Josh Allen is still the headliner in Buffalo, and the latest top-players ranking only reinforces how much the Bills’ offense runs through him. But he wasn’t the only Buffalo name to crack FanSided.com’s Top 50 ahead of the 2026 season. James Cook and Dion Dawkins joined him on the list, giving the Bills three players in the mix.
Allen landed at No. 8, while Cook checked in at No. 26 and Dawkins came in at No. 38.
That put Dawkins ahead of names like Derrick Henry, George Kittle, and Joe Burrow. Cook was ranked above Lamar Jackson, Maxx Crosby, and Aidan Hutchinson.
Allen, meanwhile, was placed ahead of Patrick Mahomes, Ja'Marr Chase, and Trent Williams.
For Dawkins, Cody Williams pointed to the kind of steady production that doesn’t always grab headlines but keeps an offense upright. Williams wrote:
" He's allowed just 10 sacks in more than 3,000 snaps over the past few years. And for a guy who's still in his early 30s, that level of high-end consistency that has made Dawkins so valuable to the Bills only looks like it's going to keep carrying forward for a while longer." said Williams.
Cook’s rise on the list came after a season in which he took over as the clear lead back and delivered big numbers. Williams wrote:
" After some roster reshuffling, Cook was finally able to be the true lead back for the Bills this past season, and he flat-out dominated. He finished with an NFL-high 1,621 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 291 receiving yards and two more scores. He's a playmaker, no matter how you get him the rock." said Williams.
Allen’s placement was the most eye-catching of the three, and Williams made the case that his game remains as dangerous as ever. Williams wrote:
" Allen is a much different player than someone like Lamar Jackson, but he's every bit as lethal as a duel threat. I've said many times to friends, being on the wrong end of a Allen when he gets running downhill seems like an awful way to spend a Sunday. Not to mention trying to stick with receivers when they're getting a laser beam thrown to them." said Williams.
The bigger picture is simple: Buffalo has real high-end talent around Allen, and those pieces have helped make the Bills one of the league’s best offensive units in recent memory, especially under Joe Brady. With the group set to run it back in 2026, there’s no sign of that core slowing down anytime soon.
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The case is easy to make when you look at how often Cook has tilted games in Buffalos favor over the last two seasons, including some of the best stretches of his career. He led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2024 and has already given the Bills the kind of week-to-week stability teams usually have to pay a premium for, which makes the timing of his contract extension before the 2025 season feel especially important as his value keeps climbing. [Read more 🡒]
