Bills 53-man roster projection: Where new and returning players could fit in this season

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The 2025 NFL Draft is well in the rearview mirror and the Bills added significantly to their defense in the hopes that it will catch up to their offensive prowess from 2024. And with the player acquisition phase of the offseason mostly over, the Bills are getting ready to start their on-field practices this week.

It begins with their rookie minicamp on Friday, featuring all the defensive players who made up the beginning of the Bills’ 2025 class. A little over two weeks later, the first of two straight weeks of Organized Team Activities begins on May 27, leading up to the only offseason event where attendance is required — mandatory minicamp. That scheduled three-day practice window begins June 10.

Even without a single second of practice completed, the Bills are faced with several difficult choices for their 53-man roster. So, let’s take a hard look at those choices; it’s time for an obnoxiously early Bills 53-man roster projection as to how it could look by Week 1 and some of the nuances behind each decision.

Quarterback (2)

Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky

Trubisky sticks as the backup in this early projection because it was his spot last year, but it’s not as open and shut of a case as 2024. This summer, he has legitimate competition for the backup job in Mike White, and Trubisky doesn’t have a heavy guarantee on his deal that would sway the battle in his favor. The Bills would save more cap space by keeping White over Trubisky, but not enough to sway it into White’s favor, either. It will be a flat-out competition, with potentially only one spot on the 53-man roster on the line.

Cut: Mike White, Shane Buechele

Running back (4)

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

The Bills brought back Ty Johnson and didn’t add anyone this offseason to challenge any of their top three, so the running backs will likely remain steady for another year. The bigger question is whether the team will continue to deploy their three backs in the same way it did last year, especially with Cook’s contract situation and Davis potentially being ready for a bigger role in his second year. Davis and Johnson could also reprise their late-year role as the kickoff return duo.

Cut: Frank Gore Jr., Darrynton Evans

Wide receiver (5)

Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore

Although the Bills didn’t add a star piece to the receiver room this offseason, they definitely boosted the group from where it was at the end of last season. Palmer is an upgrade to both Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins, offering the team the separation skills they didn’t have from their boundary receivers in 2024. Palmer’s inclusion could pave the way for more defined roles on offense this year rather than a constant rotation. Moore was an instant post-draft addition, which is usually a strong sign of intent from the team that the player is in their plans. However, the exact contract details have not been revealed to this point, and if it’s low on guaranteed money, it could open up the race for WR5 a bit more. There is a definite possibility that one of Laviska Shenault, Tyrell Shavers or Jalen Virgil could start to play their way on the team if they provide enough special teams value.

Cut: Laviska Shenault, Tyrell Shavers, Jalen Virgil, Kaden Prather, KJ Hamler, Kelly Akhariyi*, Stephen Gosnell*, Hal Presley*

Tight end (3)

Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes

The Bills waved goodbye to Quintin Morris this offseason and replaced him with a fifth-round pick in Hawes, who will be on a four-year, cost-controlled rookie deal. Zach Davidson, who they’ve kept around in Buffalo for the last three years, has a pretty big mountain to climb to make the team as the third tight end, or to force his way on as a fourth tight end. He would need to show a lot more special teams potential to do so.

Cut: Zach Davidson, Keleki Latu*

Offensive line (9)

Dion Dawkins, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence, Spencer Brown, Alec Anderson, Tylan Grable, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Chase Lundt

The top eight seems set right now with the starting five and the trio of reserves in Anderson, Grable and Van Pran-Granger. But there is one bubble battle setting up, and weirdly enough, it’s between two players who once started together on the same college team. Lundt, a sixth-round pick out of UConn, will battle Ryan Van Demark for the ninth and potentially final offensive line roster spot this year. Van Demark has been a practice squad success story, having made the 53-man roster the last two years. However, struggles while playing at right tackle last year took away some of the swing tackle potential they may have seen for him, and he was instead passed on the depth chart by Grable. Lundt’s four-year rookie deal gives him a leg up to be the team’s healthy scratch offensive lineman this year as they’d try to get Van Demark back to the practice squad for elevations throughout the year.

Cut: Ryan Van Demark, Kendrick Green, Richard Gouraige, Mike Edwards, Travis Clayton, Jacob Bayer*, Rush Reimer*

Defensive end (5)

Greg Rousseau, Joey Bosa, A.J. Epenesa, Landon Jackson, Javon Solomon

Rousseau, Bosa and Jackson are all guaranteed to make the team, and Hoecht will rejoin the 53-man roster in Week 7, which is why it makes what they do with Epenesa and Solomon especially interesting. If Solomon shows that he is a core-four special teams player to new coordinator, Chris Tabor, he will have a great chance to stick. Epenesa is an interesting one to track. On one hand, he’s the clear third-best defensive end in the room and good Bosa injury insurance. On the other, Epenesa is in the last year of his deal and could fetch something worthwhile in a trade if they need the roster spot. It might come down to how far along Jackson is in his first training camp, and if they’d feel comfortable with him in a top-three role through the first six games until Hoecht is back from suspension. The likeliest outcome is that Epenesa remains with the team through the season.

Suspended: Michael Hoecht
Cut: Hayden Harris*, Paris Shand*

Defensive tackle (5)

Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, T.J. Sanders, DeWayne Carter, Deone Walker

Defensive tackle is another complicated situation due to having six near locks for the 53-man roster at a position that offers nothing to special teams. The good news is they don’t have to feel the wrath of having that many defensive tackles on their roster and can keep a player at another position until Week 7, when Larry Ogunjobi’s suspension lifts. And should an injury strike to open a roster spot by Week 7, they may never have to feel the brunt of having six defensive tackles, but they don’t have many options. They could try to trade Carter, though that would be taking away a rotational option in 2025, and it would be general manager Brandon Beane giving up on a draft pick after only one year. Beane is extremely hesitant to do that since he traded Wyatt Teller in 2019. The most likely outcome is that the Bills keep all six in one way or another.

Suspended: Larry Ogunjobi
Cut: Zion Logue, Devin Brandt-Epps*

Linebacker (6)

Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Baylon Spector, Joe Andreesen, Edefuan Ulofoshio

The Bills have not brought in any competition that carried a substantial offseason investment for the backend of their linebacker room. That should mean the majority of the six from last year are safe again in 2025. However, one thing to keep an eye on is if Ulofoshio, a 2024 fifth-round pick, could be susceptible to getting cut due to how many defensive linemen the Bills would need to keep on the 53-man roster. It all depends on Ulofoshio’s special teams impact, but he also might be a player they can sneak onto the practice squad.

Cut: Keonta Jenkins*

Nickel (2)

Taron Johnson, Cam Lewis

Some might wonder if Lewis’ days are numbered this summer for the Bills after they drafted the versatile Jordan Hancock in the fifth round, but Lewis played a pivotal role for them last year as their dime backer on third downs, an every phase special teams player and the primary backup to Johnson. On top of that, he could even moonlight at safety in a pinch. This could be the last season for Lewis in Buffalo because he’s a free agent in 2026, but planning to move on from a reliable special teams player on a manageable contract who took as many snaps as he did last year is not usually how Beane operates. If Lewis plays himself off the roster, that would be another story, but that’s not the expectation right now.

Cut: Te’Cory Couch

Cornerback (5)

Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, Tre’Davious White, Dane Jackson, Dorian Strong

The late-round pick of Dorian Strong makes this a semi-difficult situation for the Bills to navigate. Benford, Hairston and White are all either a lock (Benford and Hairston) or a pretty good bet (White) to be on the team this year. That leaves Jackson, Strong and Ja’Marcus Ingram, who could all be vying for two spots. Strong gets the benefit of the doubt as a draft pick for now, which brings it down to Jackson and Ingram. I went with Jackson, for now, due to his starting experience in the defensive scheme, but it is not an open-and-shut case. Part of me does wonder if Jackson might become the veteran player they’d like to stash on the practice squad for the season while preserving Ingram on his exclusive rights free agent (ERFA) status in the coming offseason and to use Ingram on special teams every week, but his lack of starting experience may be what gives Jackson the edge.

Cut: Ja’Marcus Ingram, Daequan Hardy, Daryl Porter Jr.*

Safety (4)

Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin, Jordan Hancock

The Bills will likely make Bishop earn the starting role this summer, but odds are that they will give him the opportunity and leeway to do so as a second-round investment. Hamlin’s return in free agency is quite likely to be the experienced backup should an injury happen to one of Rapp or Bishop, as well as plenty of special teams reps. The Bills haven’t finalized where Hancock’s eventual role will be, only saying they’d give him reps at both safety and nickel, but what is clear is that his spot on the roster would have to come from somewhere. At this point, that spot is most likely to be free agent Darrick Forrest, who signed a veteran minimum deal with only a small dead cap charge for his signing bonus. It would leave the Bills with Hancock and Lewis on the 53-man roster, who could play safety if they suffer two injuries or more to their top safety trio.

Cut: Darrick Forrest, Wande Owens*

Specialists (3)

Tyler Bass (K), Jake Camarda (P), Reid Ferguson (LS)

#Puntapalooza 2025 is ready to take the stage, with Camarda up against Brad Robbins for the job this year. It’s also going to be quite a scene because it features two punters wearing non-traditional punter jersey numbers. Unless they change before camp, Camarda will sport jersey No. 32 and Robbins No. 40. At this point, the Bills’ earlier investment in Camarda gives him the inside track to the job this year.

Cut: Brad Robbins

*Denotes a rookie undrafted free agent agreement, according to a league source, that has yet to be announced by the team.

(Top photo of Ray Davis: Mark Konezny / Imagn Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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