The Buffalo Bills are returning to St. John Fisher University this week, and they’re bringing Hollywood with them.
HBO’s Hard Knocks is focusing on the Bills for the first time in the program’s two-decades plus history, and that means its cameras will be embedded with the entire organization for the better part of five weeks, the first two of those in Pittsford.
This is not something the Bills are thrilled about because they are a franchise that likes to keep things close to the vest, but they did not have a choice in the matter so they will grin and bear it and try to avoid some of the viral moments that have been captured in the past on the show.
If there’s anyone who can relate to Hollywood, it’s quarterback Josh Allen who just got married to movie starlet Hailee Steinfeld. But Allen has already gone on record as saying that he will impress upon his teammates that Hard Knocks cannot become a distraction as they begin preparing to win a sixth consecutive AFC East division title.
“I think you just kind of keep doing what we’re doing here,” Allen said. “It’s not allowing things to deter us from being who we are and doing what we do. And I think Hard Knocks, it is what it is, yeah. But we’re gonna keep working hard and just make sure that our focus is on the main thing and that’s trying to bring a Lombardi Trophy here.”
Hard Knocks is known for its ability to draw out interesting personal storylines, and it’s a good thing in this case because there really won’t be much drama in terms of position battles and roster spots for the Bills. The team is mostly configured heading into camp, and the only issue will be figuring out a few of the backup roles.
Here’s my annual pre-training camp positional breakdown of the team as it enters the first leg of summer preparation including which 53 players I think will be on the Opening Day roster:
Quarterback
∎ Starter: Josh Allen.
∎ Reserves: Mitchell Trubisky, Mike White, Shane Buechele.
∎ Sal’s take: Allen is the reigning NFL MVP and he has entered the prime of his career as one of the biggest superstars in the league. He has been incredibly reliable, durable and productive and there are zero signs that will be changing anytime soon. There could be an interesting decision between Trubisky and White. If White has a good camp, the Bills could save around $1.5 million on the cap with him as opposed to Trubisky, and Buechele can stick as the practice squad QB.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Allen, White.
Running back
∎ Starter: James Cook.
∎ Reserves: Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, Reggie Gilliam (FB), Darrynton Evans, Frank Gore. Jr.
∎ Sal’s take: Obviously Cook – who has been tremendous the last two seasons – will be super motivated to have another big year because the likelihood is that the Bills will not give him a contract extension and he’ll hit free agency in March. He’s not happy about his financial situation after seeing several teammates get new deals, and he needs to use that as fuel to establish his market. Johnson and Davis provide excellent depth with divergent skill sets, and Gilliam will likely be back because he is the only fullback on the roster and also a core special teams player.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Cook, Johnson, Davis, Gilliam.
Wide receiver
∎ Starters: Khali Shakir, Josh Palmer, Keon Coleman.
∎ Reserves: Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore, Laviska Shenault Jr., Tyrell Shavers, Kaden Prather, Jalen Virgil, KJ Hamler, Christian Wilkerson, David White, Stephen Gosnell.
∎ Sal’s take: The Bills don’t have a superstar in the group, but they have a lot of useful pieces who bring their own intangibles to the “everybody eats” philosophy. Coleman will be under the spotlight because he’s coming off a lackluster rookie year and he needs to improve as a route runner. Palmer is being looked upon as a key target for Allen against man coverage, and Moore, a late spring addition, opened some eyes because he looks like a versatile player in the same mold as Shakir, players who can find soft spots in zone and provide run after catch yards. I have the Bills keeping Shenault, but only if he proves to be the best kickoff returner on the team.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Shakir, Palmer, Coleman, Moore, Samuel, Shenault.
Tight end
∎ Starter: Dalton Kincaid.
∎ Reserves: Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes, Zach Davidson, Keleki Latu, Matt Sokol.
∎ Sal’s take: The Bills are insistent that Kincaid was greatly impacted by injuries last season and that’s why his production took such a decline from his promising rookie season. Duly noted, but this is still a big season for the 2023 first-round pick who needs to prove he’ll be worthy of the fifth-year option next spring. Knox is a nice insurance policy, and Hawes looks promising as a blocker and perhaps the player the Bills can use when they go with their six-linemen jumbo package as opposed to Alec Anderson. Using Hawes in that role could expand the playbook a little because he could be used as a pass receiver.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Kincaid, Knox, Hawes.
Interior offensive line
∎ Starters: Connor McGovern (C), David Edwards (LG), O’Cyrus Torrence (RG).
∎ Reserves: Alec Anderson (G), Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (G-C), Mike Edwards (G), Rush Reimer (G), Kendrick Green (G), Jacob Beyer (C).
∎ Sal’s take: The Bills have been extremely fortunate on the offensive line as they’ve essentially had the same healthy five-man starting unit for two seasons. The threesome inside of McGovern, Edwards and Torrence has been solid and obviously they played a big role in Allen being sacked a league-low 14 times in 2024 while also helping the Bills rank ninth in rushing. But McGovern and Edwards are eligible for free agency in 2026 and if they aren’t extended or brought back, the development of Anderson and Van Pran-Granger will be imperative this season.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: McGovern, Torrence, Edwards, Van Pran-Granger, Anderson.
Offensive tackle
∎ Starters: Dion Dawkins (LT), Spencer Brown (RT).
∎ Reserves: Ryan Van Demark, Tylan Grable, Travis Clayton, Richard Gouraige, Chase Lundt.
∎ Sal’s take: Dawkins and Brown form one of the best tackle tandems in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bills’ line allowed just 160 QB pressures on 673 pass plays last year and earned PFF’s sixth-best pass-blocking efficiency rating and the tackle play was a key reason for that. And Dawkins and Brown are both road graders in the run game as they combine power and athleticism to move defenders out of the way. The depth is pretty young and unproven, but the Bills liked what they saw in Grable last year. The only real battle will be for the final spot between Van Demark and rookie sixth-round pick Lundt.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Dawkins, Brown, Grable, Lundt.
Defensive tackle
∎ Starters: Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones.
∎ Reserves: Larry Ogunjobi, TJ Sanders, DeWayne Carter, Deone Walker, Zion Logue, Casey Rogers, Marcus Harris.
∎ Sal’s take: For several years the Bills have received underwhelming play from their defensive line relative to the investment they’ve committed in both free agency and the draft. Oliver has been a good player, but he has never fulfilled the initial promise of being the No. 9 overall draft pick in 2019. Jones is aging out and his snap count needs to be reduced, and the Bills won’t have Ogunjobi for six games due to his suspension, so second-year man Carter and rookies Sanders and Walker will have great chances to earn meaningful playing time.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Oliver, Jones, Sanders, Carter, Walker, (Ogunjobi suspended six games).
Edge rusher
∎ Starters: Joey Bosa, Greg Rousseau.
∎ Reserves: AJ Epenesa, Michael Hoecht, Landon Jackson, Javon Solomon, Hayden Harris, Paris Shand.
∎ Sal’s take: Signing Bosa to a one-year prove-it deal was a good idea in theory, especially with Von Miller being cast away. However, if Bosa can’t stay healthy, it’s a sunk cost and the Bills have had plenty of that on their D-line. They invested in Rousseau as a first-round pick and now with a contract extension, and he must reward the Bills’ faith because while a good player since being taken No. 30 in 2021, he has rarely been a game-changer. Epenesa would be a player to watch in terms of a surprise cut or trade if Jackson and Solomon have great summers, but with Hoecht missing the first six games, Epenesa is probably safe. Whatever the final group is, it has to give the Bills are more dangerous pass rush than what we’ve seen the last few years.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Bosa, Rousseau, Epenesa, Jackson, Solomon (Hoecht suspended six games).
Linebacker
∎ Starters: Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard
∎ Reserves: Dorian Williams, Edefuan Ulofoshio, Joe Andreessen, Baylon Spector, Shaq Thompson, Keonta Jenkins.
∎ Sal’s take: Milano is now in the last year of his contract and while he’s still a very good player when healthy, that’s the issue – he’s not always healthy. Williams has gotten a lot of valuable playing time in Milano’s place and the Bills feel pretty good about him should the need arise for him to start. Bernard took a step back in 2024 after a breakout 2023 season, part of that due to injuries, but when he’s healthy he’s a key cog in the defense. Andreessen proved to be a reliable fill-in and special teams players as an undrafted rookie free agent, and Spector’s spot on the roster is in jeopardy because he can’t stay on the field. My guess is that he and Ulofoshio will compete for the fifth and final spot and special teams will be the determining factor. Thompson, a late spring signing with ties to McDermott from Carolina who was once a very good player, has to prove he has something left to offer and is probably a longshot unless there’s a spate of injuries.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Milano, Bernard, Williams, Andreessen, Ulofoshio.
Cornerback
∎ Starters: Christian Benford, Tre’Davious White, Taron Johnson (NCB).
∎ Reserves: Maxwell Hairston, Dane Jackson, Dorian Strong, JaMarcus Ingram, Cam Lewis (NCB), Brandon Codrington (NCB), Daequan Hardy, Te’Cory Couch (NCB), Daryl Porter.
∎ Sal’s take: Benford has become one of the best boundary CBs in the NFL and the Bills rewarded him with a nice contract extension. On the other side, there will be an intriguing competition between old veteran White who is back with Buffalo, Jackson who is also back after a one-year hiatus, and the first-round rookie Hairston. My money is on White starting in Week 1, keeping the seat warm until Hairston is ready to go. The most interesting battle might be between Jackson, Strong and Ingram for perhaps one spot.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Benford, White, Hairston, T. Johnson, Strong, Lewis.
Safety
∎ Starters: Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop.
∎ Reserves: Damar Hamlin, Jordan Hancock, Darrick Forrest, Wande Owens.
∎ Sal’s take: Bishop’s rookie growth was stunted by an injury but he was starting to come on at the end of the year and now he has to establish himself as a reliable starter and playmaker. Rapp is a solid veteran who will pair nicely with Bishop. Hancock is a rookie with diverse skills in that he can play either safety spot plus nickel corner. I think Forrest and Hamlin will both make the team, but if there’s a crunch, I’d go with Forrest who has a better athlete than Hamlin.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Rapp, Bishop, Hamlin, Hancock, Forrest.
Special teams
∎ Starters: Tyler Bass (K), Brad Robbins (P), Reid Ferguson (LS).
∎ Sal’s take: The punter competition is done before camp begins as the Bills cut Jake Camarda, leaving Robbins as the lone man on the roster. The return game will be fascinating to watch and right now, I have Shenault making the team as the sixth WR because he might win the kickoff return job. Codrington did a nice job as the punt returner last season, but I don’t have a spot in the secondary for him so the Bills have to figure out who can handle punts because Shenault has not done that in the past.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Bass, Camarda, Ferguson.
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, he has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills 53-man roster, depth chart prediction heading into training camp
Reporting by Sal Maiorana, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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