Buffalo Bills' Most Promising Building Block at Each Position as Training Camp Begins

Training camp is on the horizon as the Buffalo Bills are set to embark on yet another campaign they’re hoping ends with, at the very least, a Super Bowl appearance.

Buffalo once again comes equipped with few superstars aside from their former MVP quarterback Josh Allen and the 2025 rushing champion James Cook. A few offseason additions bolstered positions of need, but not with top-10, or even top-15 players at their position entering the fold.

If the Bills are going to make a championship run this year, it will take a herculean effort from Allen, another monstrous performance from Cook, along with the team’s other building blocks taking a step toward stardom. A few names come to mind, particularly tight end Dalton Kincaid and defensive lineman Deone Walker.

But several others could also set the Bills up for success not only this season, but long into the future, if they are to rise to the occasion in 2026.

Josh Allen, Quarterback

Josh Allen was inefficient a season ago, when he was sacked a career-high 40 times, many of which came as a result of him freewheeling in the pocket. His EPA per drop back was +0.10, which was the worst mark since his second professional season, according to Next Gen Stats.

With that said, he remains the best quarterback in the league and despite turning 30 years old entering the upcoming campaign, he has the Bills set up for success long into the future. It’s only a matter of whether the players around him can rise to the occasion this year.

James Cook, Running back

James Cook answered the bell in 2025 and provided the Bills’ offense with as good of a one-two punch as its had since the days of Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas, when Buffalo advanced to the Super Bowl in four straight seasons from 1990 to 1993.

Cook’s Pro Football Focus rushing grade was the second-best of his career at 81.8, but he set career-highs in rushing yards [1,621], rushing attempts [309], first downs gained by rush [68], yards per game [95.4], rushing attempts per game [18.2] and broken tackles [21]. Cook is on the rise and he may take another step forward this season, particularly in the passing game, where he is expected to be utilized a bit more than when he recorded just 33 receptions a year ago.

Skyler Bell, Wide receiver

Skyler Bell is an exciting prospect who could have a massive impact on the Bills’ passing game in Year 1. He was one of the best receivers in college football a season ago and the 6-foot, 185-pound target may not be physically imposing, but his production speaks for itself.

He recorded 2,138 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns over the past two seasons with UConn, which was among the most in all of college football. There is a concern that his spike in production coincided with him transferring from the Big Ten [Wisconsin] to UConn, which plays a weaker independent FBS schedule. But I think the Bills got a good one with the No. 125 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Dalton Kincaid, Tight end

Dalton Kincaid has struggled to stay on the field the past two years, as he played just 38% of the team’s offensive snaps last season despite finishing as its most efficient pass catcher. His receiving EPA +38.5 led the team, ahead of the Bills’ leading receiver Khalil Shakir.

But if he can get back to full health, the sky is the limit for one of the Bills’ most dangerous offensive threats. Kincaid also led all Bills pass catchers in yards per reception [minimum 16 receptions], recording a mark of 14.6, which was the best of his career.

Spencer Brown, Offensive line

Spencer Brown underwent offseason surgery but appears to be trending in the right direction as the Bills get set to begin training camp on July 29. Brown recorded a pass-blocking efficiency of 94.2 in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus, while his effort in the running game was even more impressive.

Brown’s PFF run blocking grade of 85.7 was the best of his career, while he was flagged just four times, the fewest amount since entering the league in 2021. While Dion Dawkins is coming off a down year, Brown continues to ascend and at only 28 years old, the Bills have got themselves a good one for the extended future.

Deone Walker, Defensive line

Deone Walker burst onto the scene during his rookie year, helping anchor a banged-up Bills defensive line that lost stalwart Ed Oliver for the majority of the season. Walker was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and has proven to be a steal after recording eight tackles for loss and four passes defensed during his first professional season.

Walker’s 30 run stops were most among Bills interior defensive linemen a year ago. He will have to produce more of the same during the upcoming campaign, when he will be Buffalo’s top option at nose tackle in first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s fresh defensive scheme.

Greg Rousseau, Edge rusher

Greg Rousseau led the Bills in sacks a season ago with seven. And while he has yet to transform into the star Buffalo believed it had when making him the No. 30 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he has been a steady contributor over his time in the NFL.

The free-agent addition of Bradley Chubb should only boost Rousseau’s efforts, as some attention will be taken away from the team’s returning leading sack-getter. He is also set to shift back to his more natural side, the left side, which he has expressed his excitement about already this offseason.

Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Linebacker

Kaleb Elarms-Orr has been thrust into the center of the conversation for the Bills’ LB2 job beside Terrel Bernard in Leonhard’s 3-4 defense. While I’m incredibly high on Elarms-Orr’s future, I hope throwing him into the fire in Year 1 won’t stunt his growth as the team’s future at the position.

Elarms-Orr is undersized like Bernard and the player who he will be competing with for a starting role, Dorian Williams. All three players are listed from 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-2 and between 224 and 234 pounds. It will be interesting to see if that group is enough to stand up to some of the top rushing attacks on the Bills’ schedule. Buffalo allowed the fifth-most rushing yards in the NFL in 2025 [136.2] and need to be better in that department this season.

Christian Benford, Cornerback

Christian Benford is coming off a season in which he was one of the top matchup cornerbacks in the NFL. Now, he will be tasked with guiding a youthful CB group, which will feature a race to be his running mate.

Maxwell Hairston was selected in the first round in 2025 and Davison Igbinosun was made a second-round pick this year. Still, Benford is just 25 years old and signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension on March 29, 2025. He’s going to be around a while.

Cole Bishop, Safety

Cole Bishop took a significant step forward while playing alongside former Bills safety Jordan Poyer last season. Bishop’s ball-hawk ability took a step forward, as did his overall consistency in run support and other phases of the game.

A former second-round pick, Bishop is beginning to pay off for the Bills and has quickly become one of Brandon Beane’s best draft picks of the past few years. It will be interesting to see if he can return from an offseason injury in time to begin training camp and how he will fit alongside new Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. But I’m excited about his future.

Tommy Doman Jr., Special teams

Tommy Doman Jr. is almost sure to win the starting job as the Bills’ punter. According to @BruceExclusive on X, over the past 10 drafts, there have been 21 punters drafted and 20 of them made their team’s roster in their first season. The only player to be cut was former Bills punter Matt Araiza, who was amid an off-field investigation at the time.

Doman Jr. has a big leg and is a physical specimen at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds. He was also a kickoff specialist in college, which could be another role that he could fill for the Bills in his rookie year.

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