6 takeaways from the Buffalo Bills first depth chart for 2022
Matt Haack listed as the starter
If the first depth chart is any indication of where some position battles stand, it would appear that Matt Haack is ahead of Matt Araiza in the competition for the starting punter job. Haack struggled last year and it wasn’t surprising to see the team draft Araiza in April during the 2022 NFL Draft.
This could be just a situation where the coaching staff wants the rookie to earn his spot, and in fact no rookies are listed as a starter on this depth chart. It will be worth watching during the preseason how many punts each player gets and how they do with those opportunities.
Tavon Austin and Isaiah McKenzie listed as the starting returners
The Buffalo Bills have provided the first indication of who they are thinking will be the team’s kickoff and punt returners this season. For punts, Tavon Austin is listed as the starter while Isaiah McKenzie is the starter on kickoffs.
Austin is probably the most experienced player on the team in returning punts with 190 punt returns but hasn’t returned punts much recently with only five over the past two seasons.
As for kickoffs, it was surprising to see Isaiah McKenzie listed as the starter since he also looks to be in line to be the starting slot receiver. The Bills likely don’t want to open him up to extra hits and it will be worth watching if he remains in this role.
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One player to watch is James Cook, who didn’t return many kicks in college but certainly has the skill set to be an effective returner in the NFL. He is listed third behind McKenzie and Duke Johnson but could move quickly up the depth chart.