Buffalo Bills roster projections 2024: Resetting 53-man depth chart after NFL draft

ORCHARD PARK - The primary construction for the Buffalo Bills’ 53-man roster is in its final stages now that the NFL Draft is wrapped up.

All that general manager Brandon Beane and his staff have left to do is sign undrafted free agents - a process that is ramping up this week - to fill out the 90-man group that will go to training camp at St. John Fisher University in late July.

Perhaps none of these late additions has a chance of making the team, but if nothing else, they will provide competition for the bottom of the roster, take some of the rep workload off veterans, and then play the bulk of Buffalo’s three preseason games in the hope of perhaps procuring a place on the practice squad.

So much still has to happen over the next few months, but here’s my way-too-early 53-man projection.

Quarterbacks (2)

▶ Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky.

No drama here as Allen heads into his seventh NFL season facing some legitimate challenges as he works under his third offensive coordinator in the last four years, will have a new center snapping him the ball, and will not have two of his key passing game targets as both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are gone.

Allen is the unquestioned leader of this team, and that role becomes even bigger given the veterans who departed in the offseason. Trubisky, who was Allen’s backup in 2021, is back after a failed two-year stint with the Steelers where he could not establish himself as a starter.

Bills draft picks 2024 analysis: How the new players fit with the team

Running back (4)

▶ James Cook, Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, Reggie Gilliam (FB)

Cook will be a critical piece of coordinator Joe Brady’s offense, if the second half of 2023 is any indication. Brady leaned more on the running game than did his predecessor, Ken Dorsey, and Cook came through with a breakout performance as he finished sixth in the NFL in yards gained from scrimmage with 1,567, including 1,122 on the ground.

Johnson was re-signed to be Cook’s backup after he ascended into that spot late last year, and Davis was picked in the fourth round and should be able to contribute because he showed an ability to catch the ball in college, and he was an aggressive blocker in pass protection, a trait that Beane specifically pointed out after selecting him.

Wide receiver (6)

▶ Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, Justin Shorter, K.J. Hamler

Since 2020 when Diggs was acquired in a trade and Davis was drafted, they produced 608 catches for 8,102 yards and 64 TDs. Last year, they combined for 152 receptions for 1,929 yards and 15 TDs and now all of that needs to be replaced.

Samuel, Shakir and Coleman figure to be the main ingredients in the Bills’ preferred three-wide formation but at this point, the receiver room is not nearly as dangerous as it was last year. Shakir has made nice strides, but he’s not drawing double teams from anyone, and Samuel’s career-best season came in 2020 - the year Brady was the OC for the Panthers and he caught 77 balls for 851 yards and three TDs.

Coleman will need to hit the ground running, but his college production did not scream No. 1 receiver in the NFL. Beyond those three, the depth is highly questionable as Shorter has never played an NFL down and Hollins was signed to be a core special teamer. Hamler is a former second-round draft of the Broncos who has been repeatedly injured, so maybe a change of scenery helps him. What would really help him is if he can show something as a return man.

Tight end (3)

▶ Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris

This is where some of the absent Diggs-Davis production must come from. Kincaid had a terrific rookie season as he set Bills’ franchise records for catches (73) and yards (673) by a tight end. He may become the hub of the passing game in a similar way to how the Chiefs work their passing game through Travis Kelce.

Knox became an afterthought last season, one that was cut short by injury, but he needs to stay on the field and show that he can still be reliable when the Bills go to two-tight end sets. The talent is there, but the inconsistency has been maddening.

Offensive line (9)

▶ Dion Dawkins (LT), David Edwards (LG), Connor McGovern (C), O’Cyrus Torrence (RG), Spencer Brown (RT), La’el Collins (T), Ryan Van Demark (T), Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (C-G), Alec Anderson G).

The Bills moved on from center Mitch Morse and are banking on McGovern being able to switch over from left guard. That opened up his spot and for now, the veteran Edwards is the frontrunner after he was re-signed in free agency. The rest of the starters - Dawkins, Torrence and Brown - are set, but the backup spots will be hotly contested.

Van Pran-Granger will be interesting to watch. He will compete with veteran Will Clapp to be the backup center, and if he can prove he can also handle guard, he’ll win the job as the interior backup. And if he’s really good, don’t be surprised if he starts at center and McGovern goes back to guard.

Edge rusher (5)

▶ Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, Von Miller, Casey Toohill, Javon Solomon.

The Bills need a whole lot more than they got from Rousseau, Epenesa and Miller in the pass rush, particularly Miller who was a ghost for the entire 2023 season. Those three combined for 11.5 sacks which barely covers what the Bills lost when Leonard Floyd took his team-high 10.5 sacks to the 49ers in free agency.

Rousseau’s fifth-year option was just picked up Monday, and while the 2021 first-round pick has been a good player, he needs to start playing to his draft status in his fourth season. Epenesa has improved each of his four years and was re-signed in free agency, while Miller might simply be shot. Toohill came from the Commanders where he had a career-best five sacks in 2023. Solomon is a fifth-round pick who will battle with Kingsley Jonathan and Kameron Cline for the final spot.

Defensive tackle (5)

▶ Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Austin Johnson, Deshawn Williams, DeWayne Carter

Re-signing Jones was a priority move in the offseason and his pairing with Oliver is a very good one. Johnson and Williams were both signed to one-year free agent deals and Johnson could be a nice under-the-radar pickup. Carter was Buffalo’s third-round pick and he showed an ability to disrupt the quarterback from the middle of the line.

Linebacker (5)

▶ Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, Nicholas Morrow, Dorian Williams, Edefuan Ulofoshio

The Bills hope that Milano can return to his All-Pro form after suffering a broken leg in Week 5 last year and sitting out the rest of the season. If he does, he and Bernard form an excellent every-down tandem in the Bills’ base nickel defense.

Williams and Morrow are solid depth options who will both play key roles on special teams, and Ulofoshio - a fifth-round pick - has a chance to make the team primarily as a special teamer as he won’t be ready to make an impact on defense. He will compete with Baylor Spector.

Cornerback (6)

▶ Rasul Douglas, Christian Benford, Taron Johnson, Kaiir Elam, JaMarcus Ingram, Cam Lewis

Douglas is now the No. 1 corner after the departure of Tre’Davious White, but who starts opposite him will be one of the most intriguing battles of training camp. Benford has out-performed Elam for two years, but he hasn’t been able to stay on the field. Elam did not click with former DBs coach John Butler, so now that a change has been made, we’ll see if Elam, the 2022 first-rounder, can emerge from bust territory.

After those three, the Bills are thin on the outside and Ingram might be the best of a weak crop as the No. 4 man. Inside, Johnson is one of the best nickel CBs in the NFL and Lewis is a reliable veteran who can also go outside, or even play safety in a pinch.

Safety (4)

▶ Taylor Rapp, Mike Edwards, Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin

Both Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are gone, so the transition in the back end will be critical for the Bills. Rapp has a year in the system and was re-signed in free agency, while Edwards was signed in free agency away from the Chiefs.

Bishop was the second-round pick and in college he played both strong and free so he may have a legitimate chance to earn a starting spot. However, given the complexity of the safety’s roles in Sean McDermott’s defense, he may need some time to get up to speed. Hamlin will have a fight on his hands to make the team.

Specialists (4)

▶ Tyler Bass (K), Sam Martin (P), Reid Ferguson (LS), Daequan Hardy (KR-PR)

Bass struggled down the stretch as he missed three field goals in the postseason, but the Bills are confident that he will bounce back. Martin also struggled and he’s going to face a training camp competition with Matt Haack who was the Bills’ punter in 2021.

Ferguson is still the longest-tenured player on the team, having come aboard in 2016, the year before McDermott took over for Rex Ryan. Hardy is a longshot, but the nickel cornerback could force his way onto the team if he proves to be an excellent return man, something the Bills sorely lack right now.

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana. To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which comes out every other Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills 53-man roster projection after 2024 NFL draft