ESPN ranked the Bills' skill position players 28th in the NFL, only ahead of four last-place teams.
The Buffalo Bills put up 525 points last season, won the AFC East again, and have the reigning MVP under center. But ESPN lumped their offensive weapons with the league's bottom feeders.
Bill Barnwell placed the Bills at No. 28 in his annual NFL skill-position playmakers rankings, just ahead of four last-place teams.
The same Bills who led the AFC in scoring in 2024 are being called one of the league’s least imposing supporting casts. Why so low? Because Josh Allen doesn’t count.
Barnwell’s list evaluates each team’s running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, excluding quarterbacks entirely. Each team is imagined with an average QB, offensive line, and playcaller. ESPN’s advanced receiver metrics help forecast production.
Buffalo only beat out the Cleveland Browns (No. 29), New England Patriots (No. 30), Carolina Panthers (No. 31) and Tennessee Titans (No. 32), all of whom finished last in their respective divisions last season. Including playoffs, the Bills had as many wins, 15, as those four teams combined a year ago.
“This probably feels low for one of the league’s best offenses but star quarterback Josh Allen has been removed from the equation," wrote Barnwell, who weighed wide receivers over running backs and tight ends.
Why the Bills playmakers rank near the bottom
Barnwell lauded the growth of Khalil Shakir and praised his 2.4 yards per route run last year but said other Buffalo pass catchers lacked impact.
- Dalton Kincaid, after five games over 55 yards as a rookie, didn’t top that mark once last season.
- Keon Coleman, the team’s second-round pick, was inconsistent and quiet in the playoffs.
- Curtis Samuel was “often anonymous,” Barnwell wrote.
Two-time Pro Bowl running back James Cook couldn't save the ranking. Cook tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns last year but Barnwell doesn't think it's sustainable. Cook totaled four rushing scores over his first two seasons.
“Cook has proved to be a great zone runner and showed off more big-play ability,” Barnwell wrote. “But I’d be surprised if his touchdown total didn’t land somewhere between two and 16 this season.”
Not a single Bills running back, wide receiver or tight end turned the ball over last year. Buffalo committed a league-low eight turnovers, and they were all made by Allen.
Top five playmakers groups in NFL
Here are the top five teams in Barnwell’s 2025 skill-position rankings:
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Detroit Lions
- Cincinnati Bengals
- San Francisco 49ers
- Los Angeles Rams
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills offensive weapons ranked No. 28 in NFL by ESPN
Category: General Sports
