Honestly, looking at the Buffalo depth chart 2024, you'd barely recognize the wide receiver room compared to a year ago. It was a weird, transitional season for the Bills. After years of the Josh Allen-to-Stefon Diggs connection being the heartbeat of the offense, Brandon Beane basically hit the reset button. Diggs was traded to Houston, Gabe Davis headed to Jacksonville, and suddenly the "Bills Mafia" was staring at a depth chart filled with "wait, who is that?" names.
It wasn't just a minor tweak; it was a total overhaul of the team's identity.
The Great Wide Receiver Reset
For a while there, it felt like the Bills were just collecting "reliable" veterans rather than superstars. Khalil Shakir, who’s basically the only guy left with real chemistry with Allen from the old days, stepped into a massive role. He ended the 2024 season leading the team in catches (76) and yards (821). He’s not a burner, but he’s basically always where he needs to be.
The depth chart at the start of the year had Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel as the "vets" to help along rookie Keon Coleman. Honestly, Coleman had a rollercoaster year. People were worried about his 40-time during the draft, but he finished with over 550 yards and a handful of touchdowns. He’s got that "dog" in him for contested catches, even if he didn't immediately become the WR1 everyone hoped for.
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Then came the Amari Cooper trade in October.
The Bills realized they needed a real technician. Cooper's arrival shifted everyone down a peg, pushing Mack Hollins into more of a "dirty work" role. It's funny—Hollins actually led the team in receiving touchdowns (5) despite being the guy most fans forgot about in August.
The Backfield and Josh Allen’s Legs
James Cook is the guy. There was no question about it on the Buffalo depth chart 2024. He finally cracked that 1,000-yard rushing milestone. But the real story was rookie Ray Davis. If Cook is the lightning, Davis is the sledgehammer. He finished with 442 rushing yards, but it was his work in the passing game and goal-line situations that really saved the Bills in tight games.
And then there's Josh Allen.
The depth chart says Mitchell Trubisky is the backup, but everyone knows Allen is the offense. He ran for 12 touchdowns this season. Twelve! That’s more than most starting running backs. Under Joe Brady’s full season as offensive coordinator, the team shifted to a much more run-heavy approach. It felt less like a high-flying circus and more like a ground-and-pound unit that happened to have a superhero at quarterback.
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The Defense: New Safeties, Old Problems
The biggest "vibes" shift happened in the secondary. For years, you couldn't mention the Bills' defense without saying "Poyer and Hyde" in the same breath. They were the security blanket. In 2024, that blanket was gone.
Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin became the primary safety duo.
Yeah, that Damar Hamlin. Seeing him climb the Buffalo depth chart 2024 to become a full-time starter was easily the coolest story in the NFL this year. He wasn't just a feel-good story either; he was third on the team in tackles with 89. He and Rapp held things together while rookie Cole Bishop dealt with some nagging injuries throughout the first half of the season.
- Linebackers: Dorian Williams had to grow up fast. With Matt Milano sidelined for a huge chunk of the year again, Williams led the team with 117 tackles.
- Edge Rushers: Greg Rousseau is finally that guy. 8 sacks and a ton of pressures. He’s the engine of the defensive line now, while Von Miller mostly rotated in on third downs as he continued his slow return to form.
- The Corners: Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford are arguably the most underrated duo in the league. Benford is a technician, and Douglas is a ball-hawk. They’re the reason Buffalo didn't get torched every week despite the turnover at safety.
What Actually Happened on the Field?
A lot of experts thought the Bills would take a step back. "The window is closed," they said. Instead, Buffalo went 13-4 and won the AFC East. Again.
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The offense was actually more efficient without Diggs, mostly because Allen wasn't forcing the ball to one guy. He spread it around to 10 different receivers. Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid (the "12 personnel" look) became a nightmare for defensive coordinators. Kincaid, in particular, has become the go-to guy on third downs. He’s essentially a jumbo wide receiver at this point.
Strategic Insights for Fans
If you’re looking at this roster and wondering what’s next, keep an eye on the defensive tackle rotation. Ed Oliver is a beast, but the Bills were constantly shuffling guys like DaQuan Jones and Austin Johnson to keep everyone fresh. This "hockey line change" style of defensive line management is basically Sean McDermott's trademark.
The 2024 season proved that the "Buffalo depth chart" isn't just about stars; it's about the bottom 10 guys on the roster being better than everyone else's bottom 10. Guys like Cam Lewis and Ja'Marcus Ingram played way more snaps than anyone expected and didn't blink.
Your Next Steps for Following the Bills
- Track the Draft Capital: The Bills got a 2nd-round pick from the Diggs trade; watch how they use that to potentially grab another defensive tackle or a vertical threat at receiver.
- Monitor the Salary Cap: Brandon Beane is a wizard, but the "void years" are starting to pile up. Expect a few more veteran departures this coming offseason.
- Focus on the Tight Ends: With the receiver room still in flux, Dalton Kincaid’s target share is the best indicator of how the Bills' offense will perform on a week-to-week basis.
The 2024 season was about proving that the system is bigger than any one player. As long as #17 is taking snaps, the depth chart is just a list of people who get to watch Josh Allen do Josh Allen things.