The Buffalo Bills are in a weird spot. Honestly, if you look at the Buffalo Bills depth chart 2025, it’s a mix of "superstars in their prime" and "guys we hope can play 40 snaps without a disaster." Brandon Beane has been playing salary cap Tetris for years, and 2025 is where the blocks are getting dangerously high.
Most people just look at the names and assume Buffalo will be fine because they have #17. And sure, Josh Allen is the ultimate eraser of mistakes. But the nuance of this roster—the actual meat of the depth—is far more complicated than just "Josh Allen and some friends."
The Offensive Engine: Beyond Just Josh Allen
Let’s talk about the quarterback room first, mostly because it’s the simplest part of the whole operation. Josh Allen is the starter. Period. Behind him, Mitchell Trubisky is back for another year of holding the clipboard. It’s a "break glass in case of emergency" situation that no Bills fan ever wants to see actually happen.
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The real intrigue starts at the skill positions.
Running Backs and the Cook Factor
James Cook has basically cemented himself as a top-tier explosive threat. But here is what people miss: the 2025 season is a massive year for Ray Davis. The Bills have been looking for that "thunder" to Cook's "lightning" for what feels like a decade.
- Starter: James Cook
- The Power Back: Ray Davis
- The Reliable Vet: Ty Johnson
- The Hybrid: Reggie Gilliam (FB)
Ray Davis isn't just a backup; he's the guy who has to keep James Cook fresh for a deep playoff run. If Davis can’t handle the short-yardage work, the Bills end up running Josh Allen into a wall of linebackers on 3rd-and-2, which is exactly what they want to avoid.
The Wide Receiver Reset
This is where the Buffalo Bills depth chart 2025 gets spicy. The Amari Cooper era was a fun whirlwind, but with him retiring, the room has a totally different vibe. Khalil Shakir is arguably the most underrated receiver in the league right now. He just doesn't drop the ball.
Keon Coleman is the "X" factor—literally. He’s the big-bodied guy who needs to win those contested catches that Stefon Diggs used to grab. Then you've got Josh Palmer and the veteran Brandin Cooks, who was a late-season addition to provide some veteran savvy. It’s a "by committee" approach that Joe Brady seems to love.
The Trenches: Where the Money Lives
If you want to know where the Bills' money is, look at the offensive line. Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown are the anchors.
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Left Tackle: Dion Dawkins
Left Guard: David Edwards
Center: Connor McGovern
Right Guard: O'Cyrus Torrence
Right Tackle: Spencer Brown
The depth here is actually decent. Alec Anderson is the ultimate utility man—he can basically play any of the five spots in a pinch. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger is the future at center, sitting and learning behind McGovern. It’s one of the few units on the team where a single injury won’t tank the entire season.
Rebuilding the Defense on a Budget
The defense is where things get... let’s say "experimental." The Buffalo Bills depth chart 2025 shows a massive shift on the defensive line.
The Joey Bosa Gamble
Bringing in Joey Bosa was the biggest swing Brandon Beane took this offseason. Pairing him with Greg Rousseau creates a terrifying duo on paper. But Bosa’s health is the asterisk that could define the Bills' season.
- LDE: Greg Rousseau / Javon Solomon
- RDE: Joey Bosa / A.J. Epenesa
- DT: DaQuan Jones / T.J. Sanders
- DT: Deone Walker / Larry Ogunjobi
Drafting Deone Walker was a huge win. He’s a mountain of a man who allows Ed Oliver (when healthy) to just penetrate and cause chaos. But with Ed Oliver starting the year on IR, the pressure on the rookie Walker and the veteran DaQuan Jones is immense.
The Linebacker Puzzle
Matt Milano’s health is basically a religious topic in Western New York at this point. When he's on the field, the defense is elite. When he's not, Terrel Bernard has to do way too much.
"Milano is the heart, but Bernard is the brain of this defense." — This is a common sentiment among scouts.
Shaq Thompson was a smart veteran addition to provide cover for Dorian Williams, who is still a bit of a "see ball, hit ball" player without much refinement yet.
The Secondary: A Blast from the Past?
The most surprising move on the Buffalo Bills depth chart 2025? The return of Tre'Davious White. Nobody saw that coming after his stint with the Rams and Ravens. He’s likely not the All-Pro Tre of 2019, but his presence in the locker room is massive.
Christian Benford has quietly become one of the best corners in the AFC. He’ll start opposite Tre White, with first-round pick Maxwell Hairston being groomed to take over sooner rather than later.
Safety Check: Jordan Poyer is back on a one-year "legacy" deal, which feels right. He’s pairing with the young Cole Bishop. This is a classic "bridge" situation. Poyer teaches Bishop the ropes, then hands over the keys.
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Special Teams: The Prater Era
Yes, Matt Prater is 41. No, the Bills don't care. After Tyler Bass had a rough patch, Beane went with the "old reliable" approach. Mitch Wishnowsky handles the punting, and honestly, having a stable kicking game is a luxury the Bills haven't had consistently lately.
Actionable Insights for Bills Fans
If you're tracking the Buffalo Bills depth chart 2025 for fantasy or just pure fandom, keep your eyes on these three things:
- The Snap Count for Keon Coleman: If he's playing 90% of snaps by Week 4, he's the real deal. If they are rotating him out for Brandin Cooks, the Bills are worried about his playbook mastery.
- The DT Rotation: Without Ed Oliver, watch how many snaps Deone Walker takes. If a rookie is playing 50+ snaps a game in September, that’s a lot of weight on a young player's shoulders.
- Tre White's Health: If he starts Week 1, the Bills are confident. If Maxwell Hairston gets the nod, Tre is likely a "situational leader" more than a lockdown corner.
The Bills aren't the juggernaut they were three years ago, but they are smarter. This depth chart is built to survive a 17-game grind, provided the "Eraser" at QB stays upright.
To get the most out of your Bills tracking this season, you should compare this roster's cap hits against the 2026 projections to see which veterans are likely playing their final season in Buffalo. It'll give you a clear picture of who the "must-keep" players really are versus the one-year rentals. Regardless of the names on the list, as long as Allen is under center, the ceiling remains a Super Bowl.
Keep an eye on the Wednesday injury reports throughout the season; for this specific roster, the gap between the starters and the third-stringers is wider than in previous years, making "next man up" a much scarier proposition in 2025.