Buffalo Bills Running Back Room Draws Praise Despite Missing Top 5

Led by James Cook, the Buffalo Bills have a talented RB room that just missed out on the top 5 in a recent ranking.

Buffalo Bills RB James Cook III runs during the AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

James Cook led the NFL in rushing yardage in 2025, gaining 1,621 yards and rushing for 12 touchdowns for the Buffalo Bills. It was the second consecutive year that he was one of the league's statistical leaders, tying for the most rushing touchdowns in 2024 with 16.

Cook, who was recently named the team's most underpaid player, has been the focal point of their ground game, but the running back room as a whole is still talented.

Ray Davis had just 58 attempts, but managed 275 yards, which is an average of 4.7 yards per attempt. Ty Johnson is their third-down back, and while he had 200 yards rushing, it was his 263 receiving yards that showed his value.

Still, Cook is the one who makes things go and is the reason Bleacher Report's Alex Kay gave the Bills backfield an honorable mention when ranking the top five running back rooms in the league.

"The Buffalo Bills led the league in rushing last year thanks to a career season from James Cook. The four-year veteran put up an NFL-best 1,621 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on a whopping 309 totes," Kay wrote.

"Cook has been one of the game's premier backfield weapons for three straight years, topping 1,000 yards on the ground and earning Pro Bowl nods in each of those seasons. He's likely to continue that streak in 2026 with the Bills keeping their platoon together for another run. Ty Johnson and Ray Davis remain the depth options, although neither figures to see significant action without Cook suffering an injury or his fumbling issues—he did put the ball on the ground six times last year—growing far worse."

Bills backfield needs to lean on their depth more often

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis runs for several yards against the Jets at Highmark Stadium. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As talented as Cook is, the Bills should be willing to utilize their reserves more often. Davis isn't the same caliber player, but he proved during his second season that he can move the chains.

Giving him more snaps early in the season would help Cook remain fresh. While his durability and stamina haven't been an issue, Cook just had a career-high 309 rushing attempts and 342 total touches. That's 103 more touches than he had in 2024, something that could lead to issues down the road.

Cook is a dynamic player, which makes it tempting to feed him constantly, but Buffalo needs to be smart about it as well.

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