The Buffalo Bills’ skill-position group has landed near the bottom of ESPN’s latest NFL rankings, and Bill Barnwell isn’t exactly handing out flowers.
Barnwell placed Buffalo 29th in his yearly evaluation of running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, calling the group “difficult to get excited about.” Only the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns were ranked lower, with the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets also finishing ahead of the Bills.
Barnwell made clear that this was not a ranking of entire offenses. His focus was strictly on the playmakers around Josh Allen, and that distinction still didn’t lead him to a kinder conclusion.
James Cook earned the strongest review of the bunch. Barnwell praised Cook’s vision, his ability to break tackles, and the way he can generate explosive plays. Even so, he pointed to Cook’s history of fumbles as a real concern, noting how that has already hurt Buffalo in important moments.
The rest of the group drew far more skepticism. Barnwell questioned whether DJ Moore can get back to his 1,000-yard production, writing, “After all, 2025 was comfortably Moore's worst season as a pro, as he fell down the priority list at receiver for the Bears as the year went along," Barnwell said. "Moore hasn't missed a game in five years, which is a positive, but he profiles as one of the least imposing top wideouts in the league."
He was even less enthusiastic when discussing Khalil Shakir, Josh Palmer, and Keon Coleman, saying, " this would be one of the worst receiving corps on paper without Josh Allen on the other side of the passes. "
At tight end, Dalton Kincaid did not do much to ease the concern. Barnwell cited his injuries and the fact that he has not emerged as the kind of big target Buffalo can lean on.
He closed with the question that hangs over the entire group: “For all the Bills are spending at receiver, the same question still lingers: If Allen needs to throw for a first down to win a game, who should he trust to get open? Every team ranked above the Bills has at least one receiver that fans would bring up as an obvious answer for their quarterback. The Bills still, somehow, do not,” he said.
It’s one analyst’s take, but it adds another national snapshot of a Buffalo offense still trying to build the kind of reliable support that can help Josh Allen push the Bills toward their first Super Bowl.
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