Buffalo Bills' Top 3 boom-or-bust candidates in 2025

For the Buffalo Bills, a few players can significantly impact how this season plays out, good or bad.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completes a pass to wide receiver Nico Collins against the Los Angeles Chargers. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills head towards the 2025 NFL season as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Getting to the top requires great coaching, amazing talent, and some luck. It also helps to have a few players step up and have excellent seasons, but oftentimes, those players also have a possibility of being a complete flop.

The Bills struggled last season on the defensive side of the ball. They added several new faces to their defense and said goodbye to Von Miller and Rasul Douglas. They extended linebacker Terrel Bernard, cornerback Christian Benford, and Greg Rousseau. On the offensive side, they extended wide receiver Khalil Shakir, and despite not extending running back James Cook, he is still on the roster through the 2025 season.

The core of the team is set, but a few players can significantly impact how this season plays out, good or bad. Unfortunately, they could be complete busts and put the Bills in a difficult spot.

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Here are three boom-or-bust candidates for the 2025 Bills.

DE Joey Bosa

Joey Bosa feels like an all-or-nothing signing by Brandon Beane and could be the most impactful signing of the 2025 offseason. Bosa has struggled to stay healthy late in his career, but when he is, he can be as dominant as any pass-rusher in the league. This has boom or bust written all over it.

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

WR Keon Coleman

Keon Coleman is heading into his second year in the league and needs to have a good season. In 2024, as a rookie, things were going well for the young receiver, but after a wrist injury took him out for a few weeks, he never seemed to get his groove back. When asked about Coleman, Beane said, "Probably was a little disappointed in the return from injury". The Bills need Coleman to take another step in his development, but this could go the other way, and he never becomes that impactful boundary receiver that Josh Allen and the Bills need.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) catches a pass, beating New York Jets cornerback Isaiah Oliver (23). | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

S Cole Bishop

Cole Bishop has a year under his belt now and has shown promise late in the season and into the playoffs. He led all defenders in tackles in the AFC title game, and Bishop is the favorite to assume the starting role, heading into the 2025 season. Bills fans will see Bishop as a draft bust if he is beaten out for the starting job by Damar Hamlin.

Brandon Beane on Cole Bishop: “We’re going to count on Cole.. he’s going to have every chance this year.” #Bills #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/Hy6qMqhJr1

— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) February 25, 2025

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