We are one day closer to the Buffalo Bills having their training camp up at St. John Fisher University. The season will be here before you know it, but there will be some tough decisions that the Bills will have to make regarding the roster. Brandon Beane, Sean McDermott, and the rest of the front office will have to decide who to bring onto the final 53-man roster and who will be released.
We already know the for-sure locks for the roster (Josh Allen, Dion Dawkins, James Cook, and a whole lot more). Then there are the veterans whether they just got to Buffalo or who have been in Buffalo that could be competing for roster spots. As for late-round rookies, they face an uphill battle as well. However, no one faces more of a challenge to make the roster than an undrafted free agent.
After the end of the NFL Draft a couple months ago, the Bills went out and signed a great number of undrafted free agents who will be looking to overcome a lot of obstacles just to get noticed by the coaching staff, let alone make the roster. There are three undrafted free agents that Bills fans should keep an eye on throughout training camp who may have a real fighting chance to turn some heads.
3 UDFAs Bills fans could see on the final 53-man roster
DE Hayden Harris
Once the NFL Draft ended, the Buffalo Bills made their first undrafted free agent signing with Montana defensive end Hayden Harris. He had 9.5 sacks and 52 total tackles last season (31 by himself). The Bills love to have many edge rushers so if Harris can shine in training camp and outperform the likes of A.J. Epenesa and Javon Solomon, he might be a name that could be added to the final roster.
WR Kelly Akharaiyi
Wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi’s production last season in his first year at Mississippi State may have cost him a phone call during the draft. He had just 391 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season. However in the season prior at UTEP, Akharaiyi broke out with over 1,000 yards and 7 touchdowns while averaging 21.5 yards per catch. The potential is there to possibly fight for the WR6 spot on the roster, but he has to nearly be perfect in training camp.
LB Keonta Jenkins
Keonta Jenkins is a versatile defensive player where he can line up at linebacker and even play safety if needed. He recorded 182 total tackles in five seasons at Virginia Tech, along with 9 pass deflections and 4 forced fumbles. He knows how to attack the ball and if he impresses at camp, he might just earn a roster spot to help out this Bills defense.