Six Surprises Who Made Buffalo Bills' Intial 53-Man Roster

The Bills had to make a plethora of transactional moves over the past few days, and there were several surprise names who cracked the initial roster.

Aug. 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills' rookie guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams (60) lines up for a play against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of a preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The news cycle in the National Football League is seemingly never-ending.

And, in recent days, that flow of information has only increased as the Buffalo Bills, along with the 31 other NFL franchises, had to make some tough decisions following their preseason finale last Thursday when it pertained to the team’s roster construction for the upcoming regular season.

Bills’ first-year head coach Joe Brady and general manager Brandon Beane certainly haven’t had it easy when it comes to deciding who stays and who goes, but ultimately it appears that they’ve reached their collective decision on what the 2026 iteration of Buffalo’s roster will look like moving forward . . . at least for the time being, anyway.

Some questionable moves made, but proof is “in the pudding”

Buffalo Bills' first-year head coach Joe Brady and players on the sideline watch the offense's drive during first-half action of the Bills' preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the new Highmark Stadium on Aug. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Did they get it right?

Well, that’s certainly up for debate. However, regardless, Brady and Beane must now live with those decisions, and sit tight while they see what transpires over the next 18-plus weeks of football.

And, while there were some recent roster cuts that were met with backlash from Bills Mafia—like deciding to release stellar undrafted rookie defensive back Kani Walker on Sunday—Buffalo’s upper echelon of personnel decision-makers can’t please everyone: that’s for sure.

With that said, there were also some pleasant surprises to make the team that fans were surely happy to see, as well.

Here are six such players who shocked everyone and somehow latched onto a few of the final 53-man roster spots for the Bills.

TE Keleki Latu

Aug. 22, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills' second-year tight end Keleki Latu (83) walks off the field after the second-half at Huntington Bank Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Second-year tight end Keleki Latu, who signed as an undrafted free agent last spring out of the University of Washington, had quite the summer for the Bills this July and August.

Overlooked at times by fans in favor of the more notable players at his position like Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and fellow second-year tight end Jackson Hawes, Latu quietly stacked several quality days during training camp, both at St. John Fisher University and back at One Bills Drive. 

Aug. 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers' linebacker Cole Holcomb (55) tackles Buffalo Bills' tight end Keleki Latu (83) during the first quarter of a preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

And, in the preseason, his performance stayed on an upward trajectory as he led all Bills’ tight ends in receiving after he hauled in six receptions for 53 yards through limited action in three games, which included snagging four catches for 33 yards in the preseason opener at Highmark Stadium against the Carolina Panthers.

Overall, the 24-year-old definitely earned the spot, and it was apparently enough to convince the team that there was no need for a fullback on the roster this year in Western New York.

DL Greg Gaines

Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive lineman Gennings Dunker holds back Buffalo Bills' defensive lineman Greg Gaines, who was trying to get to Steelers' quarterback Will Howard during first-half action of the Bills' preseason game against Pittsburgh at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Aug. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Eighth-year veteran defensive lineman Greg Gaines didn’t sign with Buffalo until Tuesday, August 18.

And, although the 6-foot-1, 312-pound California native has been a productive player all along in the NFL ever since first entering the league as a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, past success doesn’t usually matter when a player is signed by a franchise so late into the preseason. 

In most cases, those players—established veterans or not—are just training camp “fodder”.

Apparently, not for Gaines, though.

The feisty former Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defender played well enough in two preseason games to prove that he still has the “chops” to contribute in the league despite just turning 30 years old in May.

S Damar Hamlin

Buffalo Bills' defensive back Damar Hamlin (3) makes an interception and turns up field for a few yards before being tackled during first-half action of the Bills' preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Aug. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Somehow, some way, veteran safety Damar Hamlin found a path toward Buffalo’s 53-man roster once again to end the summer, marking the sixth such season that he’s done so since entering the league as a sixth-round draft choice out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2021.

The 28-year-old isn’t flashy, but he’s been dependable throughout his NFL tenure, whether it be in a starting role or on special teams for the Bills.

Apparently, that versatility and veteran wisdom was too much for Beane and Brady to pass up this season, especially after he finished his three preseason outings with eight total tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions.

In total, Buffalo decided to keep 10 defensive backs between the safety and cornerback rooms.

DL DeWayne Carter

Buffalo Bills' defensive lineman DeWayne Carter (90) talks to teammates before heading to the line of scrimmage during first-half action of the Bills' preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Aug. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There may have been no other player this preseason that was more on the “roster bubble” for the Bills than third-year defensive lineman DeWayne Carter, who entered training camp coming off a torn achilles that he had suffered right before the start of the regular season last August.

The former 2024 third-round pick out of Duke University has been a bit of a disappointment so far in his NFL career, and it was presumed that the team might just cut ties with Carter this offseason, especially after the team recently switched to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

Apparently, though, the one-time Duke Blue Devils’ captain has done enough this summer to stick around . . . at least until fellow defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis returns from his three-game suspension.

Mathis flashed more than Carter over the past three preseason games.

OLB Mike Danna

Buffalo Bills' EDGE rusher Mike Danna (51) runs around a dummy during a drill at the "Return of the Blue and Red" practice at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Aug. 8, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Former Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive lineman Mike Danna started the preseason on fire as he notched two sacks in his debut with the Bills against the Panthers on August 15, and his play stayed rather steady the rest of the way through the last two games against the Browns and the Steelers.

Danna finished his three exhibition outings with five total tackles, three quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one pass deflection, and the previously mentioned two sacks.

It wasn’t enough to totally unseat fellow third-year EDGE rusher Javon Solomon, who could also probably be mentioned on this list, but ultimately Buffalo decided that Danna was too impressive this summer to let go.

The 28-year-old will likely be a bigger factor during pass-rushing situations on defense than Solomon, who is the better of the two on special teams.

OL Ar’maj Reed-Adams

Buffalo Bills' interior offensive linemen Ar'maj Reed-Adams (right) and Alec Anderson left) perform drills against each other during Bills' training camp at St. John Fisher University on July 30, 2026 in Pittsford, New York. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Outside of tight end Keleki Latu, seventh-round rookie guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams, who was Buffalo’s final selection in this past April’s draft at pick No. 241 out of Texas A&M University, might have been the biggest surprise to snag a spot on the 53-man roster after this preseason.

It’s not that Reed-Adams played badly, in fact he showed quite well in his first NFL action this summer, but usually late-round picks don’t make it with their respective teams as rookies, especially not when they’re at a logjam in an offensive-line room with nine other players in front of them.

But, Reed-Adams managed to do the unthinkable and forced the Bills to keep a fourth offensive guard behind O’Cyrus Torrence, Alec Anderson, and Austin Corbett.

He was considered to be a leader in the locker room while with the Aggies in college, so presumably there must also be something intangible that Brandon Beane and Joe Brady—as well as new offensive line coach Pat Meyer—like from the 24-year-old.

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