Bills Central

Which Bills UDFAs have best chance to make the roster?

The Buffalo Bills' current roster is deep, but there are spots and roles to be earned. Here are three undrafted free agents with the best shot at making the squad.

Kyle Silagyi

Sep 16, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Xavier Johnson (0) fields the
Sep 16, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Xavier Johnson (0) fields the / Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

One Bills Drive, just a few years ago, was a preferred landing spot for ‘premiere’ undrafted free agents, a heavily desired destination for some of the more notable players that fell through the cracks of the NFL Draft. This was due primarily to the quality (or lack thereof) of the Buffalo Bills roster; for long stretches of the 21st century, Buffalo’s roster has been talent and depth deficient, prompting undrafted free agents over the years to deem signing with the Bills an advantageous opportunity to stick with a club.

Oh, what a difference a few years makes.

Over the past seven years, general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have molded Buffalo’s roster from one of the league’s least talented into one of its deepest, a perennial contender that even McDermott has implied will inevitably win a Super Bowl. An unintended (and not necessarily unwelcome) side effect of a deep roster and yearly contention is difficulty in attracting high-profile undrafted free agents; unselected players generally want relatively clear paths to a roster spot, and few of those paths exist in Western New York.

Circumstances may be a bit different this year, however; Beane made a concerted effort to reset his team’s proverbial clock this offseason, moving on from several stalwart starters and shedding significant salary as he recentered his team around youth. The team, while still deep, has more open roles than it has in years past, spots that could be claimed by undrafted free agents should they string together strong outings in training camp and preseason. Though all members of the Bills’ 2024 undrafted free agent class are long shots to make the roster, there are a handful of players with comparatively clear paths to the 53-man unit.

Here are three undrafted free agents that we feel have the best shot at making Buffalo’s roster.

Related: Bills UDFA Primer: Meeting the 2024 undrafted free agent class

WR Xavier Johnson, Ohio State

Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Xavier Johnson (0) walks
Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Xavier Johnson (0) walks / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Xavier Johnson may be listed as a wide receiver, but his path to the roster in Western New York does not come as a traditional wideout. He instead projects as a gadget player and special teamer; fortunate for Johnson, both of these roles appear to be open in Buffalo.

Recruited to the Ohio State wide receiver factory as a three-star prospect, Johnson served as a versatile chess piece in Columbus, lining up all over the offense. He took 158 snaps in the slot last season in addition to 41 out wide and 25 in the backfield, picking up 368 yards from scrimmage on 41 touches. He was also a special teams contributor for the Buckeyes, returning 28 kicks throughout his collegiate career.

It’s Johnson’s versatility, size, and advantageous situation that make him a contender for the bottom of the Bills’ roster. Buffalo revamped its receiving corps in the offseason, moving on from veteran starters Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis and replacing them with the likes of Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, and rookie Keon Coleman. Johnson won’t attempt to replace or usurp any of these players; he simply needs to complement them, to add something to the Bills’ offense that it does not currently have.

And that element is positional versatility. Buffalo has lacked a true gadget player since it (unsuccessfully) promoted former Bill Isaiah McKenzie to a larger role several seasons ago; it hasn’t since had that unique threat that it can deploy and get the ball to from several spots. Johnson, as of now, seems to be the only player on the team’s roster that has this functionality; Samuel is relatively versatile, but he projects as a starter for the team as opposed to a situational gadget player.

At 6-foot, 202 pounds, Johnson also has the size necessary to survive out wide, in the slot, or in the backfield at the professional level. Add in the fact that he’ll factor into the team’s offseason competition for primary kick and punt return duties, and you have the makings of an advantageous situation.

Let’s raise a hypothetical scenario where the Bills roster six receivers, with Coleman, Samuel, Hollins, and the returning Khalil Shakir being the locks; this leaves Johnson in competition with the likes of Chase Claypool, Andy Isabella, Justin Shorter, Tyrell Shavers, KJ Hamler, and Quintez Cephus for the final two spots. Johnson is really the only player of these names who could be used in ‘gadget’ situations; factor in his special teams ability, and you can see why he’s an interesting name to keep an eye on this summer.

CB Keni-H Lovely, Western Michigan

Sep 16, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Western Michigan Broncos cornerback Keni-H Lovely (2) reacts
Sep 16, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Western Michigan Broncos cornerback Keni-H Lovely (2) reacts / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo did not select a true boundary cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft, its only selections in the secondary being second-round safety Cole Bishop and sixth-round nickel defender Daequan Hardy. This not only bodes well for the outside corners already on its roster (namely Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam), but also for the undrafted free agents who will attempt to earn a spot at the bottom of its roster.

The lone boundary corner who was reportedly signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent, former Western Michigan defender Keni-H Lovely perhaps has the best opportunity of any of his undrafted peers to make Buffalo’s roster thanks to his competition, or rather, lack thereof. Not including the versatile Cam Lewis (who, despite experience out wide, has fully transitioned to safety), Lovely is one of six objective boundary corners on the Bills’ roster; while he’s currently at the bottom of the depth chart, he only has to usurp Kyron Brown and Ja’Marcus Ingram to become the team’s fourth outside corner.

Lovely, who notched 108 tackles throughout his time at Western Michigan, is a solid athlete who possesses traits that Buffalo’s coaching staff values in its defenders. He simply has that innate ‘nose for the football’ and always seems to be around it, this evidenced by his 10 career pass deflections, six interceptions, and four forced fumbles. Factor in the reported 4.35-second 40-yard dash he ran at his Pro Day, and you can see why there’s reason for optimism here.

While still a long shot, it’s not difficult to imagine Lovely, given his athletic ability and ball-hawing nature, usurping Brown and Ingram on the depth chart throughout the summer; being the fourth boundary corner on the depth chart would also certainly secure him a roster spot. If unable to crack the active roster, he’s a prime practice squad candidate.

Related: Projecting the Bills' defensive depth chart for the 2024 NFL Season

OL Gunner Britton, Auburn

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Gunner Britton (53) in
Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Gunner Britton (53) in / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

A former Western Kentucky Hilltopper, offensive lineman Gunner Britton transferred to the bright lights of the SEC for his fifth collegiate season, joining the Auburn Tigers. He shifted from tackle to guard for the Tigers, displaying a bit of positional versatility that could allow him to stick around in Buffalo for the foreseeable future.

He played both left and right tackle for the Hilltoppers in 2022, allowing three sacks and 10 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus. He improved on these numbers at guard in Auburn, still allowing three sacks in addition to a reduced eight pressures. He also graded well as a run blocker, with his talent and 6-foot-6 athletic build making him a ball of clay worth molding.

He’s admittedly the least likely to make Buffalo’s roster of the names listed here, but there is a path; Buffalo places great value in versatile offensive linemen who can play various roles in a pinch, and Britton, given his experience at both left and right tackle and left guard, fits this bill. It’s difficult to imagine him usurping players like Alec Anderson, Ryan Van Demark, and the recently signed La’el Collins on the depth chart, but it’s not an egregious thought. Britton perhaps best projects as a priority practice squad signing with a chance at claiming a roster spot with a strong camp.

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Kyle Silagyi

KYLE SILAGYI