13 Most Important Bills Players Who Will Define Buffalo's Future

As the Buffalo Bills forge ahead into a new era with Joe Brady as head coach, there are 13 players most important to the team’s future.

Of the group, the most obvious is Josh Allen. But when forecasting the Bills’ upcoming campaign and beyond, there are several others whose impact will weigh heavily on the team’s fate in its ongoing Super Bowl pursuit.

Josh Allen, quarterback

Allen has a lot on his plate entering the 2026 season, as he will be tasked with easing the team’s transition to Brady as its new leader. Allen’s steady hand this year will be critical.

Additionally, the Bills’ quarterback just turned 30 years old and may need to adjust his style of play as he continues to advance in age. Allen was sacked a career-high 40 times in 2025. If he continues to put himself at risk the way he did last season, his incredible streak of durability will likely come to an end.

The Bills are nothing without their star quarterback on the field, thus making his continued achievement and health the most important factors in Buffalo’s success moving forward.

James Cook, running back

Cook averaged 5.2 yards per carry on his way to claiming the NFL rushing title in 2025, instantly delivering a remarkable campaign in the first year of his new contract extension. Cook’s deal has proven to be a steal at an average annual value of $12 million.

For a team that is in salary cap hell for the foreseeable future, Cook’s ability to maintain his upward progression on what will prove to be an extremely team-friendly contract is crucial.

Dalton Kincaid, tight end

Kincaid has played 25 of a possible 34 games over the past two years. His lingering knee injury has caused him to be sidelined or less than 100% for many of the Bills’ most critical matchups during that timeframe.

Moving forward, it’s vital for the Bills’ passing game that it gets its most efficient player back to full health in his fourth professional season. His catch rate over expected of +10.9% was 10th best among NFL pass catchers in 2025, and Buffalo must find a way to keep Kincaid on the field more often as it hopes to take things to another level in 2026 and beyond.

DJ Moore, wide receiver

I wasn’t a huge fan of the trade that required the Bills to relinquish a second-round pick for Moore. With that said, if I’m proven wrong and Moore returns to form as the true elite WR1 he has been in the past, it’s tough to imagine the Buffalo passing game won't be one of the best in the league.

I’m still skeptical. But if Moore can record his first 1,000-yard season since 2023, that would be a boon for the Bills not only this season but into the future as well. Moore will cost the Bills $28.9 million against the salary cap in 2027. He must perform as a top-level player in his first year in Buffalo.

Skyler Bell, wide receiver

After bypassing a few quality options at the top end of the draft, the Bills settled on Bell in the fourth round. While I am a big fan of the selection, Bell must still prove he can rapidly adjust his game to the NFL level.

With Keon Coleman proving to be a bust early in his career and Joshua Palmer remaining on the mend to begin the Bills’ offseason workout program, Buffalo desperately needs Bell to become a significant contributor right out of the gate. If he fails to do so, and Coleman and Palmer continue to underperform, I don’t think Moore and Khalil Shakir will be enough to lift Buffalo’s wide receiver room.

Spencer Brown, right tackle

With Dion Dawkins entering his age-32 season, it may not be long before the Bills are seeking a replacement for their former second-round pick. Brown could be a nice fit to move across the line and begin protecting his quarterback’s blindside sometime in the near future.

Brown is contractually tied to the Bills through the 2028 season, which is a plus for Buffalo as his contributions have been increasingly critical as his career has progressed, and will continue to be especially if Dawkins is to soon walk out the door.

Connor McGovern, center

The Bills already lost former starting left guard David Edwards in free agency this offseason, making McGovern’s presence on the interior of Buffalo’s offensive line even more critical. McGovern inked a lucrative four-year, $52 million contract, and the Bills need him to earn every cent of it by remaining a formidable force up front offensively.

Over the last two seasons, McGovern hasn’t allowed a single sack, according to Pro Football Focus. Additionally, he has only allowed opponents to record three quarterback hits while lined up against him in pass protection. His PFF run blocking grade of 68.7 in 2025 was second among Bills offensive linemen.

Bradley Chubb, edge rusher

Chubb was the Bills’ big free-agent splash, signing a three-year, $43.5 million contract. The hope in injecting him into the Bills’ group of EDGEs is that he will help vastly improve the team’s pass rush.

If he fails to make the impact expected of him, it could crater the Bills’ chances of improving up front defensively. A lot is riding on Chubb to step in and become a game-changer for Buffalo’s resistance.

T.J. Parker, edge rusher

Whereas Chubb should be expected to transform the Bills’ defense immediately, Parker’s value lies more in the long term. Drafted with the 35th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 draft, Parker represents the future of the Bills’ pass rush.

According to Pro Football Focus, Parker recorded 41 total pressures in his final collegiate season with Clemson. Buffalo will be looking for Parker to display signs that he can produce at as high a level over a long pro career.

Christian Benford, cornerback

Benford has quickly developed into one of the NFL’s top cover cornerbacks over the past few seasons. There was no greater example of this than when he lined up against Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase this past season.

During the Week 14 contest between Buffalo and Cincinnati, Benford held Chase without a reception while recording a pick-six to help the Bills pull off a wild comeback victory. As the Bills’ secondary moves forward with a young starter, either 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston or 2026 second-round pick Davison Igbinosun, opposite Benford this season, it must receive continued superstar-level play from Benford.

Ed Oliver, defensive tackle

When he was on the field a season ago, Oliver was the Bills’ most disruptive defender. The trouble was, he was only active for three regular-season games.

For Buffalo’s defense to reach its full efficacy in the first season with new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, Oliver must remain healthy and produce at the level we saw from him, albeit during a brief stint, a season ago.

Deone Walker, defensive tackle

The Bills have spent an immense amount of draft capital in recent seasons trying to improve their defensive line. So far, they haven’t gotten the results they had hoped for.

Former third-round pick DeWayne Carter has been underwhelming, while Walker’s fellow 2025 draft pick, T.J. Sanders, didn’t show the same potential that his fellow rookie did a season ago. That leaves Walker as the greatest hope for the Bills’ young D-line, which needs to start to show improvement as it moves forward into a new era with Leonhard at the helm.

Cole Bishop, safety

Bishop came out of nowhere to transform into one of the Bills’ most effective defenders in 2025. The former second-round pick now projects as one of the league’s top up-and-coming players at his position.

This is another critical year for Bishop’s development, as he gets set to take over as the leader of Buffalo’s back end after having veteran Jordan Poyer take him under his wing a season ago. We’ll see if he can prove himself in a bit of a new role alongside a running mate with a volatile personality, C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

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