Buffalo Bills Depth Chart Revealed: Surprising Starters & Key Position Battles for the 2025 Season

The Buffalo Bills depth chart is beginning to take shape as Week 2 of 2025 training camp wraps up, and several surprise names are climbing the ladder while a handful of veterans fight to keep their roles. Quarterback No drama here: Josh Allen remains firmly entrenched as QB1. The intrigue comes behind him, where Mike White is pushing Mitchell Trubisky for the primary backup job after a sharp red-zone period Wednesday. Shane Buechele is a long-shot for the 53 but has flashed enough to stay in the conversation. Running Back James Cook reported despite his contract issues and is taking every first-team rep. Rookie Ray Davis has leap-frogged Ty Johnson for RB2 snaps in inside-zone looks, while fullback Reggie Gilliam continues to be the staff’s Swiss-army knife. Cook, Davis, Johnson and Gilliam project as the four backs on the initial roster. Wide Receiver This is the most fluid section of the Bills depth chart. Khalil Shakir is locked into the X spot, but second-year target Keon Coleman is stacking good days and now leads the Z rotation. Former Chargers starter Josh Palmer has quietly seized the WR3/slot role in 11-personnel. Injuries to Curtis Samuel (hamstring) and Elijah Moore (ankle) have opened extra snaps for Laviska Shenault Jr., who returned from the PUP list Tuesday and immediately caught a TD in goal-line work. Tight End Dalton Kincaid is the featured pass catcher, yet a minor knee flare-up kept him out of Monday’s practice. Dawson Knox (hamstring) also remains limited, so undrafted rookie Jackson Hawes has been the surprise of camp, flashing plus blocking and back-shoulder chemistry with Allen. Hawes now projects as TE3 if the Bills keep three. Offensive Line The starting five—Dion Dawkins, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence and Spencer Brown—has been intact, but Brown’s sore back forced Ryan Van Demark and Tylan Grable into rotation at right tackle. Grable’s athleticism has stood out in wide-zone installs. Interior rookie Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (calf) has not practiced; Alec Anderson has earned the second-team LG/C snaps and may secure a roster spot. Defensive Front Joey Bosa and Greg Rousseau headline a revamped edge room that has shown promise but little consistency. Bosa is on a veteran pitch count, while Rousseau has notched three “sacks” in live-thud sessions. Inside, Ed Oliver remains unblockable; rookie TJ Sanders is now the top reserve three-tech after a dominant one-on-one period. DeWayne Carter and massive rookie Deone Walker give Buffalo rare interior depth. Linebacker Matt Milano looks fully recovered from last season’s leg fracture and is practicing without limitations. Terrel Bernard (hamstring) is day-to-day, opening MLB reps for Edefuan Ulofoshio, whose speed has popped on special-teams units. Veteran Shaq Thompson, signed in June, is repping at both WILL and SAM as the coaching staff evaluates his fit. Secondary Corner remains the fiercest battle on the Bills depth chart. Christian Benford and Tre’Davious White are splitting CB1 duties, with rookie Maxwell Hairston surging after a pair of interceptions on Tuesday. At safety, Taylor Rapp has emerged as a vocal leader, while second-rounder Cole Bishop is working through rookie mistakes but owns the athletic upside the defense lacked a year ago. Damar Hamlin’s knowledge of the scheme makes him a near lock for one of the final roster spots. Special Teams Kicker Tyler Bass is nursing a minor pelvis issue; the team added rookie Caden Davis for camp competition but Bass is expected to be ready for Week 1. Brad Robbins is the lone punter and has shown improved hang time inside the 20-yard line. Key Takeaways for the 2025 Bills Depth Chart • Backup quarterback and swing tackle are the only true open jobs on offense. • Wide receiver depth is being stress-tested by injuries; Coleman and Palmer are the big risers. • Rookie defenders TJ Sanders, Maxwell Hairston and Cole Bishop are already factoring into the two-deep. • Health remains the wild card: Kincaid, Knox, Bernard and Bass must return soon to avoid reshuffling. Search interest in “Bills depth chart” will only intensify as preseason games begin next week. Expect the chart to change daily, but for now Buffalo’s top-line talent looks playoff-ready—the final roster battles will revolve around depth, youth development and special-teams value.