The Buffalo Bills are the NFL team that most embodies the colloquial phrase “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda”. During the 1990s, the Buffalo Bills were nearly the team of the decade, except for one problem: they could not win a Super Bowl, losing four consecutive Super Bowls from 1990 until 1993. Over the last six seasons, Buffalo has nearly recreated that experience, despite losing several key players and experiencing a significant number of injuries and disappointing playoff performances. The Bills have won the AFC East every since the 2020 season, and a big part of that success is quarterback Josh Allen, who is building a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career. During the last five seasons, the Bills have lost to the Kansas City Chiefs three times in the AFC Championship game. Is 2025 finally the year that the Buffalo Bills finish the job and win a Super Bowl?
11. Safeties
The Buffalo Bills’ Safety positions are in a state of transition. Taylor Rapp is a hard-hitting free safety who had his best season with Buffalo during the 2024 season when he recorded 48 solo tackles, 34 assists, two interceptions, and six pass deflections. At strong safety, Cole Bishop is looking to step up into a starting role with the Bills defense after a successful rookie season in 2024. In addition to Bishop, Buffalo also has Damar Hamlin, an experienced safety, as a backup behind Bishop, ready to step in as the next man up at strong safety. Buffalo also has depth at the free safety position with Jordan Hancock and Darrick Forrest working to carve out a role on this season’s Bills defensive unit.
10. Cornerbacks
Another defensive position where the Buffalo Bills have struggled to find consistency is at their cornerback positions. Three-year NFL veteran Christian Benford is in a position to be Buffalo’s leader at cornerback coming off a 2024 season where he had 50 solo tackles, 14 assists, two interceptions, one sack, ten pass deflections, and one quarterback hit. The newest addition at cornerback for the Bills is 2025 1st-round draft pick Maxwell Hairston, who is known for having elite speed and excellent playmaking ability. Another solid veteran cornerback, Tre’Davius White, but he is coming into 2025 looking to rebound from an injury in 2024. Dane Jackson is also a veteran who will be competing for a spot on the roster and will likely contribute on special teams for Buffalo.
9. Wide Receivers
Coming into the season, Kalil Shakir will be Josh Allen’s primary target in the passing game, and Keon Coleman is a second-year player who should be a significant number 2 option in the Buffalo offense. Where the Buffalo Bills need to see improvement is finding a consistent third wide receiver that will allow them to reach a higher level of efficiency in the passing game, and Joshua Palmer from the Los Angeles Chargers could be the player they need. If he does not end up being the Bills’ answer as a third wide receiver, Elijah Moore will be ready to step in and elevate Buffalo’s passing game. Laviska Shenault Jr. and Curtis Samuel were solid off-season acquisitions that should give the Bills solid depth at wide receiver.
8. Linebackers
The Buffalo Bills’ Linebackers are a position group that has felt the sting of multiple injuries over the last several seasons. Will linebacker Matt Milano is the veteran of the Bills’ linebacking unit. Still, in the previous two seasons, he has had his season shortened by injuries, playing in only nine games. In addition, Mike linebacker Terrel Bernard has stepped up into a leadership role, accumulating over 100 total tackles in the last two seasons. However, he also missed four games in 2024. In Milano’s absence, Dorian Williams has filled in as Buffalo’s Will linebacker, and in 2024, he had 117 total tackles. During the off-season, the Bills signed linebacker Shaq Thompson, who comes to Buffalo after spending the last four seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Baylon Spector is another linebacker who has dealt with injuries over the previous several seasons. Spector has additional value as a special-teams contributor.
7. Defensive Line
The leader of the Bills’ defensive line is defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who posted 15 solo tackles and nine assists along with three quarterback sacks in 2024. DaQuan Jones should be a dominant force at nose guard for the Bills during his fourth season with Buffalo since leaving the Carolina Panthers. Buffalo picked up two defensive linemen in the draft by selecting T.J. Sanders in the second round and Deone Walker in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. At defensive end, Greg Rousseau returns after registering 53 total tackles, eight sacks, and 24 quarterback hurries during the 2024 season. During free agency, the Bills acquired Joey Bosa from the Chargers. However, during mini-camp, he suffered an injury, and it is unclear when he will return. That leaves a hole at the other defensive end position, and 2024 third-round draft pick Landon Jackson could fill in for Bosa.
6. Specialists
When considering the most valuable players on a team, most fans overlook the inherent value of notable team members. Unfortunately, more times than not, Buffalo has had their hearts broken over and over again by place kickers missing game-winning field goals. Current Bills kicker Tyler Bass has successfully scored on field goals 84.5% of the time, but the ones he has missed have determined the outcome of postseason games. Punter Brad Robbins comes to Buffalo from the Cincinnati Bengals, where he averaged 44.3 yards/punt during his first season with the Bengals in 2023. Buffalo’s punt and kick returners are Brandon Codrington and Laviska Shenault Jr., respectively, and Buffalo’s long snapper is Reid Ferguson, who has snapped for the Bills since 2016.
5. Nickelbacks
The strongest defensive unit for the Buffalo Bills is their nickelbacks, also known as slot corner players, in their 4-2 Nickel defensive scheme. Taron Johnson enters the season as the expected starter at the Nickel position. Although Johnson dealt with injuries in 2024, he still played in 12 games, accumulating 65 total tackles. In 2023, he recorded 98 total tackles. Behind Johnson, Cam Lewis has demonstrated that he can be a solid fill-in player at Nickel, and in 2024, he had 68 total tackles and an interception. Ja’Marcus Ingram and Te’Cory Couch will be competing for the opportunity to be contributors for Buffalo this season.
4. Running Backs
During the 2024 season, the Buffalo Bills’ offense was the second-best scoring offense in the NFL, averaging 30.9 points per game. James Cook was the lead back for Buffalo in 2024, and Cook ran the ball 207 times for 1,009 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Cook also caught the ball out of the backfield 32 times for 258 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Behind Cook are Ty Johnson and Ray Davis, and unlike Cook, both Johnson and Davis have specific skill sets rather than being complete backs. Johnson was the Bills’ 3rd Down specialist, and he ended up running the ball 41 times for 231 yards and one touchdown, along with catching 18 passes for 284 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Ray Davis is a 2024 draft pick who specializes in grinding out yards between the tackles for Buffalo.
3. Tight Ends
The Buffalo Bills’ offense is a team rich in talent at the tight end position, which contributes to the Bills’ strong running game and also offers quarterback Josh Allen great checkdown options in the passing game. Dalton Kincaid has established himself as the Bills’ best receiving tight end, catching 44 passes for 448 receiving yards along with two receiving touchdowns in 2024. Dawson Knox will lead the Bills in total snaps as a tight end in 2025, but that is due to his ability to be a potent blocker. In addition, Knox caught 22 passes for 311 receiving yards along with one receiving touchdown. Buffalo selected Jackson Hawes in the 5th round of the 2025 draft, and he is also a potent blocker. Hawes will be used as an extra blocker when the Bills run their heavy offensive packages.
2. Offensive Line
Coming into the 2025 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills’ Offensive Line will be one of the top units in the NFL. The Bills’ offensive line will be the best pass protectors in the league, which is excellent for quarterback Josh Allen. In addition, the Bills’ offensive line is physical, which allows them to help Buffalo establish its run game. Offensive tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown could be the best left and right tackle combination in the NFL. At left guard, David Edwards brings experience and consistent play to solidify the left side of the line. The Bills’ offensive line is still improving with center Connor McGovern and right guard O’Cyrus Torrence, both of whom are still growing into their position for Buffalo.
1. Quarterbacks
The undisputed leader of the 2025 Buffalo Bills is quarterback Josh Allen. During his seven-year NFL career, he has grown as a passer, and from 2020 until 2023, he threw for over 4,000 yards. During the 2024 season, Allen completed 63.6% of his passes for 3,731 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Allen is also an elite runner with 4,142 rushing yards in his career, and he has scored 65 rushing touchdowns. In 2024, Allen ran the ball 102 times for 531 yards along with 12 rushing touchdowns. Backing up Allen are veteran quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky and Mike White. Shane Buechele is also currently on the Bills roster, but Buechele is presently on the injured reserve list.
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