Final Bills' 53-Man Roster Prediction Following Preseason Finale

The Buffalo Bills' preseason finale was about as fun of an exhibition game as you're going to see. Buffalo had a shaky start against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and fought back to make it close.

The Steelers seemed to put it away when a punt return for a touchdown made it 27-17 in the fourth quarter. The Bills kept fighting, scoring 11 unanswered with Shane Buechele hitting Dante Pettis for a game-winning two-point conversion for a 28-27 victory.

With the preseason behind them, the Bills can focus on which players they want to keep on the 53-man roster. Most of the decisions have been made, but head coach Joe Brady and general manager Brandon Beane need to finalize a few spots. With that said, here's a final prediction for what the roster could look like when the Bills face the Houston Texans in Week 1.

Quarterback (2)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen moves out of the pocket against the Carolina Panthers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Josh Allen
Kyle Allen

Notable cuts: Shane Buechele

Shane Buechele has impressed during the preseason, but Josh Allen and Kyle Allen remain the only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. As long as no one offers Buechele a spot on their active roster, he should be back as part of the practice squad.

Running Back (4)

James Cook
Ray Davis
Ty Johnson
Ben VanSumeren

Notable cuts: Frank Gore Jr., Ian Wheeler, Jackson Acker

Frank Gore Jr. did enough to make the roster, but the Bills don't want to get rid of anyone ahead of him either. For that reason, he just misses out. Someone is likely to pick him up and give him a shot after his latest showing.

Wide Receiver (5)

D.J. Moore
Khalil Shakir
Keon Coleman
Joshua Palmer
Skyler Bell

Notable cuts: Mecole Hardman Jr., Trent Sherfield, Dante Pettis
PUP: Tyrell Shavers

The Bills go thinner than expected at wide receiver with five players. They could decide to keep Trent Sherfield or even Dante Pettis, although both players can be added to the practice squad as well. As for Mecole Hardman, his drops throughout the preseason prove to be too much to overcome.

Tight End (4)

Buffalo Bills tight end Keleki Latu carries the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dalton Kincaid
Dawson Knox
Jackson Hawes
Keleki Latu

Notable cuts: None

Buffalo going thin at receiver allows them to keep Keleki Latu. They're exceptionally deep at tight end but Dalton Kincaid's injury history is a reason to keep four players. That and the fact that Latu might not survive waivers.

Offensive Line (9)

Dion Dawkins
Alec Anderson
Connor McGovern
O'Cyrus Torrence
Spencer Brown
Austin Corbett
Jude Bowry
Lloyd Cushenberry
Tylan Grable

Notable cuts: Ar'Maj Reed-Adams, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

The starting offensive line is similar to a year ago with Alec Anderson being the only exception. On the bench, they have a few new faces in Austin Corbertt, Lloyd Cushenberry, and rookie Jude Bowry leading the way.

Defensive Line (6)

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker reacts to getting a sack with Buffalo Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ed Oliver
Deone Walker
T.J. Sanders
Greg Gaines
Zane Durant
Landon Jackson

Notable cuts: DeWayne Carter
Suspended: Phidarian Mathis

Zane Durant flashed enough in the finale to take the final DT spot from DeWayne Carter. Phidarian Mathis also proved he belongs, but has to start the season on the suspended list.

EDGE (5)

Greg Rousseau
Bradley Chubb
T.J. Parker
Michael Hoecht
Javon Solomon

Notable cuts: Mike Danna

On the edge, the first four spots are locked in, and third-year pro Javon Solomon takes the fifth and final. Mike Danna had his moments during the preseason, but Buffalo goes with the younger option due to his higher ceiling.

Inside Linebacker (4)

Terrel Bernard
Dorian Williams
Kaleb Elarms-Orr
Keonta Jenkins

Notable cuts: Joe Andreesen

In the finale, Keonta Jenkins did just enough to edge out Joe Andreesen, although it wouldn't be a surprise to see this one flipped. This might be one of the toughest positions to predict since the battle between the two is so close.

Cornerback (6)

Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston warms up before the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Bills. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Christian Benford
Maxwell Hairston
Davison Igbinosun
Dee Alford
Kani Walker
Jordan Hancock

Notable cuts: Toriano Pride Jr., Te'Cory Couch

Maxwell Hairston had a missed tackle that led to a touchdown on Thursday night, but Joe Brady said he's still the CB2 to start the season. Rookie Davison Igbinosun will be fighting for his spot, while Dee Alford is expected to play in the slot. Kani Walker was too good to expose to waivers while Jordan Hancock's versatility keeps him on the roster.

Safety (5)

Cole Bishop
C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Damar Hamlin
Jalon Kilgore
Sam Franklin Jr.

Notable cuts: Geno Stone, Jordan Dunbar

Geno Stone is beaten out by Damar Hamlin for the backup safety spot while Jalon Kilgore is kept since he can play in the slot as well as safety. Sam Franklin sticks around due to his special teams ability.

Specialist (3)

Tyler Bass, K
Tommy Doman Jr., P
Reid Ferguson, LS

Notable cuts: Mitch Wishnowsky

Rookie Tommy Doman did enough in the preseason to prove he can handle the punting job, so he makes it over veteran Mitch Wishnowsky. The other specialist spots were never in question.

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