Here is Sal Maiorana's position-by-position look at the Bills roster after the first days of training camp.
The Buffalo Bills began their second week of training camp at St. John Fisher University with their first full pads practice, but they did so minus a double-digit sized injury list as early attrition is happening amid the heat and humidity.
Here’s my updated positional breakdown of the team as the first week of camp concludes and 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 update: No change here. Allen has looked terrific, and White and Trubisky are in a spirited battle to be the backup.
∎ 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 update: Cook showed up to camp despite his dissatisfaction with his contract, and he looks supremely motivated to have a big year.
∎ 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, Stephen Gosnell, Deon Cai, Kelly Akharaiyi.
∎ Sal’s update: Injuries have really taken a toll as Moore, Samuel, Shavers and Prather are currently out, though Shenault just returned Monday and practiced for the first time. Coleman's inconsistency remains an issue, but there has been much more good than bad which is a good sign.
∎ 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 update: Knox has yet to practice but his hamstring injury doesn't appear serious. However, Kincaid reinjured the same knee he hurt last season and missed practice Monday, so that's a new worry the offense has. With increased reps, both Davidson and Hawes have really taken advantage.
∎ 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’supdate: The starting three have remained intact, but I thought they struggled a little bit with run blocking Monday in the first full pads practice. Anderson has gotten increased reps with the continued absence of Van Pran-Granger who has yet to practice.
∎ 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 update: Brown has not practiced due to a sore back, but that has created a great situation for Grable and Van Demark who are in a full-fledged battle to win the swing tackle position. Lundt has been getting some pretty good work in as well.
∎ 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 update: Carter is coming off an uneven rookie season but he has been noticeably better in the early days of camp. It's too early, especially with just one padded practice, to get a read on rookies Sanders and Walker.
∎ 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 update: Rousseau has made some splashy plays which we expect, while Bosa has been fairly quiet and the Bills are taking it slow with him, giving him veteran rest days. Shand made an impression in the first few days with speed rushes, but he has to prove he can do it with pads on.
∎ 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 update: Bernard hurt his hamstring and is currently sidelined, and Williams has missed the last couple practices as well with a calf injury. It's an opportunity for bubble players like Spector, Ulofoshio and Thompson.
∎ 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, Ja'Marcus Ingram, Cam Lewis (NCB), Brandon Codrington (NCB), Daequan Hardy, Te’Cory Couch (NCB).
∎ Sal’s update: Hairston and White have been sharing first-team reps and each have made a handful of plays, but have also been beaten on several routes. That's the best competition in camp.
∎ 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 update: Rapp has looked really good and he had a three-interception day last Friday. Hancock has been moved around from safety to nickel and is holding his own. Bishop is a work in progress, but the good news is that there's progress. Meanwhile, Hamlin is cementing his roster spot because he knows the defense so well.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Rapp, Bishop, Hamlin, Hancock, Forrest.
Special teams
∎ Starters: Tyler Bass (K), Brad Robbins (P), Reid Ferguson (LS).
∎ Sal’supdate: Robbins is the lone punter in camp, but special teams coach Chris Tabor said he still has to win the job. Bass is dealing with a sore pelvis and was out Monday.
∎ Sal’s picks for the 53: Bass, Robbins, 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 [email protected], and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills depth chart, 53-man roster prediction training camp's start
Category: General Sports
