Training camp is right around the corner for the Buffalo Bills, and it’s time to take a deep dive into what the roster looks like.
The Bills have relied on a lot of veterans the past few seasons, and most of that has to do with general manager Brandon Beane having a hard time hitting draft picks.
Buffalo is one of the few organizations in the NFL that doesn’t have much depth from its young players. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz ranked the best NFL rosters based on players who are 25 and younger, and the Bills came in at No. 29, which is three spots worse than last season.
“Safety Cole Bishop is 23, as is cornerback Maxwell Hairston. Walker is only 22 years old, while second-round edge rusher TJ Parker will be 22 in September,” Schatz wrote on Wednesday. “On offense, we can debate whether wide receiver Keon Coleman is out of the coaching staff’s good graces, but he still has room to develop because he’s only 23 years old after two seasons. New slot receiver Skyler Bell is actually older than Coleman, having turned 24 a couple of weeks ago.”
The Bills Haven’t Drafted Well the Last Four Years
One of the main issues with the Bills in the last four drafts, not including this year, is that they haven’t done well with their first pick. Buffalo selected cornerback Kaiir Elam in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he didn’t contribute anything to the team. Elam spent three seasons with the Bills before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys last offseason.
The Bills drafted tight end Dalton Kincaid with their first pick in 2023, and while he has been solid, he has not yet emerged as a top-10 player at his position. If a team decides to select a tight end in the first round, the player needs to be among the best in the league, and Kincaid has not demonstrated that just yet.
Buffalo selected wide receiver Keon Coleman with its second-round pick in the 2024 draft, but so far he has not lived up to expectations. Coleman has recorded only 960 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 26 games. If he doesn’t perform well this season, there’s a chance he won’t remain in Buffalo much longer. The Bills’ first-round pick in 2025, cornerback Maxwell Hairston, didn’t show much in his rookie season due to an injury sustained in training camp, which caused him to miss a little portion of the season.
Buffalo Has to Have a Good 2026 Draft Class
The Bills need to find a way to get more production from some of their young players. Buffalo can’t rely solely on its veterans to lead the way. A combination of good young and veteran players is essential for a team to win a Super Bowl, and right now it feels like the Bills are getting contributions from veterans but lacking in other areas.
If the Bills can get good production from the 2026 draft class, that might be enough to finally get them over the top and help them reach the Super Bowl.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Bills Suffer Critical Roster Update That Could Derail This Season appeared first on HEAVY.