Preseason wrapped up last week for the Buffalo Bills when they made a thrilling 28-27 comeback win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They finished at 3-0, and then had to finalize their 53-man roster afterwards.
The front office and coaching staff had to make some tough choices because there was plenty of great football by a lot of players. Whether it was from NFL veterans, drafted rookies, and undrafted rookies, the Bills and their fans got to see some solid football.
Bills' 2026 season featured great competitiveness among roster
One thing that stood out from this roster during the preseason was how well a good amount of rookies played. Whether they were drafted or signed as an undrafted free agent, fans got to see players who never played a snap in the NFL play very hard.
Two of them got recognition for being among some of the best rookies from the preseason. Gordon McGuinness from Pro Football Focus (PFF) listed the highest-graded rookies from this past preseason, and the Bills had two rookies in WR Ja'Mori Maclin (No. 11) and EDGE/OLB T.J. Parker (No. 13) that were featured on the list.
Gordon McGuinness about WR Ja'Mori Maclin:
"Maclin finished an 85.7 PFF receiving grade in the preseason, converting six targets into four receptions for 129 yards. He averaged 4.78 yards per route run and 32.3 yards per reception, largely thanks to a 71-yard reception in the Bills’ game against the Cleveland Browns." said McGuinness.
Gordon McGuinness about OLB T.J. Parker:
"The 35th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft had his best game of the preseason this past week, notching a 91.7 PFF grade in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He ends the preseason with four total pressures from 37 pass-rushing snaps and a pair of tackles resulting in a defensive stop." said McGuinness.
Bills seeing two rookies shine in preseason is great early progress for future
For Maclin, his biggest highlight came in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns when he had a 71-yard receiving touchdown from Shane Buechele. He created separation and managed to run down the sideline to outrun the secondary for a touchdown. Maclin didn’t make the initial 53-man roster, but he is back on the practice squad which is a great addition.
If the Bills ever run into receiver trouble, Maclin could very well be called up to the active roster on gameday.
As for Parker, who was the Bills' first draft selection, he was solid against the Steelers in the preseaosn finale and he also managed to get his first sack in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. Him being in a room that has players like Bradley Chubb, Greg Rousseau, and Mike Danna gives him a lot of veterean presence to help grow his game.
The future for Buffalo looks to be promising for various reasons, but seeing two rookies getting recognized for what they accomplished in the preseason shows that Buffalo has playmakers. If they can keep working on their game, they could make a great impact for the future.
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