Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen enters the field before a game against the New York Giants at Highmark Stadium. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills 53-man roster projection after NFL preseason Week 1

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 6:00 AM ET

We're one game through the 2025 NFL preseason as the Buffalo Bills took on the New York Giants this past Saturday.

New York secured the win, but that's not what's important. What matters in these games is how the players fighting for roster spots perform.

For Buffalo, they're a team that should already be excited about the upcoming season. Despite the loss on Saturday, that excitement should grow since several players were able to stand out and make a claim for a spot on the 53-man roster. That said, here's a look at how that roster could shake out to start the season.

Quarterback (2):

Josh Allen
Mitchell Trubisky

Running Back (4):

James Cook
Ray Davis
Ty Johnson
Reggie Gilliam

Wide Receiver (6):

Keon Coleman
Khalil Shakir
Joshua Palmer
Curtis Samuel
Elijah Moore
Tyrell Shavers

Tight End (3):

Dalton Kincaid
Dawson Knox
Jackson Hawes

Offensive Line (9):

Dion Dawkins
David Edwards
Connor McGovern
O'Cyrus Torrence
Spencer Brown
Ryan Van Demark
Tylan Grable
Sedrick Van Pan-Granger
Alec Anderson

Offensive Summary

Mitchell Trubisky silenced some doubters on Saturday and is again the favorite to be QB2 behind Josh Allen. At running back, Frank Gore Jr. was great, but there's too much talent ahead of him.

Wide receiver will be interesting as K.J. Hamler and Laviska Shenault will be in the mix due to their return skills but it's hard to see Tyrell Shavers being cut. Elijah Moore could be in danger, but he was running crisp routes against the Giants and isn't going to go down without a fight.

Defensive Line (10):

Greg Rousseau
Ed Oliver
DaQuan Jones
Joey Bosa
AJ Epenesa
Landon Jackson
Javon Solomon
TJ Sanders
DeWayne Carter
Deone Walker

Michael Hoecht, Larry Ogunjobi (Suspended)

Linebacker (5):

Terrel Bernard
Matt Milano
Dorian Williams
Joe Andreeson
Shaq Thompson

Cornerback (7):

Christian Benford
Tre'Davious White
Taron Johnson
Dane Jackson
Cam Lewis
Dorian Strong
Ja'Marcus Ingram

Maxwell Hairston (PUP)

Safety (4):

Taylor Rapp
Cole Bishop
Damar Hamlin
Jordan Hancock

Specialists (3):

Tyler Bass (K)
Brad Robbins (P)
Reid Ferguson (LS)

Defensive Summary

Injuries and uncertainty at cornerback lead the Bills to go deep at the position in this projection. Once Maxwell Hairston is healthy, Dane Jackson could be on the chopping block. They could also remove someone from this spot once Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi are eligible to return from their suspensions.

At safety, Jordan Hancock proved he belonged, allowing him to edge out veteran Darrick Forrest, although Forrest is a great practice squad candidate.

The front seven remains the strength, especially after Matt Milano and Joe Andreeson showed out at linebacker while T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker were excellent at defensive tackle against the Giants.