Two Surprising Bills' Rookies Named as Top Preseason Performers

The NFL preseason has come to a close, so which Buffalo Bills rookies had the best professional debuts?

PFF's Gordon McGuinness revealed the top 15 first-year players with the highest preseason grades, including one Bill on each side of the ball.

WR Ja'Mori Maclin

The Kentucky product and cousin of former NFL wideout Jeremy Maclin became a fan favorite this preseason.

Ja'Mori Maclin's 84.6 PFF grade was 11th among rookies and first among all Bills, converting six targets into four catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.

According to McGuinness, "he averaged 4.78 yards per route run and 32.3 yards per reception," which is in large part due to his 71-yard catch and run against the Browns. With his 108 receiving yards against Cleveland, he became the first player this preseason to record over 100 receiving yards in a game. We wrote about his impressive performance following the 31-7 win.

The rookie nearly had a touchdown against the Steelers thanks to a great route, but an underthrown ball by Kyle Allen allowed the defending cornerback to rejoin the play and break up the pass.

Shane Buechele ➡️ Ja'Mori Maclin for a 71-yd touchdown!

Tune into CBS pic.twitter.com/n1QbelEma2
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 22, 2026

Maclin is currently one of four wide receivers on the team's practice squad, joining three other former undrafted players — Greg Dortch, Trent Sherfield and Stephen Gosnell.

He lacks exceptional size at 5'10" and needs to evolve his game to compete at the pro-level, but he is explosive and can stretch the field. After transferring from Missouri, he broke out at North Texas in 2023 with his 57 catches for 1004 yards and 11 touchdowns (nearly a TD every 5 catches). He transferred to Kentucky, but the Wildcats clearly didn't know how to utilize Maclin's skillset, only catching 13 passes in each of his final two collegiate seasons.

Like most depth receivers, he will need to add special teams facets to his skillset to crack a roster spot.

OLB T.J. Parker

Parker, the team's first draft selection, may have had an underwhelming box score during the preseason, but the Clemson product earned an 83.8 grade from PFF, the 13th best among rookies.

In Buffalo's third matchup against the Steelers, Parker recorded a 91.7 grade. The strong finish to the preseason boosted his final stats to four pressures on 37 pass rush snaps, along with a pair of tackles that included a defensive stop.

Joe Brady commented on Parker's preseason during his press conference on Tuesday, commeding the rookie for his work ethic. The head coach explained that "you feel him when he's out on the football field," specifically referencing "his strength and versatility."

Both Parker's strength and versatility were on display when he was able to get his hands on the QB against Cleveland and Pittsburgh. He showed off his pass rush power against Browns backup tackle KT Leveston, and an inside stunt led to a QB hit against the Steelers after a quick block shed against fellow rookie Gennings Dunker.

The rookie will serve as key depth behind Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb, joining Michael Hoecht, Javon Solomon and Mike Danna in a deep edge rusher rotation.

Rookie Report Card

Aug 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Skyler Bell (13) avoids a tackle by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Doneiko Slaughter (19) during the first quarter at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Second round pick Davison Igbinosun earned a 76.2 grade from PFF, after allowing just two receptions for seven yards on 49 coverage snaps.

Jude Bowry had his ups and downs against Carolina and Cleveland, finishing the preseason with a 52.6 overall grade. His 17.4 pass blocking grade against the Browns showed that he still has a long way to go before pushing Tylan Grable to be the team's swing tackle.

After missing the first two preseason games with a groin injury, Skyler Bell played 52 snaps against the Steelers and logged a 72.2 PFF grade. Bell turned seven catches into 49 yards and added 28 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Kaleb Elarms-Orr is the rookie with the best chance of cracking the starting lineup first, and he showed why in the preseason. Despite eight total tackles, four defensive stops, and allowing just three catches for 18 yards while in coverage, his 55.7 PFF grade alludes to some inconsistencies in the linebacker's preseason performances.

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