on Doman this year. Doman earned All-SEC honors while averaging 44.0 yards per punt for Florida. During his time in college, Doman also worked as a kickoff specialist.
Veteran Mitch Wishnowsky was solid for the Bills, averaging 45.3 yards on 38 punts last season. Eighteen of Wishnowsky’s punts landed with the 20-yard-line. In addition, returners only averaged 6.3 yards per return on Wishnowsky punts. The stats and performance are fine, but there has to be something more to the situation if the Bills were willing to add a rookie punter for competition. Doman’s kickoff abilities may put some pressure on the situation, especially with Tyler Bass returning from injury.
FB Jackson Acker
Let’s show some love for a UDFA. Acker rushed 15 times for 55 yards last year with Wisconsin. He added eight receptions for 66 yards. More impressively, he had six carries on third and fourth down last year, converting all attempts. With Josh Allen taking a beating on fourth-down sneaks, Acker could be an option to alleviate some of that pressure.
Buffalo signed Ben VanSumeren from the Eagles as a UFA. Van Sumeren’s one-year contract earns him just north of $1 million, but with no guarenteed money. In addition, VanSumeren has ended each of the past two seasons on injured reserve. Thus, if Acker shows he can hold down the spot that Reggie Gilliam vacated, then the rookie will be a good option to block for James Cook this year.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 4 young Bills who could unseat veterans in 2026
Reporting by Justin DiLoro, USA TODAY / Bills Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Justin DiLoro, USA TODAY | USA TODAY Network
