The Buffalo Bills’ first preseason depth chart is out, and while it’s far from a final verdict, it does offer a decent snapshot of where a few battles stand as Saturday’s opener against the Carolina Panthers approaches.
The Bills will host Carolina on August 15 in the first preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium, and after a full week of work, the initial chart gives some early clues about who’s leading where. It’s not an official statement from the coaching staff, but it does hint at how the roster picture is shaping up.
One of the clearest early reads is at left guard, where Alec Anderson has the edge over Austin Corbett. That lines up with camp, where Anderson handled most of the early first-team snaps. Unless something changes fast, this looks like a spot that could already be tilting toward Week 1 against the Texans.
Inside linebacker is another spot worth watching, even if the current chart still shows the familiar names on top. Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard remain ahead of Kaleb Elarms-Orr, despite the impressive summer Elarms-Orr has put together. He’s made enough noise that the conversation about getting him on the field feels like it’s already underway, or at the very least close.
The defensive line also features an encouraging sign for 2025 second-round pick T.J. Sanders, who is listed in a starting role.
There hasn’t been much real contact in camp, but Sanders turned in a strong summer in Pittsford. If he takes a step in Year 2, that could matter a lot for a Bills front looking for stability.
At quarterback, Kyle Allen is still listed ahead of Shane Buechele, even though the competition for QB2 has looked close all summer. That one seems destined to be decided in game action once the preseason gets rolling.
There were a couple of notable surprises farther down the chart. Undrafted rookie Kani Walker is sitting as either CB3 or CB4 on the boundary, which speaks to a steady camp from the longer defensive back, even if it hasn’t been flashy.
Jalon Kilgore showing up with the third team is harder to square with what he’s done at camp. He made plenty of plays and drew strong praise from the Bills staff at St. John Fisher University while showing he could handle multiple roles.
Another eyebrow-raiser came at inside linebacker, where Joe Andreessen is listed ahead of Keonta Jenkins. Jenkins spent more time with the second unit during the Rochester portion of camp, so the ordering doesn’t fully line up with the snap distribution, but that’s where things stand for now.
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