No. 2: Safety
There is another battle to look at in the defensive backfield in the safety position. Taylor Rapp has one spot locked down, as he had a very underrated season last year. That leaves another spot open, along with depth, which is crucial, especially with the vicious way Rapp plays.
In a dream scenario, Cole Bishop has evolved heading into his second training camp and is ready to make a big impact. However, Damar Hamlin won’t make it easy on him, coming off the best season of his career. The team also brought in Darrick Forrest, who brings upside.
Before a coaching change and system change knocked him out of favor in Washington, Forrest looked really good. In 2022, he appeared in 17 games in which he logged four interceptions, nine passes defended, two forced fumbles, and 88 tackles.
Sean McDermott is a defensive back guru who could get Forrest back to that level, perhaps even better. That brings it down to a three-horse race for one starting position and two depth spots. Now mix in Cam Lewis and rookie Jordan Hancock, who are both hybrid cornerbacks and safeties. This is an absolutely important battle to watch throughout training camp and preseason.
No. 3: Kick/Punt Returner
With the new kickoff rule, the league is expecting more kickoffs to be returned this season. The Bills have Brandon Codrington, who filled that role well last year for them and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team. They also bought in Laviska Shenault, and have KJ Hamler returning as well from the practice squad. The team likely doesn’t want Khalil Shakir to endure extra wear and tear returning it all season long. Having a good kick and punt returner is very advantageous, and the most dynamic one will likely earn the spot.
Codrington likely enters camp with the upper hand. Last season, he returned 27 punts for 313 yards, good for the fourth most in the league, and only fair caught the ball eight times. Additionally, he returned 11 kickoffs for 306 yards, including a 53-yarder. His quick acceleration and twitchiness are hard to ignore. Codrington also owned the sixth-best punt return yard average last year, with 11.6.
Last year for the Seahawks, Shenault returned 16 kicks for 459 yards, which included a 97-yard touchdown. Although he had two fumbles on kickoffs. As a gadget guy, Shenault brings value to the wide receiver position. However, the Bills already have Shakir, Moore, and Curtis Samuel who could perform gadget plays.
Codrington is likely to be buried on the cornerback depth chart; however, he could show much improvement there entering year two. It will be a fun battle to watch and one that will likely add math to figuring out a 53-man roster. Kick returns will be as important as ever this season.