Three Buffalo Bills' Position Battles No One Saw Coming Before NFL Draft

The Buffalo Bills have prioritized competition across their roster during general manager Brandon Beane's tenure, and the team's recent moves will likely result in more of it.

Between making two important draft picks and two post-draft signings, the Bills have seemingly created instant competitions at three different positions.

"We want guys that are going to compete," said Bills' first-year head coach Joe Brady. "I want to go out to practice in OTAs and training camp, and it's guys fighting for jobs, and it's only going to make our team better."

Here are three positions where newcomers will be "fighting for jobs."

No. 2 Cornerback

Heading into the NFL Draft, the Bills had apparent needs for depth in the secondary, but they were thought to be set in terms of starting cornerbacks.

Christian Benford, who signed a lucrative contract extension last spring, is back for Year 5, and 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston entered the offseason as the presumed outside starter opposite the established CB1.

Not so fast.

The Bills added a major variable to the equation when they traded up into Round 2 to draft Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun, who made 52 collegiate starts.

We explored the idea of the 6-foot-2 Igbinosun, who is taller and longer, potentially displacing Hairston, who had availability issues as a rookie, in the starting lineup.

"You saw the depth of our corners tested last year through injury. You want to make sure as the season goes along, if injury strikes, that you got enough guys, even if they're not starters. This [Igbinosun] is a depth player that will come in and compete," said Beane.

Fullback

The Bills went from no fullbacks to two fullbacks in the span of a couple days in late April.

After Reggie Gilliam left for the New England Patriots in free agency, it appeared as if Buffalo could move forward without a true fullback this season, especially with second-year tight end Jackson Hawes's emergence as a respected run blocker.

As it turns out, however, fullbacks are always welcome in Joe Brady's offense.

In the hours after the draft, the Bills agreed to an undrafted free agent contract with Wisconsin fullback Jackson Acker. Only days later, Buffalo announced a deal with former Philadelphia Eagles' fullback Ben VanSumeren, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on a kickoff in Week 1 last year.

Neither the rookie Acker nor VanSumeren have prior NFL regular season experience as fullbacks. The latter was a linebacker for his first two seasons with the Eagles before moving to the other side of the ball in 2025.

For multiple reasons, Acker seems like the early favorite in the two-horse race for Bills' fullback duties. First, VanSumeren must prove that he is healthy after last year's injury.

Then, there's the fact that Acker, who mastered the role at Wisconsin, played under Bills' defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard when he was the Badgers' interim head coach. That familiarity suggests Acker was a calculated UDFA signing by Buffalo as opposed to a dart throw.

Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Ben VanSumeren (57) leaves the field after a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

No. 3 Wide Receiver

With addition DJ Moore and steady Khalil Shakir seemingly entrenched as the Bills' top-two wide receivers, returnees Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer appeared in line to battle for WR3 reps.

That was before Skyler Bell entered the chat. Buffalo has received rave reviews for selecting Bell at No. 125 overall with multiple metrics suggesting the 5-foot-11 wide receiver will prove to be a Round 4 steal.

We wrote about "Ja'Marr Chase lite," and the scouting community's expectations for the rookie earlier this week.

Bell was one of the most productive wide receivers in this year's draft class. He averaged a class-best 7.8 receptions per game, and his 65 percent contested catch rate was second amongst all prospects.

In addition to his efficiency as a receiver, Bell, who has 4.40 speed, sports a highly athletic profile. His 9.83 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) ranks in the top 1.7 percent of 4,196 WR prospects tested since 1987.

Offering speed and versatility, Bell seems destined to find his way onto the field as WR3 in a number packages. Coleman and Palmer have some serious competition on their hands.

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